Reaching New Heights - Penny Appeal's Chief Financial Officer Nominated for Prestigious Award

Acknowledging his work with Penny Appeal for almost 2 years now, Azhar Khan, our Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has been nominated for a special award noting significant 'Achievements in Accounting & Finance' at the forthcoming British Muslim Awards 2022.

Initially, Azhar had joined as our Interim Governance Director, and worked to bring into the humanitarian space the robust policies and processes found in the highly regulated banking industry. Azhar has over two decades of senior executive experience, and his previous roles have included serving as the Chief Financial Officer for Al Rayan Bank. Since December 2020, Azhar has been leading Penny Appeal’s financial evolution as our Chief Financial Officer, bringing to the charity new levels of financial scrutiny, financial planning and risk analysis.

With diverse skills and expertise in areas such as financial planning, reporting, governance and internal controls, Azhar’s role has centred on building our capacity and ensuring Penny Appeal’s internal financial management can hold itself up to the highest levels of scrutiny and accountability.

Penny Appeal’s CEO, Harris Iqbal said, “I would like to congratulate Azhar on this exceptional nomination, recognising his diligent work leading Penny Appeal’s Finance team. Every penny donated to us is given as a trust and we take this responsibility very seriously. In many ways, Azhar has raised the bar in the sector and I’m grateful to the British Muslim Awards for highlighting his important contributions.”

Azhar, Chief Financial Officer, added, “This nomination recognises the exceptional work the entire Finance Team at Penny Appeal has been doing, day in and day out, ensuring that as an organisation, we are accountable for every penny we receive and every penny we spend. Penny Appeal exists to serve those most in need around the world and it is my focus to help ensure that this is done in the most efficient and responsible manner, in a way that our donors and supporters can be proud of.”

The 9th British Muslim Awards (2022) take place on the 24th of February at the British Muslim Heritage Centre (BMHC) in Manchester. Penny Appeal's Super Muslim Comedy Tour of last year has also been acknowledged, having been shortlisted for the coveted 'Spirit of Britain' award.