Parsi Khabar extends heartiest congratulations to Javid Soli Canteenwala, a good friend of Parsi Khabar, on being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026.
The honour recognises Javid’s outstanding services to philanthropy and charity, and marks a significant national acknowledgement of more than three decades of sustained contribution to charitable governance, community service and public life, alongside a distinguished professional career in international finance.
The official announcement notes Javid’s service as Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), and as Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation.
In a message shared by ZTFE, the organisation stated:
“Our heartiest congratulations to our ZTFE Trustee and Honorary Treasurer Javid Canteenwala on being honoured by being conferred with the appointment of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as per the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. We express our gratitude to Javid for his several years of dedicated service. In addition, we sincerely appreciate the commitment of his family, wife Jenaz, son Zal and daughter Ava, who stand strongly behind him.”
Javid has served as trustee and treasurer of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe for over twenty years. The ZTFE is the oldest established South Asian faith-based voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, and Javid’s long association with the institution reflects his deep commitment to the Zoroastrian community in the UK and beyond.
He also serves as a director and treasurer of the World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce UK, where he remains an active member of the committee and continues to support the organisation’s work in connecting and strengthening Zoroastrian business and professional networks.
Beyond the Zoroastrian community, Javid has made major contributions to charitable governance in the wider UK voluntary sector. As Chair of the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee of the Coutts Foundation, the independent charitable foundation supported by Coutts, he oversees the Foundation’s financial governance, audit and investment stewardship. The Foundation works to address the causes and consequences of poverty in communities where Coutts has a presence, with a current focus on vulnerable women and girls, and on empowering young people through the performing arts.
Javid was previously a trustee and chair of the resources committee of Community Links, a national charity supporting some of the country’s most deprived communities. In that role, he helped guide the organisation through an important period of financial and governance change. He has also served as trustee and founding chair of the audit and finance committee of the British Postal Museum & Archive, and as a trustee of the Contemporary Art Society. He continues to advise charities and start-up businesses, sharing his financial and governance expertise across the voluntary and entrepreneurial sectors.
Alongside his voluntary work, Javid is Chief Financial Officer for the UK and EMEA region at Compagnie Financière Tradition S.A., one of the world’s largest interdealer brokers. He was formerly Group Financial Controller of the CLS Group, which operates the world’s largest multi-currency cash settlement system for the foreign exchange market, and has held earlier senior roles at UBS Wealth Management, Barclays and KPMG.
Javid holds a degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Mumbai and an MBA from London Business School. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
For the global Zoroastrian community, this honour is a proud moment. It recognises not only Javid Canteenwala’s professional accomplishments, but also his decades of quiet, consistent and deeply meaningful service to institutions, charities and communities.
Parsi Khabar joins ZTFE, WZCC-UK, Javid’s family, friends and well-wishers around the world in congratulating him on this richly deserved recognition.
