Shariah-compliant bridging provider Offa has strengthened it’s senior management team with two appointments.

Sultan Choudhury OBE joins as the Birmingham and London based firm’s first chairman

and Andy Blenkinsop joins as chairman of Offa’s Risk Committee.

Choudhury has 26 years of experience in professional and financial services (Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Barclays, and Al Rayan Bank) and played an instrumental role as part of the founding management team that obtained Western Europe’s first authorised Islamic banking licence.

Blenkinsop has had a 40 year career in real estate finance including 27 years with Barclays and HBOS and spent ten years as a partner of Pluto Finance which built a £1.5bn loan book comprising development and bridge loans.

Offa chief executive Bilal Ahmed says: “The addition of Sultan Choudhury OBE, former CEO of AL Rayan is a great addition for Offa and is a boost for its vision to grow into a significant alternative ethical financier in the real estate sector.

“Sultan’s wealth of experience and seniority in the UK Islamic finance sector over 15 years including setting up and running the largest UK Islamic Bank and issuing the largest sterling sukuk (sharia compliant bond-like instrument) is a great testament to his suitability for the role at Offa.”