Meet The Team

Nawaz_Round
Steve_Round
shamim_round

Nawaz Ali

CEO

Steven Ramlakhan

Managing Director

Shamim Chowdhury

Director of Sales

Lord Nawaz Ali, a qualified Accountant and Business Advisor by profession and is the Founder Chairman and CEO of Simply I Pay merchant and payment solutions, CEO of TEO Associates, a global consultancy business that deals with international trade and high level banking such as SBLC’s and monetization and government projects around the world, CEO of TEO Vital, a company that deals with PPE and covid test kits around the globe, Chairman of Global Business Consultancy Services, Chairman of Bangla Pay a new pre paid credit card system, online e wallet and POS merchant services to be launched in Bangladesh in conjunction with MasterCard and the Managing Director of Redwood Accountants & Tax Consultants, he is also one of the directors of Eat n Pay a new IT solutions and payment system for the catering sector in the UK.  Nawaz is also the founder Chairman of UKBBC UK Bangladeshi Business Chamber. He is also the CEO of VIP events worldwide, an organisation that is in the process of organising the 1st UK Bangla Global trade expo in the UK in late 2021.

He also owns various other companies in the UK and abroad including a property sales agency in Dubai and UK, a marketing company in Dubai, and various catering businesses in UK.

Nawaz is also a former 2 times elected councillor for Birmingham City Council and served as the Trade Ambassador for Birmingham, he also sat on various bodies including Licensing & Public protection Committee and Social Cohesion & Community Safety o & S Board and the Contracts, partnerships and third sector O & S Boards for Birmingham City Council.

Nawaz is also involved in a number of voluntary and community organisations, including being the CEO of Rising Starts Football Academy which is a FA approved football coaching academy in the UK and will soon be launching in Bangladesh and Middle East, He organised the 1st ever Bangla Mela in Birmingham which attracted over 50,000 people, he is an Advisor and Trustee of a charity based in Bangladesh – Osmani Nogor Gorib Kollan Trust, the Managing Director of Masterchef Promotions which organised chef awards and completion in the Birmingham in 2015 and 2017,  and was chair of Lozells Neighbourhood Forum, which he set up and also sat on numerous community organisations and boards including the ward advisory board for the Lozells & East Handsworth Ward in Birmingham, Vice chair of Neighbourhood Management Board for Lozells Ward in Birmingham, Chair of Community First board in Yardley Birmingham.

Nawaz has many years of experience in helping and advising business clients and has various contacts and links both in the UK and internationally at both corporate and government level.

Steve is a dynamic and entrepreneurial CEO, MD, Strategy, planning & Innovation Director with a proven record of managing the full project life cycle from design to product roll-out including Banking, Bespoke Merchant Services, alternative banking & finance solutions, business strategy, big data analytics, executive insights, planning, marketing and sales. Success achieved in diverse and agile environments from start-ups to banking to major corporates. A natural leader and influencer with a passion for evangelizing concepts and ideas, bringing them through to reality and realizing their full potential utilizing clear research, detailed evaluation, drive and insight.

Has a large network of retained clients & contacts where products and services have been designed on an exclusive and contracted basis for big hitting blue chip corporates, designing on their behalf products and services whilst interacting with key stakeholders gaining their input and ensuring strategic plans are in line with their corporate strategy remit, in their targeted areas of growth. These products have been successfully launched either branded in the client’s corporate logos or self-devised brands.

A logical thinker that gains tremendous success in execution by in-depth planning using extensive insight research with an excellent track record of increasing market share.

 

Current Projects:

  • Chief Executive Officer – Valens Bank Merchant Services
  • Chief Executive Officer – Bay City Capital Evolution
  • Strategy & Innovation Director – UTP Barclaycard
  • Managing Director – Simply iPay
  • Director – Valens Global

Shamim Chowdhury is a dynamic young entrepreneur & successful businessman. A renowned face in the Asian community and voice for many British Bangladeshis.

He is the director of Sales & Marketing of Simply iPay merchant & payment solutions. He is the director of UK Bangladesh Business Chamber (UKBBC) and currently holding a position as Secretary General of the organisation & also a managing director of VIP events worldwide, an organisation that do trade & business networking events.

Shamim excelled in his studies and achieved Masters in Business & Marketing. In 2009 he founded Aston College, the first international institute of its category in Birmingham with 1100 overseas students. He then went on to establish Piccadilly Banqueting Suite & event management which includes catering, decor and media companies. He has also diversified in to cuisine and the owner of Midlands largest shisha lounge & restaurant called ‘Arabesque’.
His entrepreneurial skills were well recognised as he has been received few business awards including British Bangladeshi Young Talent Business Awards in 2015 & 2016.

His contribution towards the community has not gone unnoticed as he founded midlands most circulated community based bilingual newspaper Bangla Mail. He is currently the managing director of the newspaper.

Shamim has been involved in many more businesses in UK & Bangladesh. He has also got recruitment business and a director of Global recruitment group. He is also invested on health sector, property development and hotel & tourism industry in Bangladesh as a NRB investor. He is an executive director of Freedom General Hospital in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

He has also have phenomenal contributions towards charity and he is the founder trustee of UK registered charity named Bangladesh Economic Alliance.

A highlight in his business career has been the personal congratulation he received from the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron for successfully hosting the first ever British Bangladeshi Business Awards in March 2015.