Proudly launching a new leadership immersion program with Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia

“What I think we’ll see is something that's very different from what's already offered in the market. Something unique”

A delegation from Islamic Banking and Finance Institute of Malaysia ( IBFIM) attended an official signing ceremony at the Parkville campus on July 2nd to mark the launch of the new program.

Joined by senior leaders from the University, including Professor Serge da Motta Veiga, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE), Owen Shemansky, Director Melbourne Professional Education and Debbie Reynolds, Director of Business Development at Melbourne Professional Education, The agreement follows discussions that commenced several months ago.

The delegation from IBFIM was led by Yusry Yusoff, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, who spoke enthusiastically about his organisation’s new collaboration with the University.

“If I had to sum the journey up in a single word — amazing,” he said. “I think from the start up to now, it's been fantastic in terms of the engagement and the discussion. What's even more important is what's been put on the table, what we've seen.

The leadership immersion program will be delivered through Melbourne Professional Education (MPE) in collaboration with Faculty of Business and Economics and Faculty of Engineering, and Information technology. MPE is the University’s centre for workplace training and professional development, and Yusoff has been impressed with MPE’s expertise and attention to detail.

" I think MPE has really captured the essence of what we want, and that makes the whole process easier in terms of the discussion, narrowing down the area we want to focus on because it's so extensive, it makes our job easier. The objective is to make sure our staff not only learn, but that they go on to apply it in a real-world context. It’s also an opportunity to understand what programs we could work on with Melbourne Professional Education, going forward. That's the experience we believe we’ll see when this program runs in November,” he added.

(Pictured from left to right: A/Prof Niharika Garud, Owen Shemansky, Debbie Reynolds, Prof Serge da Motta Veiga, Mr. Nik Muhammad Nasyron Syah bin Nik Daud, Yusry Yusoff, Shaliza Abd Ghani,  Azli Munani)

For Azli Munani, IBFIM's Director of Operations, and Shaliza Abd Ghani, Senior Manager, the leadership immersion program presents a valuable opportunity for industry crossover, one that could prove to be a real game changer for the company.

“The way the University of Melbourne has opened our eyes, and been willing to take on our ideas, and move forward with a good, practical learning journey, will be fantastic for our first learning cohort, said Munani.”

“But importantly, even though this program is designed for the insurance sector, I believe we will be able to customise it and cross over into other sectors. We're not confining this to the financial sector. Its relevance will carry across global industries.”

“This is the first time we're doing this type of program, with such a strong focus on cybersecurity and AI, explained Abd Ghani.  What I think we’ll see is something that's very different from what's already offered in the market. Something unique. A distinctive approach.”

Speaking after the ceremony, Debbie Reynolds, Business Development Director at MPE, highlights the potential for future opportunities this partnership will provide.

“This marks an exciting step forward in strengthening collaboration between our institutions,” she said. “Through this agreement signing ceremony, networking engagements, and roundtable discussions with colleagues from the Faculty of Business and Economics and Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, we have already explored opportunities to advance executive education, research, and industry engagement in Islamic finance.

”Designed to enhance leadership capabilities, the interactive workshops will be led my subject matter experts from the University and will focus on areas critical to IBFIM’S goal of becoming the global reference centre for Islamic banking and finance.Participants in the program will collaborate in cross-functional teams, working on real-world strategic challenges tailored to IBFIM’s current and future needs, including AI & machine learning in banking, cybersecurity crisis leadership, strategic innovation, and organisational transformation within the financial services sector.