04 November, 2015

CEO Kurt Lieberman to Speak at the World Islamic Banking Conference in Bahrain


22nd Annual Conference Convenes International Business and Finance Leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. PAUL, MN, November 4, 2015 – Magni Global Asset Management today announced that CEO Kurt Lieberman will be speaking about the role of country-level governance in Islamic Finance at the World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) in Bahrain, being held December 1st and 3rd. In its 22nd year, WIBC focuses on industry success in Islamic Finance, while highlighting market opportunities and promoting dialogue on key issues. 
“It is an honor to be asked to participate in this year’s conference,” said Lieberman. “Since Magni is the global leader in country-level governance research, we believe our unique perspective will be interesting to the conference participants. Our research shows that countries with environments for effective corporate governance have outperformed over time and specific policies contribute to that performance.”
In a recent article for Finance Forward - the intelligence platform for Middle East Global Advisors who are the conveners of WIBC - Magni explored how six Islamic countries classified as emerging - Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey and United Arab Emirates - are performing in relation to other countries. Magni found that over the past year, these six countries improved their environments for corporate governance faster than other major countries in the world. 
The article further stated that through adopting key policy changes some of the six Islamic countries could soon be recognized as leaders among the countries in the emerging markets. Indeed, one of these countries could even overtake Ireland, which is the lowest ranked country in the developed markets. Most importantly, the article identified that the actions required for leadership are consistent with Islamic principles.
Lieberman will be speaking in a session titled Asset Allocation Outlook – Regions and Countries for New Growth. Lieberman will focus his remarks on country-level governance issues and incorporating responsible investing principles into asset management strategies.
Lieberman will also be participating in a pre-conference roundtable on December 1st organized by the RFI Foundation. The roundtable aims to identify areas requiring greater research in order to build wider awareness for responsible finance in Islamic Finance. Earlier this year, Magni announced that it had become a signatory of the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investing.
WIBC 2015 is a three-day gathering of the financial industry’s leaders, taking place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December at the Gulf Hotel in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. For more information, visit www.wibc2015.com.
=