Sam Elia, the co-founder of Europe’s largest Asian inspired quick serve restaurant group; Chopstix, has been a stalwart of the UK’s leisure sector for the last 30 years. After creating the noodle bar concept back in 2002 he has been instrumental in the brands direction and growth over the last two decades. His dedication and integrity have allowed the brand to grow to more than 100 locations, partnering with the likes of Welcome Break, Applegreen and Bourne leisure along the way. Now his dream of making the Chopstix ‘X’ as recognisable as the famous golden arches is well on the way to becoming a reality, as the brand continues to become a mainstay of the UK’s fast-food offer and pushes forward into Europe and beyond with its franchise model. Sam is a true visionary in every sense of the word but remains an operator at heart, committed to the diversity of offer that the UK consumer is demanding.
Rohema Miah is a Political Advisor and has worked in the parliamentary sphere for over 20 years. Her experience spans working for MPs, Ministers and Members of the House of Lords. An International Speaker and a consultant to local, national and international organisations and departments. Rohema is Director of International Trade Affairs for the UKBCCI .
Former Director for the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia and the Policy and Development Officer for the Centre of Muslim Affairs. Rohema has set up and coordinated interfaith projects
Rohema is an Ambassador for Peace and holds a number of positions in the charity and voluntary sector.
Murat Bingöl, was born in Gaziantep, Türkiye. He grew up in the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, after graduating business and accounting, and then settled in the UK. Murat is very active in the real estate sector and serves the MUSIAD UK as the chairman.
Shazid Miah is the Vice President for MUSIAD UK. He is also the head of legal for a large property development company, he specialises in construction and planning law. He is also part of a company providing IT and cybersecurity services to multinational companies in the UK and abroad.
Sultan has spent over a quarter of a century in financial services, his career taking him to Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Barclays, Al Rayan Bank and most recently Offa. Starting life as a chartered accountant, Sultan is one of the leading names in UK Islamic finance. He played an instrumental role as part of the founding management team that obtained Western Europe’s first Islamic banking licence for Al Rayan Bank, where he served as CEO for 8 years. During this time, he turned the loss-making business into a profitable one with exponential growth through a real estate financing strategy, building the balance sheet to £2bn. Sultan is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. He also sits on the Islamic Finance Council UK Advisory Board.
Haroon Kalla is a prominent South African businessman and director of AMKA Products, one of the largest privately owned cosmetic and toiletry companies in South Africa. He is also a renowned pharmacist and the creator of Bactroban, a leading antibiotic cream.
With a wide network and extensive business expertise, Haroon has played a vital role in the growth and development of Post-Apartheid South Africa. He has utilized his knowledge and connections within the Muslim community to support various philanthropic initiatives and advocate for the oppressed.
During his time in the UK, Haroon served as the vice chairman of the Halal Food Authority. He also chaired AWQAF South Africa for 11 years, during which the organization was honoured with the prestigious Islamic Economy award in 2015.
Kamran is an influential banker who has facilitated over £3bn in capital market transactions over the last several years, including many successful oil & gas, mining and tech deals. He played an integral role in facilitating small cap company’s into strong revenue Kamran and his group successfully underwrote two transactions with Touchstone Energy Inc and were early backers of Afritin Mining, making significant returns in both companies.
Kamran possesses the relevant financial qualifications and experience to ensure robust financial reporting and audit oversight can be put in place. He is the principal of Portillion Capital, which offers bespoke financial advice to a wide range of individuals, including many HNWIs and UHNWIs. Kamran and Portillion are registered and authorised by the FCA, and Kamran holds several senior management functions as a regulated individual, including SMF3 Executive Director, SMF16 Compliance Oversight and SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer.
Kamran is also the CEO and largest investor in Love Hemp, as well as being a significant shareholder in Bushveld minerals
Afzal is a Shareholder of EP Group which specialises in sustainable and innovative packaging solutions with manufacturing sites for paper, plastic and aluminium foils. The Group supplies over 4000 products to major retail and food service groups across 20 countries and employs 1,500 staff across its portfolio.
A graduate from Kingston University London, Afzal left University in 1986 and joined the family business. The Business Head Quarters are located in Birmingham with factories in Malaysia, Dubai, UK and France. The company was sold in 2006 to Private Equity Mid Ocean Partners and was subsequently re-purchased in 2009 through the financial crisis.
Afzal along with his brother heads up the Family Investment Office where they acquire businesses and properties.
Afzal has a passion for business, travel and contributing to the wider community.
Afzal currently divides his time between Dubai and the UK.
Sir Iqbal Sacranie has been actively involved with the community by participating in many charitable initiatives for the last four decades, in the UK and overseas. He is motivated by his noble mission to ensure that faith-based and ethnic communities are treated fairly, equally and given due recognition for their contributions to society.
Sam Elia, the co-founder of Europe’s largest Asian inspired quick serve restaurant group; Chopstix, has been a stalwart of the UK’s leisure sector for the last 30 years. After creating the noodle bar concept back in 2002 he has been instrumental in the brands direction and growth over the last two decades. His dedication and integrity have allowed the brand to grow to more than 100 locations, partnering with the likes of Welcome Break, Applegreen and Bourne leisure along the way. Now his dream of making the Chopstix ‘X’ as recognisable as the famous golden arches is well on the way to becoming a reality, as the brand continues to become a mainstay of the UK’s fast-food offer and pushes forward into Europe and beyond with its franchise model. Sam is a true visionary in every sense of the word but remains an operator at heart, committed to the diversity of offer that the UK consumer is demanding.
Rohema Miah is a Political Advisor and has worked in the parliamentary sphere for over 20 years. Her experience spans working for MPs, Ministers and Members of the House of Lords. An International Speaker and a consultant to local, national and international organisations and departments. Rohema is Director of International Trade Affairs for the UKBCCI .
Former Director for the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia and the Policy and Development Officer for the Centre of Muslim Affairs. Rohema has set up and coordinated interfaith projects
Rohema is an Ambassador for Peace and holds a number of positions in the charity and voluntary sector.
Murat Bingöl, was born in Gaziantep, Türkiye. He grew up in the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, after graduating business and accounting, and then settled in the UK. Murat is very active in the real estate sector and serves the MUSIAD UK as the chairman.
Shazid Miah is the Vice President for MUSIAD UK. He is also the head of legal for a large property development company, he specialises in construction and planning law. He is also part of a company providing IT and cybersecurity services to multinational companies in the UK and abroad.
Sultan has spent over a quarter of a century in financial services, his career taking him to Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Barclays, Al Rayan Bank and most recently Offa. Starting life as a chartered accountant, Sultan is one of the leading names in UK Islamic finance. He played an instrumental role as part of the founding management team that obtained Western Europe’s first Islamic banking licence for Al Rayan Bank, where he served as CEO for 8 years. During this time, he turned the loss-making business into a profitable one with exponential growth through a real estate financing strategy, building the balance sheet to £2bn. Sultan is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. He also sits on the Islamic Finance Council UK Advisory Board.
Haroon Kalla is a prominent South African businessman and director of AMKA Products, one of the largest privately owned cosmetic and toiletry companies in South Africa. He is also a renowned pharmacist and the creator of Bactroban, a leading antibiotic cream.
With a wide network and extensive business expertise, Haroon has played a vital role in the growth and development of Post-Apartheid South Africa. He has utilized his knowledge and connections within the Muslim community to support various philanthropic initiatives and advocate for the oppressed.
During his time in the UK, Haroon served as the vice chairman of the Halal Food Authority. He also chaired AWQAF South Africa for 11 years, during which the organization was honoured with the prestigious Islamic Economy award in 2015.
Kamran is an influential banker who has facilitated over £3bn in capital market transactions over the last several years, including many successful oil & gas, mining and tech deals. He played an integral role in facilitating small cap company’s into strong revenue Kamran and his group successfully underwrote two transactions with Touchstone Energy Inc and were early backers of Afritin Mining, making significant returns in both companies.
Kamran possesses the relevant financial qualifications and experience to ensure robust financial reporting and audit oversight can be put in place. He is the principal of Portillion Capital, which offers bespoke financial advice to a wide range of individuals, including many HNWIs and UHNWIs. Kamran and Portillion are registered and authorised by the FCA, and Kamran holds several senior management functions as a regulated individual, including SMF3 Executive Director, SMF16 Compliance Oversight and SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer.
Kamran is also the CEO and largest investor in Love Hemp, as well as being a significant shareholder in Bushveld minerals
Afzal is a Shareholder of EP Group which specialises in sustainable and innovative packaging solutions with manufacturing sites for paper, plastic and aluminium foils. The Group supplies over 4000 products to major retail and food service groups across 20 countries and employs 1,500 staff across its portfolio.
A graduate from Kingston University London, Afzal left University in 1986 and joined the family business. The Business Head Quarters are located in Birmingham with factories in Malaysia, Dubai, UK and France. The company was sold in 2006 to Private Equity Mid Ocean Partners and was subsequently re-purchased in 2009 through the financial crisis.
Afzal along with his brother heads up the Family Investment Office where they acquire businesses and properties.
Afzal has a passion for business, travel and contributing to the wider community.
Afzal currently divides his time between Dubai and the UK.
Sir Iqbal Sacranie has been actively involved with the community by participating in many charitable initiatives for the last four decades, in the UK and overseas. He is motivated by his noble mission to ensure that faith-based and ethnic communities are treated fairly, equally and given due recognition for their contributions to society.