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# Meet the StrideUp team

StrideUp is built by people who believe finance can be fair, accessible and rooted in faith. From the way we design our products to how we support our customers, every step starts with the people who make it possible.

## The people shaping the future of halal finance.

### Sakeeb Zaman

CEO & Founder

### Rizwan Ali

Director of Sales & Marketing

### Shamma Raza

Head of Compliance & Risk

### Nickie Saunders

Head of Operations

### Alex Pang

Head of Finance

### Sakeeb Zaman

CEO & Founder

Sakeeb is the founder and CEO of StrideUp, leading its mission to become the trusted provider of halal finance in the UK. He started StrideUp with a clear goal: to build a financial system where Muslims can access modern, fair and transparent products without compromising their faith.
Before founding StrideUp, Sakeeb worked at Deutsche Bank in structured finance and fixed income, gaining a deep understanding of how global financial systems are built and scaled. His experience across markets gives StrideUp both the technical grounding and the strategic vision to grow responsibly while staying rooted in Islamic principles.
Under his leadership, StrideUp has become one of the UK’s leading Islamic fintechs. In 2025, the company was named the fifth fastest-growing fintech in the UK and Ireland, and one of Europe’s top 50, recognised for redefining what shariah-compliant finance can look like today and proving that faith-aligned finance can thrive in the mainstream.
Sakeeb holds a master’s degree in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Oxford.

### Rizwan Ali

Director of Sales & Marketing

Rizwan brings over a decade of experience in Islamic finance, with a career built on helping people access shariah-compliant home finance in a way that feels straightforward and grounded in their values.
Since joining StrideUp, Rizwan has played a key role in the company’s growth over the past two years. He has helped shape and strengthen the sales function, developing the team and improving the customer journey so people feel supported from first conversation to completion. His experience and steady leadership have contributed to StrideUp’s position as one of the UK’s leading Islamic fintechs.
As Head of Sales, Rizwan leads with a focus on service, accessibility and long-term relationships, ensuring that customers and partners receive the guidance they need throughout their journey to halal home ownership.
Before joining StrideUp, he spent more than ten years at Al Rayan Bank, the UK’s largest Islamic bank, progressing from Home Purchase Plan Specialist to Senior Business Development Manager. During this time, he supported over £250m in Home Purchase Plan and Buy-to-Let financing and built long-standing relationships across the Islamic finance sector.

### Shamma Raza

Head of Compliance & Risk

Shamma leads StrideUp’s Risk, Compliance and Financial Crime functions, ensuring strong governance, transparency and adherence to regulatory standards across the business. With over a decade of experience in regulatory compliance for both FCA and PRA-regulated firms, she specialises in Consumer Duty, mortgages and financial crime prevention.
Before joining StrideUp, Shamma held senior compliance roles at LiveMore Capital, Foundation Home Loans and Generation Home, and previously worked at Starling Bank, where she helped strengthen the bank’s compliance and risk culture during a period of rapid growth. Her early career included roles at CHL Mortgages and Step One Finance, giving her a well-rounded understanding of both traditional and fintech lending environments.
At StrideUp, Shamma’s leadership ensures that ethical, compliant practices remain at the heart of the business, supporting its mission to make halal home finance both responsible and accessible.

### Nickie Saunders

Head of Operations

Nickie brings over 25 years of experience in mortgage lending and underwriting, with a career built on precision and operational excellence.
Before joining StrideUp, she helped establish a later-life lending product at Aldermore Bank and served as Underwriting Manager at the Yorkshire Building Society Group, where she led underwriting teams across three brands.
At StrideUp, Nickie first served as Head of Underwriting, building the company’s underwriting framework from the ground up and overseeing all financing decisions. Now, as Head of Operations, she leads the teams that keep StrideUp’s processes running smoothly, ensuring every customer journey is efficient and built on trust.

### Alex Pang

Head of Finance

Alex brings a wealth of experience in financial planning, analysis and business growth across high-growth and data-driven organisations. As Head of Finance at StrideUp, he oversees financial strategy, modelling and performance to support the company’s continued growth and long-term sustainability.
Before joining StrideUp, Alex was part of the finance team at Preqin, a leading financial data company, where he progressed through multiple roles to become Senior FP&A Analyst. He also helped build and scale Dentex Health, a high-growth dental group that expanded to over 80 practices during his tenure.
A Chartered Accountant (ICAEW), Alex combines analytical precision with a commercial mindset, ensuring every decision is grounded in both financial rigour and strategic vision.

## Build beyond with StrideUp.

We’re creating finance that reflects real values and works for everyone who wants a fairer way forward. If you’re passionate about building beyond what exists today, we’d love to hear from you.

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