Our board
Our Islamic College of Sport Board members come from highly experienced & diverse backgrounds.
*Subject to NESA approval
*Subject to NESA approval
Our Islamic College of Sport Board members come from highly experienced & diverse backgrounds.
Ali is the Strategic Community Engagement Manager at the Richmond Football Club as well as the General Manager of the Bachar Houli Foundation.
Ali has over 10 years’ experience as the National Diversity Programs Manager at the AFL, as well as extensive experience in the development of multicultural programs in the multicultural sector. Ali brings his experiences and learning from the AFL on social leadership, employment and engagement programs to broaden opportunities for multicultural youth.
Ali has previous experience as the managing director of the Islamic Museum of Australia overseeing the strategic direction and engagement, and also has qualifications in education.
Bachar Houli is an Australian Rules Footballer for the Richmond Football Club, known as the first devout Muslim to play the game at the highest level. Houli was drafted in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft with selection No. 42 by the Essendon Football Club. After four years and 26 games with the Bombers he made the move to Richmond, where he played over 200 games and in a number of premierships.
Off the field, Houli is a devout Muslim and the founder of the Bachar Houli Foundation. Houli is regarded as a leader and role model for the Australian community due to his inspiring work promoting social cohesion and harmony.
Houli’s dedication and commitment to his community work with Muslim youth has enabled him to become one of Australia’s most prominent public figures. He has been internationally recognised and awarded the Beyond Sport achievement award for the Bachar Houli Islamic Programs in Philadelphia, USA and High Excellence Award for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding.
Ali is one of Australia’s most respected young Muslim leaders. As Executive general manager of Community and inclusion with AFL club the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Ali plays a central role in uniting one of the most diverse regions in the world, Western Sydney. Ali recently featured as an adolescent expert on the hit ABC’s Old People’s Home For Teenagers, a show that brings generations together to combat loneliness, anxiety and depression.
Ali has devoted his life towards improving the opportunities afforded to both Muslim and non-Muslim youths alike. He has spent the past decade engaging schools and teenagers in Western Sydney through a range of community outreach programs focused on social cohesion, education, employment, and leadership development. He is a qualified teacher and has been engaged by various Government and community working groups to help with social cohesion among young people right across NSW. Ali was an academic tutor at Western Sydney University guiding and mentoring future teachers and was named ‘Case Worker of the Year’ by the Migration Council Australia in 2015. Ali was awarded 2024 Community Hero Award from the UNSW Australian mental health awards for his commitment towards building awareness around Suicide within CALD communities. Ali was born and raised in a Lebanese family in Western Sydney, and is a devoted husband and father of four.
Education:
Dr Nada Ghamra-oui is an educational consultant, writer and researcher in Sydney, Australia. Taking up her doctorate came into fruition upon receiving an academic excellence award for administration leadership in postgraduate studies from ACEL and ACU. The catalyst for her experience of forty years as an educator, in both, government schools and as principal of an Islamic school highlighted important issues pertaining to the education of Muslims, the politics surrounding cultural issues in education and leadership scope, possibilities and limitations, as well as a concern for providing a culturally congruent education for parity of outcomes. Nada harnesses this knowledge to supporting educational and community-based organisations for transformation and to impact practice.
Nada leads and manages educational projects. She also sits on multiple advisory boards for faith communities, the Muslim community and educational organisations. Nada has published in peer reviewed journals and is a regular presenter at conferences, both local and international. She is a peer reviewer having contributed to academia as guest editor for the Asia Pacific Journal for Educators and Education (APJEE) and is currently on the Annual Conference abstract review panel for the Centre of Islamic Thought and Education (UniSA).
Hafez has a Bachelor of commerce (accounting) and member of institute-chartered accountants.
He has worked at Westpac, Hall Chadwick chartered accountants, was CFO brick and block company, and currently works at Macquarie accountants. He also sits on the Board of the Lebanese Muslim Association.
Imran is the Head of Islamic Finance at the National Australia Bank (NAB). At NAB, he developed the first multi award-winning Islamic business banking offering in Australia. He is the author of ‘A Comparative Study of Islamic Finance in Australia and the UK’ (Routledge, 2022) and is also the host of the podcasts Muslim Money and Arabic with Imran Lum (450k+ downloads).
Previously, Imran was appointed by the Foreign Minister to the Board of the Australia-ASEAN Council, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute for Religion, Politics and Society at the Australian Catholic University. Imran was ranked in the top 500 who make the Islamic Economy by ISLAMICA 500 (2017-2019) and he was the 2019 Corporate Winner for the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians.
Imran has an undergraduate degree from the University of Adelaide, a Masters in Islamic Studies from the University of New England and a PhD in Islamic Studies from the Melbourne Law School and the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne.
