Mohamed Zaffar Ahmed is the Founder and President of GAIS. He obtained his teaching qualification cum laude from the University of Witwatersrand – with Accounting and Business Studies as majors. He went on to complete a Further Higher Diploma in Educational Management at Rand Afrikaans University (now called University of Johannesburg). He later completed his MBA cum laude and also received the prestigious Top MBA Student Award in 2004. He has served in the education sector for 38 years now. Zaffar served as Deputy Headmaster and Head of Boarding at Summit College, an ISASA affiliated Independent School in Gauteng. He also served as Principal at Al Ghazali College and the Port Shepstone Islamic School before joining Al Falaah College in 2009, where he currently serves as Principal in the high school. Zaffar Ahmed served as past Chairperson of the Association of Muslim Schools in Natal, and as an executive member of the National Association of Muslim Schools in South Africa. He is also the Deputy CEO of AWQAF South Africa, a philanthropic Waqf organisation serving the needs of all South Africans.

Fahad Haroon has served in the field of education for more than 18 years. He currently serves as the Principal of Reflections school, one of the pioneer Islamic schools in Pakistan. This Cambridge Associate school caters to 1200 students between the ages 2.5 and 18. He also serves as an advisor at Cooperative Office for Dawah in Rawdah, Riyadh that operates www.islamreligion.com and www.newmuslims.com. These websites provide information regarding Islam and an e-learning platform for newly reverted Muslims. Fahad Haroon holds a postgraduate certificate in Islamic Education from University of Warwick, UK. He completed his Bachelors in Business Administration from Institute of Business Management and Shahadatul A’aliyah from Wafaaq-ul-Madaris in Pakistan. He was a teacher and founding member of Burooj Institute, an executive Dars-e-Nizami Madrasah. He has also served as a facilitator and management committee member at S.E.M adventures, a tarbiyah-based experiential learning youth adventure club. Fahad Haroon started his early career as a teacher and has taught various subjects to students aged 7 to 18.

Sufia Azmat is the Executive Director of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA), which provides international accreditation services and professional development to schools worldwide. With over 30 years of experience in education, she has served as a teacher, school leader, leadership coach, and education consultant. A graduate of the University of Chicago in Political Science and Northern Illinois University in Marketing and Management, she also holds a Master’s in Islamic Education from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Ms. Azmat is a certified Board Consultant specializing in strategic planning and mission alignment. She has spoken at international conferences, including the International Congress on Islamic Education in Istanbul and the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto. Having visited over 80 schools worldwide, Ms. Azmat has gained invaluable insights into the diverse approaches and best practices in Islamic education. Her commitment to Islamic education is further demonstrated through her role with Weekend Islamic Schools Educational Resources (WISER) and her recent training in the 5D Thinking Model for transformative education.

Abid Siddiq completed his A Levels at Karachi Grammar School and earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Economics with distinction (Top of Class) from the International Islamic University, Islamabad. He gained practical experience through internships at organizations such as the Karachi Marriott Hotel, Al Baraka Bank, National Management Consultancy, and Merrill Lynch, Pakistan. Mr. Siddiq joined his family business group, where he led the implementation of the ISO 9001 quality management system at Lalqila Restaurant, facilitating its expansion into international franchises. He later pursued an MBA in Operations Management and Entrepreneurship from McGill University, Canada, and completed eight years of study in Dars-e-Nizami, including the Daura-e-Hadith, at Dar-ul-Uloom, Karachi. He has taught BBA and MBA students for six years at Bahria University and for two years at the Hira Institute of Emerging Sciences, Dar-ul-Uloom. Currently, Mr. Siddiq serves as a director at TWMC (Warehousing) and Lalqila Restaurant, a trustee at The Learning Circle Trust, Treasurer of the Global Association of Islamic Schools, and an admin for the Moral Learners WhatsApp group, which connects ulema, educators, trainers, and influencers. An avid networker, Mr. Siddiq actively connects educationists worldwide and volunteers to provide relief to disaster-stricken communities.

Zeynep Alp is an educator, translator, and publishing consultant with over 25 years of experience in curriculum development, Islamic education, and international publishing. She serves as Board Member and Chair of Outreach at the Global Association of Islamic Schools (GAIS), supporting partnerships and collaboration among schools worldwide. She is also the founder of the Islamic Curriculum Initiative (ICI), a volunteer-based effort developing spiritually grounded and decolonized K–12 curricula with Palestine at its heart. At EDAM, she has overseen more than 110 translation and editorial projects across Islamic education, teacher training, and children’s literature, and has represented Turkish publishing at international book fairs. Her work includes contributions to Türkiye’s National Addiction Prevention Program, translation projects with the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and educational initiatives.  A graduate of Hacettepe University and the NGO Leadership and Management Fellowship at Indiana University, she continues to serve the ummah through curriculum, publishing, and educational networking.

Bilal Buttar is an experienced international educator and community leader. He holds a Master of Education from Nipissing University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto (OISE). Over the past two decades, he has served in Canada, Brunei, and Jordan, most recently as Executive Principal and Director at Miftah An-Nur Islamic International School. He has guided schools through accreditation journeys, developed teacher training programmes, and strengthened inclusive pedagogy. Beyond school leadership, Bilal actively contributes to educational networks such as GAIS, supporting collaboration, professional development, and community growth among Islamic schools worldwide.

Dr. Shatara is an educational consultant and leader with over 35 years of experience in diverse roles, including teacher, school leader, adjunct professor, educational researcher, and board member. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Research Methodology from Florida Atlantic University, a Master’s degree in Multicultural Education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (FAU). Throughout her career, Dr. Shatara has been dedicated to guiding school redesign with a focus on systemization, integrating Islamic values into curricula, and cultivating leadership inspired by prophetic teachings. She has worked with six schools, leading them through redesign, systemization, and accreditation.   As the Founding Principal and Curriculum Developer of Al-Hidaya School in New York, she continues to help communities pave new pathways in Islamic education through thought leadership, leadership and teacher development, and curriculum design. She also serves as an instructor for the American Islamic School, delivering the first Islamic school teaching certification program offered in the United States.  In addition, she serves on the boards of several educational institutions, including the Global Association of Islamic Schools. Dr. Shatara’s contributions extend to the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA), where she served as President and Vice President for eight years, helping the organization become central to the national Islamic schooling landscape and gain recognition as an international accrediting agency.

Salatu Sule is an educator and coach. She holds a law degree and certificates in early years education, educational leadership, management and social psychology. With more than two decades in teaching and school administration, she has served as a Vice Principal, and an Asst. Hostel Administrator. She currently works as a subject teacher and head of the Development & Training Office at New Horizons College, Minna, Nigeria. She is committed to advancing faith-based education and ethical leadership. Her writings have featured in Sisters Magazine and Daily Trust, and her book One Breath At A Time was published by Kube Publishing.