Who We Are
Simply Ethical is a leading provider of Sharia Compliant and Socially Responsible investments, pension and insurance solutions for individuals, businesses and intermediary clients. We were established in 2009 and are directly authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our professional team has over 70 years of experience working in the financial services industry, which has included managing investments, creating and structuring investment solutions, raising finance and advising clients on various financial matters including investments, pensions, estate and tax planning.
Our vision is to make ethical investments the prime way of saving, so that people contribute positively to society, whilst investing to achieve their financial goals.
To achieve our vision, we consistently remain focused on three key factors:
1. Provision of holistic and competitive offering accessible to all - we have devised our proposition to service clients regardless of their personal wealth or investment amount. For those with smaller amounts who are seeking a low cost online investment advice, our Simplified Advice Online service could help meet their investment needs. Simplified Advice Online is a low cost online investment advice service which asks you a number of questions to understand your objectives and risk profile to then allocate you to a suitable portfolio of Sharia compliant investments that are managed by us. The service offers a range of accounts including investment account, Stocks and Shares ISA account and Personal Pension. Whilst for those with complex needs or those who are interested in seeking comprehensive financial advice our Personal Financial Advice service helps them achieve their objectives. We continously monitor our services and charges to ensure we stay ahead of competition.
2. Positive contribution to society - we deliver a service proposition where your invested money helps you contribute positively to society. By offering access to ethical investments that deliver positive economic, social and environmental impact, we all help create a better world for everyone. We all want to see businesses giving workers, suppliers and other stakeholders a fair deal and have a favourable view of those that take on board their responsibility towards wider society. Not only is this a socially responsible approach, but we genuinely believe businesses are more likely to build a strong, sustainable long term business if they employ ethical values.
Learn more about our Ethical investment values.
3. Focus on financial goals - Whilst adhering to our ethical values, we never lose sight of devising solutions that deliver performance to help meet your life goals.
We appreciate the trust placed in us and we hope to establish a long term relationship based on professionalism, fairness, transparency and constant commitment to adding value for you. We’re constantly striving to provide the best possible ethical solutions for our clients and we believe this is just one of the reasons we were named the Winner of Islamic Finance Firm of the Year - UK in Finance Monthly Magazine M&A Awards 2014 and more recently shortlisted as Finalist for Financial Services Firm of the Year - Islam Channel Business Awards 2020.
Let's work together to achieve positive social impact without compromising your financial goals.
Faizal Karbani
Founder & CEO
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Faizal is a qualified Chartered Accountant and spent the first decade of his career working with PriceWaterhouse Coopers and GlaxoSmithKline. In 2005 he moved into the Islamic Finance industry specialising in providing Sharia Compliant independent financial advice to individuals and corporations. His experience has also been significantly enriched by consultancy work for a leading global Sharia consultancy firm Dar Al Istithmar and for the Qatar Investment Bank. Faizal is also an Approved Trainer for the Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ). He is committed to the development of the Islamic Finance industry and is a regular speaker on Islamic Finance related topics. In this light Faizal has worked with the UK Al Qalam panel of scholars, the UK Government on tax legislation changes related to Islamic Finance and is a member of the Islamic Finance Experts Group formed by the Muslim Council of Britain. |
Wasim Khan
Director
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Wasim has extensive experience working in the financial services industry, including working at Citisolutions (subsidiary of Citibank). He holds various professional qualifications in areas including investment management, risk and financial planning. He is a member of CII and a Chartered member of CISI. Along with advising clients, he is responsible for company strategy, execution, compliance and is a member of the Investment Committee. He has played a leading role in building and launching the Simplified Advice Online proposition. At present, he is spearheading a number of initiatives to enhance client services and further develop the advisory & discretionary investment management proposition. Wasim graduated in Economics from London Metropolitan University, after which he advanced his education by achieving Masters in Islamic Banking, Finance and Management from Loughborough University. On completion of his academic education, he worked for an international NGO in London & Bangladesh as a Microfinance Research Analyst. |
Stuart Hutton
Chief Investment Officer
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Having worked across retail, construction and executive search, Stuart established his own wealth management business 12 years ago providing investment advice to high net-worth individuals, families and companies. He recently joined Simply Ethical as Chief Investment Officer, where he is driving an innovative and fresh approach to managing Sharia compliant investments. He is also a keen supporter of financial technology and some of the exciting new ideas in this area. Stuart is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (CISI) and is also a qualified Financial Planner with the Personal Finance Society. He holds the Islamic Finance Qualification and is an External Specialist Advisor to the CISI on Islamic Finance. Outside of financial services, he holds several Trustee and Non-Executive Director positions, including Chairman of a UK housing company. |
Patrick O'Neill
Senior Consultant
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He has over 15 years' experience as a qualified Financial Consultant in the UK. During this time he's been awarded the CII Advanced Financial Planning Certificate in Taxation & Trusts, Pensions, Personal Investment Planning and Investment Portfolio Construction. Patrick graduated from the University of Limerick, Ireland with a Business Studies & Japanese degree. During his degree program he was awarded a scholarship to Japan and came into contact with Muslim students promoting his journey to Islam and subsequent Shahada. |
Faisal Salim
Head of Marketing
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Faisal has over a decade of experience working within the corporate sector, particularly the financial services industry in the City of London. Having graduated in Business Information Technology, he began his career as an Intern, working for HSBC Global Banking and Markets in 2000. He performed various roles including Settlements Analyst, Senior Information Analyst and Project Manager. Building on his passion in delivering customer centric products; adding value to customers lives (B2C), he then moved into HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management working as a CRM Business Project Manager and then subsequently as a Propositions Development Manager. His remit focused on delivering large scale digital wealth transformation projects, most notably the online Global Investment Centre. Thereafter, Faisal joined Simply Ethical team as a Propositions Consultant to advise, develop and implement the new Digital Wealth Strategy. Faisal holds various professional qualifications. Outside of work, he is actively involved in the education and charity sector. |
Mufti Faraz Adam
Sharia Adviser
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Mufti Faraz Adam is a well known UK-based Islamic finance & fintech consultant and heads the Shariah advisory firm Amanah Finance Consultancy. He is the advisor to a number of well-known UK Islamic financial institutions and serves across the Islamic economy in Islamic banking, SME financing, Zakat, Waqf and estate planning. He is on a number of global Shariah boards in countries such as Switzerland, Bahrain, Canada, Singapore, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the United States. He holds a Masters Degree in Islamic Finance, Banking and Management from Newman University and has attained various finance-industry qualifications. He has published over a dozen research papers in contemporary Islamic Finance matters and has published many chapters in Islamic fintech. |
“Excellent service. Friendly and approachable adviser, always get a prompt response from Wasim”
Mr Naseeruddin Shah.
“Simply Ethical isn't just about Sharia compliant investment solutions, although they are certainly one of the specialists in that field. Faizal Karbani has a wealth of experience when it comes to Islamic finance and Sharia compliant investments. As a Court appointed financial Deputy, I have found his advice and their financial management to always be well considered, focusing on the needs of the client whilst also addressing the requirements of Sharia compliant investments. He has spent some time ensuring he understands the client's needs and adopts a collaborative approach to ensure budgets and affordable solutions have been properly tested over the clients lifetime, providing guidance on financial strategies. He also provided extensive support in relation to the understanding of the application of Zakat to incapacitated adults. This has been invaluable leading to a better understanding of the issues.”
Legal Director - Head of Court of Protection
“Wasim delivered some really interesting information to our Financial Guides about how Sharia compliant products work. Wasim’s presentation was really helpful for the Financial Guides who support people living with cancer.”
Louise Dinsdale, Financial Guidance Service Knowledge & Content Specialist, Macmillan Cancer Support
