COLOMBO : Sri Lanka: At the prestigious 10th Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) Awards held at Shangri-La Colombo, Rifka Ziyard, Principal – Tax & Regulatory, was honored with the Gold Award for Women in Islamic Finance. The award was presented by Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker Mr. Reyaz Mihular, recognizing Rifka’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of ethical finance and regulatory reform in Sri Lanka.
With over 14 years of experience in the professional services industry, Rifka has emerged as a leading voice in Islamic finance. Her journey began in 2011 at KPMG, where she supported awareness initiatives on tax statute changes. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in shaping policy discussions, advocating for financial inclusion, and promoting non-interest-based financial instruments.
Rifka is the Secretary of the Association of Alternate Financial Institutions (AAFI), an Association that represents all leading banks and financial institutions in Sri Lanka’s Islamic finance sector. Her advocacy efforts include engaging with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka on introducing profit-based treasury instruments and working with policymakers to address regulatory barriers to Sukuk implementation.
Her technical excellence and commitment to transparency have been instrumental in adjudicating the Sri Lanka Islamic Banking & Finance Awards (SLIBFI) Awards since 2015, ensuring credibility and integrity in the evaluation process.
She is also a frequent speaker and moderator at national and international forums, including IFFSA, SLIBFI, and IFN panels, where she shares her expertise on Islamic finance products and ethical investment strategies.
Rifka holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Colombo, where she was awarded the Gold Medal for Strategic Management. She is a Fellow Member of CIMA, a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Sri Lanka. She also holds a Diploma in Islamic Finance from CA Sri Lanka. She is also a visiting lecturer on the subject of taxation for the MBA in Taxation, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. She also lectures for the Chartered Tax Advisor Course at CA Sri Lanka.
This recognition at IFFSA 2025 not only celebrates Rifka’s achievements but also highlights the growing impact of women leaders in shaping the future of Islamic finance in South Asia.
