Chief Operating Officer

Zarina earned her B.A. - First Class Honours (1994) in Islamic Studies & Political Science at The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and an M.A. (1996) in Economics & International Relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She further completed an M.B.A. (2002) from the University of Birmingham. She started her career as a research assistant to Dr Noordin Sopiee of Institute Of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS Malaysia), to whom she credits much of her early training and appreciation for policy work. Zarina was later tasked, to set up a think tank for the former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmed Badawi, called the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), Malaysia and is its Co-Founder and former Chief Operating Officer. She played a key role in its establishment in 2007 and was tasked to manage the operations of the Institute. She was later assigned the role of Managing Editor of IAIS Journal of Civilizations Studies and the Head of the Policy Unit. After that rewarding experience, she decided to join the corporate sector in the area of public policy consulting. She led a project that focused on the development of the Halal industry in Malaysia, when she was Associate Director (Public Policy and Strategy) of IA Consulting (iAC). She also worked for Strategy &, part of the Pricewaterhouse Coopers group on an economic project for Sabah. She has spoken on gender issues, interfaith relations and the education system in Malaysia and internationally. She has also written several opinion pieces and articles in the press and academic journals.