IFN Forum New York – 19th October 2017
The IFN Forum returned to New York after a successful event in 2016, and continued in 2017 with a strong and varied offering, attended by a good mix of financiers and service providers. Led by an enthusiastic keynote address from local New York State Senator Kevin Parker, sessions ranged from an analysis of opportunities for Shariah-compliant asset and wealth managers in the US to a dissection of recent real estate transactions, where foreign direct investment was being warmly welcomed by the local market. Speakers also addressed recent developments in US investor appetite for Middle Eastern Sukuk issuance as well as the continued growth of Sharia’a-compliant offerings in the Fintech space.
DDCAP was a sponsor of the event and our stand was dutifully attended by Scott Cording, Manager from our Trading Desk. Executive Director David Testa was a panellist on the final session of the event, which discussed ‘SRI and Green Finance: Integrating Islamic Investing’. Following on from an introductory presentation by Josh Zinner from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, David and fellow panellists (representing wealth manager Andalus Capital and US law firms Roberts Moghul and Michelman & Robinson) discussed current trends and future opportunities. In particular, the panel analysed the concurrent development of shared values frameworks by several interfaith bodies and how they could be integrated into Sharia’a compliant transactions. The panel concluded that this was an area full of potential, given the substantial cross-over and overlap of the principles underpinning both ethical finance and Islamic finance.”