My name is Wan Ahmad Najib bin Wan Ahmad Lotfi

I was born in May 1981 somewhere in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and has been enjoying my life there ever since.

I am known to people with a number of names. My family members call me “Adik” (the Malay word for the youngest in the family) as I am the youngest of two with the exception of my brother, who calls me Chucky, a nickname he gave me since I can remember – probably when I was about 5 years old. And because of this nickname, my nephews and nieces calls me Uncle Taki (and my sister in law too).

Friends and acquaintances refer to me as Najib, Ajib and Chucky interchangeably. On more formal and official settings, I am sometimes referred to as Wan, my Malay family surname with origins from the Kedah (not Kelantan or Terengganu as many had thought), a state in the north of Peninsular Malaysia.

I graduated with a degree in Information Technology from Universiti Tenaga Nasional but have never worked in the IT line since I graduated. Instead I ended up in the insurance industry and after 3 years, somewhere in 2006 I ‘migrated’ to the Islamic version of it – the Takaful industry. I have been loving it ever since.

As I got myself into the industry and actually ended up care-taking the Shariah function in 2008, I decided to take up a Certificate in Shariah from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 2014. I am also a Fellow Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance (F.CPIF) – a member of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF).

I am rather a simple person but was told to have a strong character. My closest friends at work jokingly say that I am a dictator who leads with an iron fist, but then somehow they still stick around me.

What I enjoy most is hanging out with family and friends, laughing my days silly and making happy memories. On a personal basis, I enjoy music, cartoons/animations (haha!) and most of all, travelling – I love learning about new cultures and surroundings, appreciating the beautiful world that Allah has created for us.

I am passionate about a few things in life – Islam, my family, friends, development of Islamic Finance (Takaful in particular), living life and people development. I believe in love and find fulfillment in sharing with others, which was what led me to put together the “Straight from the Heart: Life Notes of a Reflecting Mind” compilation – a compilation of life lessons I acquired from various teachers throughout my short journey in life.

In a nutshell, I am an ordinary man with extraordinary dreams, continuously finding ways to be a better person and servant to Allah. At the same time, I believe in living life to the fullest, having lots of fun and enjoying each moment of it.