Transforming Economies Through Science, Technology and Innovation
iQ - A New Consultancy
iQ is a global consulting firm that helps and supports public, private, non-profit and philanthropists to meet sustainability, social and financial goals by providing innovative, integrated and holistic solutions to address the challenges they face.
Massive Challenges present a massive opportunity
Whether it be how to establish effective and sustainable healthcare, how to develop the necessary infrastructure for education or how to increase broader society’s access to equitable financial resources, both developed and developing nations face many challenges.
Key amongst these is the aim of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For developing nations in particular this has created an annual need for over $1 trillion in financing to fund the necessary projects and initiatives. While there is $300 trillion in the global capital markets looking for investment opportunities, ensuring this is matched to appropriate opportunities requires bankable projects which in turn requires significant advice and support.
Our Vision
To ensure these and other challenges are solved effectively, there exists an opportunity to create a world class independent consultancy that will bring transparency, efficacy and purpose to projects and issues being faced by both developed and developing nations.
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Our Mission
To tackle the challenges facing society today, including the delivery of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), by deploying Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) solutions. This is particularly important in meeting the needs of developing countries in relation to energy, education, finance, agriculture, and public health. The problem today, however, is that the existing technology transfer models are totally inadequate to meet the needs of many countries.
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Dr. Bandar Hajjar
Dr. Bandar Hajjar was the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group from 2016 to 2021. In the same period, Dr. Hajjar also chaired the Committee for Utilization of Hady and Adahi, a joint committee comprising the Islamic Development Bank and the relevant government agencies overseeing the work of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Project for Utilization of Hady & Adahi. Dr. Hajjar was awarded a bachelor's degree with First-Class Honours in Economics and Political Sciences from King Saud University, Riyadh, and a master's degree in Economics from Indiana University, USA. In 1982, he returned to Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a lecturer for four years. In 1986, he received a Ph.D. in Economics from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom.
Who We Are
iQ is lead by highly respected experts.
Dr Hayat Sindi
CEO & Founder
Dr. Hayat Sindi is one of the world’s leading biotechnologists and a global champion of science and technology. The former Senior Advisor to the President of the Islamic Development Bank for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Sindi was voted one of the BBC’s top 100 Women 2018, a list of inspiring and influential women from around the world. Dr. Sindi graduated with honors from King’s College London in Pharmacology in 1995, and was the first woman from the Gulf region to obtain a PhD in biotechnology from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Sindi also holds nine patents for a machine that combines the effects of light and ultra-sound for use in biotechnology in early detection of breast cancer. Dr. Sindi is frequently sought out as a commentator by international media outlets due to her passion for and insight in entrepreneurialism and innovation in developing countries.
And benefits from a multifaceted executive board
J. Michael Graglia
J. Michael Graglia founded and leads the SynGAP Research Fund and previously worked within the healthcare consulting practice at BCG serving most major pharma companies from the DC, NY & Mumbai offices. SynGap is a foundation dedicated to accelerating scientific research for his son's rare disease, SYNGAP1. Before his son's illness, Mike's career spanned public policy, international development and strategy including being founding director of a program at New America, a DC think tank and multiple Budget & Planning roles at both the Gates Foundation & Emerson Collective
Dr Sally Stansfield
Dr. Stansfield works as a Senior Advisor for Digital Public Health and was previously Director of the Social Impact Consulting Practice at Deloitte. Dr. Stansfield has more than 30 years of expertise in health systems strengthening, with a focus on health information, communication, and technology; data maximisation; metrics for evaluation; network development and partnership management. Previously she has held roles such as Executive Director of the Health Metrics Network at the World Health Organisations and Associate Director for Global Health Initiatives at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Zad Rogers
Zad Rogers is Founder and Creative Director of Atomized, a global content studio working across film, TV, social and digital content, AR, VR and audio. Atomized is a purpose-driven production company working with the world's most influential people, brands and organisations. Current projects include the creation of a sustainability platform for King of the United Kingdom, Charles III, BBC’s critically acclaimed documentary The Real Mo Farah, and a podcast series with iHeart featuring Nancy Pelosi, David and Victoria Beckham, Al Gore and Bob Iger and others.
Fil Randazzo
Fil Randazzo is the Founder & CEO of Leverage Science which helps funders , investors and innovators identify big ideas and turn them to reality. Previously, Fil served as a Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). During his 12.5-year tenure at BMGF, he actively participated in its rapid growth from a small startup to a 1500 employee institution with >$2B in investments.
iQ has a world class advisory board
Professor Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan
Professor Hassan is President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy; President of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS); Chairman of the Governing Council of the United Nations Technology Bank, Turkey and Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for International Development (ZEF), Germany. He was Professor and Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum; President of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP); founding Executive Director of TWAS; President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS); founding President of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC); Chairman of the Council of the United Nations University (UNU); and Chairman of the Honorary Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology, Nigeria.
Dr. Firdausi Qadri
Dr Qadri is Director of the Centre for Vaccine Sciences and an Emeritus Scientist specialising in immunology and infectious disease research at icddr,b, a leading public health institute of the Global South, where she previously led the Infectious Diseases Division, the Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology laboratories. Her work includes basic and applied immunology of infectious diseases but also clinical and large field-based studies on enteric vaccines. She has widely published and had an impact in the field of enteric diseases specifically around immunological and genetics and genomic mechanisms, diagnostics and vaccine development. She received the TWAS prize from the World Academy of Science for excellence in research and was made a member of the High-Level Panel of the UN Technology Bank.
Prof. Zakri Abdul Hamid
Professor Hamid is the former Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is the founding Chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board. He sits on the Global Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). He has been appointed by the United Nations (UN) as the Co-Chairman of STI Advisory Board of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Recently appointed as IsDB Scientific Advisory Board. Zakri’s professional interests include crop science, biodiversity and science diplomacy.
Professor Abdallah Daar
Professor Daar is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Public Health; Surgery; and Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, in addition to being a Fellow of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is a member of the African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies. Until 2017 he was a member of the United Nations Secretary-General's Scientific Advisory Board. He is a member of the Board of the World Diabetes Foundation; and is a Member of the Governing Board of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Until 2021 he was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Islamic Development Bank (-2021); and was a Member of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee until 2015.
Dr. Myrna Cunningham
Dr Cunningham is the First Vice-President of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC) and a Miskitu feminist and indigenous rights activist and medical doctor from Nicaragua. She has participated in political-social processes linked to the struggle for the rights of women and indigenous peoples in Latin America. She has been coordinator of the Indigenous Chair of the Intercultural Indigenous University. In September 2010, she obtained an Honoris Causa Doctorate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the first time that the UNAM granted such recognition to an indigenous woman. From 2011 to 2013, she served as the Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Omar Shaikh
Omar is the Director and Co-founder of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI). A Chartered Accountant by profession Omar previously worked for EY where he was UK Head of Islamic Finance. Having worked in audit and private equity, Omar now specialises in ethical/responsible finance and Islamic finance. Omar holds select board advisory roles including with the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC), Prince’s Trust Scotland, Oxford University Faith-Aligned Impact Finance and supports Glasgow Museums on preserving South Asian Heritage in Scotland.
Vladimir Yossifov
Mr. Vladimir Yossifov is a Consultant on intellectual property (IP) services and management with over 50 years experience in intellectual property management, IP information, innovation support services, technology transfer (licensing) and IP training. For over 26 years he worked for the World Intellectual Property Organization in different positions, including Director Division for Infrastructure Services and Innovation Promotion and Director, Division for cooperation with Certain Countries of Europe and Asia.
His work at WIPO included, among others, development and maintenance of the WIPO IP Information Services for Developing Countries, development and setting-up of national infrastructure for promotion and support of innovation and inventive activity, as well as for the transfer of inventions and new technologies, development and promotion of the WIPO Awards for Inventors and Creators, development of the WIPO University Initiative.
Mr. Yossifov organized and participated as a lecturer in over 400 national, sub-regional, regional and international conferences, symposia, workshops and training courses and similar programs in over 80 countries worldwide. He prepared and presented more than 300 lectures and presentations on various IP subjects, related to innovation promotion, patent and technological information, assessment, valuation and commercialization of inventions and new technologies, IP policy and strategy, etc., and contributed to a number of WIPO documents and publications on the commercialization of inventions and research results, innovation and technology management, management of intellectual property rights, intellectual property information services and the transfer of technology.
Since he retired from WIPO in 2007, Mr. Yossifov has been active as an IP practitioner and consultant on IP matters to private companies and organizations, such as such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Commission of the European Communities, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), and others. Mr. Yossifov is a Member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and a lecturer at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Dr. C. Sara Lawrence Minard
Sara Minard is the Founder and CEO of Manarine, LLC, an international consulting firm based in the U.S. working at the intersection of impact investing, design thinking, development economics, racial and gender justice, social innovation, and sustainable finance.
In addition to consulting, Sara serves as part-time Associate Director of the Mockler Center for Faith and Ethics in the Public Square at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and teaches an award-winning course (Aspen Institute) as an Adjunct Professor of Practice at Babson College on impact investing and social finance, as well as serving on several Boards. Sara’s industry experience includes five years as a socio-economist at the OECD in Paris where her research and papers covered topics such as the development of fisheries and aquaculture in West Africa. Sara also founded the Yarum Jen aquaculture social venture in Senegal in 2004.
Dr. Minard earned a Ph.D. in Economics (highest honors) from Sciences Po, Paris, under the tutelage of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, for her research on social entrepreneurship and the informal economy in Senegal, West Africa. As a trained socio-economist, educator, facilitator, policy advisor, and development practitioner with twenty-five years of experience, her multidisciplinary and boundary spanning expertise is solicited by universities, companies, social enterprise startups, impact funds, governments, and communities.
Dr. Ahmed u Shaikh
Dr Ahmed is a Transformational Leadership Consultant who specialises in empowering leaders to take their company vision off the plaques on their walls and instill it into the veins of their teams, products and customers. Dr Ahmed has studied Executive Coaching from the University of Cambridge and has been delivering leadership training for over a decade worldwide, in places such as: New York, Toronto, Cape Town, and Doha. He is an Associate Consultant for the Inspirational Develop Group, based at Sandhurst Military Academy, where he consults and trains leaders from a variety of corporations worldwide including HSBC, Barclays & Addleshaw Goddard, as well as privately consulting for International NGOs, and other multi million dollar SMEs in the Tech, Telecoms, and Household Goods industries.
In his spare time, Dr Ahmed graduated from the UK’s highest ranked Dental School and owns multiple dental businesses in Scotland, where he still treats patients. Dr Ahmed is also a pioneer in raising money for Orphans and Needy Children where he founded the Scottish arm of a voluntary project, which now funds millions of pounds for UN partnered Child Welfare programs in some of the worlds most destitute places. He served as the UK Director and the first International Director of the organisation, inspiring and training hundreds of leaders who lead thousands of volunteers in what is now one of the largest youth lead voluntary organisations in the world.
Our 6 areas of focus
We are focusing on these six sectors where we can maximise impact.
01.
Science, Technology & Innovation.
STI is at the core of iQ’s approach to consulting and we aim to ensure that the solutions and advice we provide for clients benefit from our team’s deep experience in this space.
At a national level iQ can provide advice to help build or re-build the STI eco-system and prepare strategies, policies and action plans that promote collaboration between public, private and non-profit sectors.Similarly, we can provide advice on how to support STI,
enhance the culture of innovation and help the government play the role of a catalyst and enabler.
At a micro level iQ can leverage its STI knowledge to ensure projects utilise appropriate technologies and work practices in order to be more cost efficient, competitive and ultimately more effective in achieving their stated goals.
02.
healthcare
Today’s healthcare organisations operate in an environment which is continually changing and their ability to adapt has become a fundamental condition of survival and success.
In this fast changing environment health organisation need to re-imagine their strategy, value propositions and organisational capabilities.
One of the main objectives of iQ is to help countries build resilient education and health systems by using STI to fulfil their commitment in achieving UN SDGs and similar targets.
In addition to helping identify and foster appropriate partnerships, iQ can help support and give advice to develop strategy, digital transformation, an operating model and how to build capabilities in delivering high quality healthcare. iQ can also provide guidance on how to tackle healthcare challenges to make the sector more accessible and affordable.
03.
Education
Education is recognised as a driving force for economic growth and we have seen many example of countries that have focused on quality of education now becoming advanced economies.
The demand for education due to growing population is not fully met by the governments and we see private investment as playing a crucial role in improving access to education.
Developing countries in particular have massive challenges to meet in the educational sector, especially where no capability in specialisations such as biotechnology and engineering exist. iQ can advise on how to develop these specialisations and ultimately empower students.
iQ will serve public, private and non-profit players across the sector in areas such as fundraising, school operations and institutional restructuring. iQ can also improve the use of technology to achieve appropriate student outcomes - the need for which has dramatically increased as a result of the pandemic.
04.
Evaluation
Once a project is commissioned it is crucial that an independent evaluator is appointed to ensure project goals and criteria are effectively met.
This area is an evolving space and one distinctly lacking in developing countries. Through its network and partners iQ will deliver an evaluation and monitoring process that is systematic and objective, to ensure project design, project management and project performance is optimised and above all, meets the intended goals.
Additional opportunities within this track include preparing projects and sectors for Industry 4.0.
The application of robots, artificial intelligence and financial technology is creating huge competition for many countries and it is often the case that the factories in developing countries don’t have the capabilities to cope
with this fast changing environment.
Here, iQ’s deep knowledge in STI can help to modernise infrastructure in order to be able to compete and help clients retain their position in the market.
05.
Islamic Social Finance
This sector includes institutions that are based on philanthropy such as endowments, zakat, sadaqah and non-profit Islamic microfinance organisations.
iQ will work individuals, families, corporations and foundations to provide help such as advice in form of developing strategy, measuring impact, how to use digital technologies to achieve the mission, and in interpreting the intentions of philanthropists or donors to provide a clear path for the vision.
In some cases this work may also extend to identifying suitable projects and partners for clients to participate in and work with.
While this sector can complement the public and private sectors it is presently huge underrepresented in developing nations due to the huge challenges faced by both institutions and governments in these nations. iQ will work with these groups to increase the contribution of the non-profit sector - as a complement to the private sector - from the current average of 1% of GDP to closer to the 6% achieved by developed nations.
06.
Blue Economy & Environment
Feeding a global population which is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 will place enormous pressure on the food supply chain and environmental resources.
Managing these resources will require governments and regulators to devise policies and frameworks that provide effective stewardship of the environment and meet local and international ESG goals. With extensive experience in developing policies and projects which are compliant with the UN’s SDGs iQ can play an important role in helping both public and private groups meet these challenges.
In addition to policy, meeting actual demand for food remains a priority. As fish is a primary source of animal protein Aquaculture can play a powerful role in addressing this deficit and iQ has significant experience in not only the development, funding and execution of such projects but in facilitating the partnerships that are necessary for project success.
While aquaculture is a core focus this sector offers additional opportunities to transform economies through projects in areas such as shipping & ports, offshore renewable energy, sustainable tourism, biotech, job creation, science and innovation entrepreneurship, smart aqua cities and the cold chain ecosystem.