John Glen MP
John Glen MP
Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister
HM Govt.


John Glen was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister on 9 January 2018. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport from 14 June 2017 to 8 January 2018. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Philip Hammond from July 2016 until June 2017. John Glen MP was first elected to Parliament as the MP for Salisbury in 2010. He previously worked for the Eric Pickles and Sajid Javid as a Parliamentary Private Secretary.


 

François Villeroy de Galhau
François Villeroy de Galhau                                                  
Governor

Banque de France


François Villeroy de Galhau has been Governor of the Banque de France since 2015. An ENA graduate and a former Inspector of Finance, he joined the French Treasury in 1988 and held various positions at ministerial cabinets, at the French Treasury, then at the Permanent Representation of France in Brussels, before becoming Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry in 1997. Appointed Head of the General tax Directorate in 2000, he became CEO of Cetelem in 2003, then headed the retail banking activities of BNP Paribas in France (2008) and served as COO of BNP Paribas Group, from December 2011 until May 2015. At this date, the French government entrusted him with an assignment on corporate investment financing.



Hamad Al Mazrouei
Hamad Al Mazrouei

Managing Director
Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy


Hamad leads the ADGM Academy strategic and operational activities as the Managing Director. In addition to this role, Hamad oversees the strategic operations of Human Resources and General services of ADGM. He is an experienced professional with a 17 year proven track record of delivering a diverse range of Human Resources functions that support management in achieving its mandate. Prior to joining ADGM, Hamad led functions in The General Secretariats of the Executive Council and ADNOC. Hamad Al Mazrouei is also a board member of the ADGM Academy.

Website: ADGMA



Lola Adebanji
Lola Adebanji

Director, EMEA eCommerce Solutions Lead
Citi


Lola is responsible for eCommerce strategy for Citi’s Payments & Receivables business across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). Her role involves working with eCommerce companies and Fintechs to support their global growth agenda.  Lola also leads engagement on digital themes such as Open Banking, eCommerce trends and payments landscape developments. She has spoken at numerous Citi and industry events including Money 20/20 Europe.

Lola holds a BSc in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and an MBA from Judge Business School, Cambridge University.

Website: Citi



Rajesh Agrawal
Rajesh Agrawal

Deputy Mayor
London for Business


Rajesh Agrawal is the Deputy Mayor of London for Business. Born in India, Rajesh moved to London in 2001. As an entrepreneur he founded RationalFX in 2005, and Xendpay in 2014, both companies utilising technology to reduce the cost of international money transfer for businesses and individuals. Rajesh is passionate about promoting entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for young people. He was appointed Chair of Oxfam’s Enterprise Development Programme in 2015 and has been a Patron of the Prince’s Trust for many years. As Deputy Mayor Rajesh aims to be a strong voice for London’s business community, protecting jobs and growth, and ensuring that the capital remains the most open and attractive place to do business in the world.

Website: Mayor of London


 

Jassim Al Marzooqi 
Jassim Al Marzooqi
Head of Operations and Training
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)


Jassim Al Marzooqi joined an Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund in October of 2014, following his graduation from Iowa State University in Economics and Political Science Cum Laude, to pursue a career in the field of investments. Mr. Al Marzooqi has worked in various asset classes which include Private Equity, Private Debt, Infrastructure, Hedge Funds, Equities, and Strategic Assets. Additionally, Mr. Al Marzooqi played a lead role in working with Strategic Assets holdings internationally, taking an active role, to improve their capabilities and guide them through strategy definition and implementation support. Mr. AlMarzooqi is fluent in both Arabic and English.

Currently, Mr. AlMarzooqi is heading Operations and Training within the newly established Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy. ADGMA has been established with the vision of becoming one of the leading academies in the region, providing world-class financial research and training services.

Website: ADGM



Rich Apostolik
Rich Apostolik
President & Chief Executive
Global Association of Risk Professionals


Richard Apostolik is President & CEO of the Global Association of Risk Professionals, Inc. (GARP).  Prior to joining GARP Rich worked with Bankers Trust’s (Deutsche Bank) Strategic Ventures group, focusing on financial risk initiatives to provide credit risk mitigation and management services to financial and energy companies.  

Prior to Bankers Rich was J.P. Morgan & Co.’s global head of energy brokerage activities and COO of its global listed product businesses.  Before joining JPMorgan ran his own consulting firm, providing advice to such firms as Deutsche Bank, Fuji Bank, Omega Advisors and J.P. Morgan in addition to starting up and running of S.G. Warburg & Co.’s North American futures and options business.

Rich possesses MBA and JD degrees, and was an attorney with the US SEC, practiced law in Chicago and was the CME’s first House Counsel.

Website: GARP


 

Steve Barnett
Steve Barnett
Executive Director, Business Development
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)


Mr Steve Barnett leads the Business Development Division of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) overseeing the strategy and business development to support ADGM's continued growth as an international financial centre. Mr Barnett first worked on the ADGM development initiative in September of 2013 as a Partner with the Strategy & Operations consulting practice in Deloitte.
He made the permanent move to his current role in 2014. Over more than 30 years of industry experience, Mr Barnett has held numerous leadership roles within major financial services consultancy firms including leading Deloitte’s Risk and Regulation practice and their Operational Effectiveness practice for buy-side and sell-side capital markets firms.

Mr Barnett holds a Bachelor of Humanities degree from the University of London and is a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.  

Website: ADGM



Uzair Bawany
Uzair Bawany
Chief Revenue Officer & Co-Founder
Traydstream


Uzair Bawany is an entrepreneur with global experience in building businesses. He completed his first MBO in 2003 and is experienced in banking, HR & Executive Search. In 2016, Bawany co-founded a new fintech aimed at disrupting Trade Finance processing. The Traydstream platform automates TF document processing using AI and ML. He is also on the Advisory
Board of the Prince’s Trust fundraising committee and a graduate of Kent University, BSc.

Website: Traydstream


 

Natalie Ceeney CBE
Natalie Ceeney CBE                                                                             
Chair

Innovate Finance


Natalie is Chair of Innovate Finance, the voice of UK FinTech. She has also recently chaired an independent review into the future of cash, and is a non-executive director at Countrywide PLC (the UK’s biggest mortgage broker and estate agent), Anglian Water, and Sports England. Natalie’s passion is for customer focused, technology driven innovation. After graduating from Cambridge and training as a strategy consultant at McKinsey, Natalie has held three CEO roles (including at the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service, which has a quasi-judicial role resolving disputes between consumers and financial services institutions, The National Archives, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service). Her executive roles included head of Customer Standards at HSBC, as a member of the UK Executive team.   

Website: Innovate Finance


 

Richard Clayton
Richard Clayton
Head of Group Learning
Lloyds Banking Group
 

Website: Lloyds Banking Group


 

Alison Cottrell
Alison Cottrell                                                                                     
CEO

Banking Standards Board
 

Alison Cottrell is CEO of the Banking Standards Board (BSB), a non-statutory organisation established in April 2015 to help raise standards of behaviour and competence across the UK banking sector. The BSB provides the boards and senior teams of member banks and building societies with the evidence, support and challenge to help them manage the culture of their organisation and identify and learn from good practice.

Alison began her career in the City of London as an economist covering international fixed income and currency markets. She joined HM Treasury in 2001, becoming Director of Financial Services in 2009 with responsibility for a wide range of policy areas including bank lending, payments, competition and pensions guidance. She combined this role for the three years to 2014 with that of Director of Corporate Services, focusing on staff development, engagement and culture.

Website: BSB


 

Cameron Craig
Cameron Craig
Deputy general counsel and Group Head of data privacy and digital

HSBC


Cameron Craig is deputy general counsel and group head of data privacy and digital at HSBC, a role which he took on in September 2013. In this new role he has responsibility for advising the Bank on global data privacy risks and appropriate measures to address these risks. Before joining HSBC Cameron was a partner in DLA Piper's IP & Technology Team where he built and was the co-chair of DLA Piper's EU Data Protection and Privacy Team. He worked as an engineer before turning to the law and his practice retains a strong technology focus. 

He has extensive experience in advising on outsourcing transactions and in managing and implementing global data protection solutions for international businesses. Cameron has managed many multi-jurisdictional projects, co-ordinating advice on compliance with data protection legislation across the world and advising clients on strategies for cloud adoption. 

He is also a regular contributor to journals and is the author of the data protection chapter for the Communications Law Handbook published by Bloomsbury Professional.


 

Jacco de Jong 
Jacco de Jong
Global Head of Sales
Bolero International


Jacco possesses over 35 years’ experience in the International Trade and Commodity Finance Banking space, having worked both for and with numerous major Trade Banks over the past three decades. With his vast wealth of knowledge and deep understanding of Trade Finance and digitisation processes from a Bank, Corporate and FinTech perspective, Jacco serves as a trusted advisor to numerous Corporates and Financial Institutions across the globe.

In his role as Global Head of Sales, Jacco provides customers with pragmatic, expert support and advice in their transition towards adopting/embedding trade digitisation into their business. As a SWIFT-certified Trade & Supply Chain Finance consultant, Jacco frequently moderates, speaks and participates in panels at international Trade and Supply Chain Finance events organized by institutions such as SIBOS, ICC, FIBA, SWIFT and more.

Website: Bolero International



Sabrina Del Prete
Sabrina Del Prete
Founder and CEO
Kore Labs


Sabrina is the founder and CEO of Kore, a technology and advisory company supporting financial service organisations through digital transformation. She is also a Partner at Pacemakers, a financial technology market research firm. 

She has over 25 years experience in financial markets, business transformation and application of new technologies in banking.

Over her career, Sabrina has held senior roles at JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, Coutts and RBS. She is actively involved in the entrepreneurial community, both as a Board adviser for Fintech companies and as a mentor. She currently sits on the Board of Governors of the London Institute of Banking and Finance. 

Sabrina holds a Masters in Finance from the London Business School and a degree in Business and Economics from the University of Turin. She has won a number of innovation awards for her work and she has been included in the Timetric Power 50 list of the most influential digital innovators in Europe.

An Italian national, she lives and works in London.

Website: Kore Labs


 

Nilixa Devlukia
Nilixa Devlukia
Head of Regulatory

Open Banking Implementation Entity


Nilixa is an experienced regulatory expert and lawyer  with a Masters in European Competition Law and over 20 years of banking and payments experience. Nilixa works with industry, regulators and legislators to drive changes in the payments ecosystem for a payments landscape that is secure, transparent and inclusive. Nilixa was the policy lead at the Financial Conduct Authority on all UK and EU payments and e-money related matters working together with  HM Treasury on the negotiation and transposition of PSD2 and EU agencies on the PSD2 RTS. 

Nilixa has been seconded to the European Banking Authority and has worked extensively with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the World Bank and EU regulators. Nilixa has sat on various EU and UK level committees including the ECB SecurePay Forum, the EU API Evaluation Group and the UK Payment Strategy Forum and lead on the publication of the FCA Approach Document on Payment Services and the EBA Consultations. Nilixa is a well known public speaker and Head of Regulatory at the UK Open Banking Implementation Entity.

Dimitri Diamantes
Dimitri Diamantes                                                                              
Head of Policy

FINSIA


Dimitri was born and raised in Australia, where he has spent the last two decades working in financial services. In his current role as the Head of Policy for the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), Dimitri is responsible for policy development and advocacy, particularly in relation to professionalism. He led FINSIA’s consultation with members on the interim report of the recently completed Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry and prepared the institute’s submission to the commission. Prior to joining FINSIA, he was Policy Manager at the Financial Planning Association of Australia. Before this, he held roles providing technical research and education to financial advisers.

Website: FINSIA


 

Shelley Doorey-Williams
Shelley Doorey-Williams
Head of Wealth Planning UK and Jersey

UBS


Shelley Doorey-Williams is Head of Wealth Planning at UBS Wealth Management UK and Jersey. Within her role, Shelley leads teams who specialise in; tax-efficient investment products, financial planning and wealth planning advisory.  Her career in business management and corporate governance has spanned various industries; oil & gas, broadcast media, fast-moving consumer goods and telecoms.  Before joining UBS in 2006, she ran her own company providing employee share plan services to corporate clients.

Shelley holds an MBA from Cass Business School.  She is a professionally qualified Chartered Secretary and Fellow of the ICSA and holds the Investment Management Certificate.  She has previously been visiting lecturer on Southbank University's Master's in Corporate Governance. She is on the Board of Governors of The London Institute of Banking and Finance. 

Shelley's two main business passions are entrepreneurial businesses and increasing gender diversity in the workplace. Within UBS she mentors a number of female colleagues.  She is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion group at UBS Wealth Management UK.

Website: UBS


 

Ian Dyson
Ian Dyson
Commissioner

City of London Police

Ian Dyson has spent most of his life in London.  He joined the Metropolitan Police in 1983, working within many different areas including crime and drug squads, vice and strategic planning.  For eleven years, Ian was a public order cadre trained senior officer and has extensive experience of commanding the policing of large public events.  Ian then joined Surrey Police as Assistant Chief Constable in June 2008 overseeing some of the highest confidence levels in the country and improving Neighbourhood Policing.

Ian joined the City of London Police as Commander in September 2010 leading initially on organisational change, and later as the chief officer lead on Economic Crime, expanding the Force’s national fraud responsibilities.  He was also the National Police lead for Contact Management and led the national roll out for the 101 non-emergency number. Two years later he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner leading cultural and business change, leadership and performance within the Force, embedding staff empowerment and innovation. 
 
He was promoted to Commissioner on the 3rd of January 2016 and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in the New Year Honours 2016.

Commissioner Dyson is the national police lead for Economic Crime, the national police lead for Business Crime, and the national police lead for Information Technology within policing.

Website: City of London Police


 

Thomas Egner
Thomas Egner
Secretary General

Euro Banking Association


Thomas Egner is Secretary General of the Euro Banking Association (EBA). He has been holding this position since 1st May 2016.

Thomas Egner has been engaged in transaction banking for over 20 years, most recently at Commerzbank, where he was responsible for defining and developing clearing and settlement strategies, mainly in the sector of mass payments. He was a member of the bank’s SEPA Program Management Team and closely involved in the implementation of the Payment Services Directive (PSD) within Commerzbank.

Representing his institution in the European Payments Council and the German banking community in SWIFT and ISO committees, Thomas Egner has helped to shape the European payments landscape over the last 15 years. Thomas also served as a Board member of EBA CLEARING from 2004 to 2015 and contributed to different national payment committees in Germany.

Dr Paul Fisher
Dr Paul Fisher
Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership & Visiting Professor

The London Institute of Banking & Finance


Dr Paul Fisher was an academic economist at Warwick University from 1980 to 1990, specialising in large macroeconomic models. He then joined the Bank of England where he was a senior member of staff for 26 years, with positions including Executive Director for Markets and then Deputy Head of the PRA. He was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, the interim Financial Policy Committee and the PRA Board. In his final two years he was also responsible for coordinating the Bank's work on Climate Change. From 2011-2017 he was the Chair of the Board of Trustees at the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF). 

Since retiring from the Bank in 2016 he now has a portfolio which includes: Chair of the London Bullion Market Association;  NED at the UK Debt Management Office;  consultancy/technical assistance for central banks; and academic work, especially on climate change. 

He was a member of the European Commission’s High Level Experts Group on Sustainable Finance (2017) and the UK Green Finance Task Force (2017/18).  His current academic positions include: Visiting Professor, LIBF; Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Senior Research Fellow, King’s College London Business School, DAFM Research Centre; and Visiting Professor, Richmond University, London.

Website: The London Institute of Banking & Finance



Philippa Foster Back CBE
Philippa Foster Back CBE
Director
Institute of Business Ethics


Philippa began her business career in Finance and Corporate Treasury, prior to her appointment as Director of the Institute of Business Ethics in 2001. 

In this role, she runs the IBE delivering with the team UK and international advisory work, research and publications, training, and events, all with the purpose of raising awareness and sharing of best practice in business ethics, in line with the IBE’s charitable aims. She speaks widely on business ethics issues, encouraging high standards of business behaviour based on ethical values. 

Christine Foster
Christine Foster
Managing Director for Innovation

The Alan Turing Institute


Christine Foster is Managing Director for Innovation at The Alan Turing Institute, where she is responsible for driving forward the institute’s goal to translate its data science and artificial intelligence research into real-world impact by forging connections between the Turing’s science activities and industry, public sector, and third sector needs to broaden the institute’s engagement with partners, and extend its reach into industry.

Previously, Christine advised Virgin Media on implementing machine learning models to personalise customer interactions and Liberty Global on building a world-class data science team, held leadership positions at a fintech startup, American Express, and EMI Music, built digital analytics teams, implemented predictive models, and generally worked at the intersection of data science and business. Originally from Canada, Christine started her business career as a strategy consultant with Bain & Company. She holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BA in economics from the University of Toronto.

Alex Fraser
Alex Fraser
Chief Executive

The London Institute of Banking & Finance


Alex joined The London Institute of Banking & Finance in March 2015 from Cass Business School, where he was chief operating officer for six years. His career has encompassed management roles in the private, pubic and voluntary sectors. He spent ten years working for investment banks in various operational roles. His last such post was as head of operations at Schroders in the late 1990s. Alex was appointed logistics director at HM Customs and Excise in 2000 and subsequently worked for several organisations in the not-for-profit sector before joining Cass in 2009.

Sir Roger Gifford
Sir Roger Gifford
Chairman of the GFI

City of London Corporation


Sir Roger Gifford is a Senior Banker at SEB in London. He read Chemistry at Oxford University and began his career in the financial sector at S.G. Warburg & Co, joining SEB in 1982. Prior to his appointment as UK Country Head (2000 – 2016) Roger headed the bank's operations in Japan for six years. He has worked in and around the primary debt and equity capital markets most of his career. 

Roger is Vice Chairman and a past Chairman of the Association of Foreign Banks in London, President of the Bank Workers Charity and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange (IBDE). He is also Chair of the UK Government’s Green Finance Taskforce and the London Green Finance Initiative, launched in 2016 to further the contribution of the financial sector to the G20 climate agenda. He was Lord Mayor of London in 2013.

Alastair Graham
Alastair Graham
Secretary-General

Global Banking Education Standards Board


Alastair commenced his career at Lloyds Bank, subsequently working at DCGardner, BPP, Moody’s Investors Service and as Managing Director of GARP in London. He recently took up the position of Secretary-General of the Global Banking Education Standards Board (GBESTB). He has written and contributed to many books on banking and risk and is also consulting on a new global professional qualification. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute.

Website: Global Banking Education Standards Board



Keith Gross
Keith Gross
Head of Financial Crime & Security, Banking and Payments Federation, Ireland
Chair, European Banking Federation Cyber Security Working Group Brussels, Belgium


Keith Gross is Head of Financial Crime & Security with the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (“BPFI”) (formerly Irish Banking Federation).

Keith has worked with BPFI for over 15 years. Keith is also Chair of the European Banking Federation (EBF) Cyber Security Working Group and has held this position for 6 years. He currently sits on the Financial Services Advisors Group (AG) to Europol’s European Centre for Cybercrime, EC3. Keith played an integral role in the process which brought about a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between EBF and Europol EC 3, one the first such agreements with the private sector. Keith is part of European Union’s Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) expert group on finance Expert Group on Financial Institutions' Resilience and Security (EGFI).

Keith specialises in the areas of fraud, E-fraud, cybercrime, cybersecurity (High-Tech crime), Anti -Money Laundering and CTF, Physical Security and issues relating to Cash-in-Transit and his roles involve engagement with the financial sector as well as external stakeholders such as law enforcement agencies and government departments in relation to these areas. Keith chairs numerous Working Groups and Committees within BPFI and is the Irish national representative at various national and European Committees and Advisory Groups. He previously chaired the Private Sector Consultative Forum (PSC) AML –CFT during the recent FATF MER for Ireland.

More recently Keith was directly involved in developing a program of work in the cyber arena between banks and academia, University College Dublin (UCD) Centre for Cybersecurity & Cybercrime Investigation (CCI) and the setting up of the newly formed Financial Service Cybersecurity Community (FSCC). Keith was educated at the National University of Ireland Galway (B. Comm), the Dublin Institute of Technology (postgraduate studies), Institute of Banking in Ireland.

Keith also holds an MSc, Masters in Criminology, and Risk & Security from University of Leicester, UK.



David Morrish
David Morrish                                                                                   
Relationship Director
The London Institute of Banking & Finance



David has had a long association with The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) both as a member and also as an examiner before finally joining the team in 2012 as Relationship Director responsible for the development and promotion of its international trade finance qualifications. Prior to LIBF David worked for the Lloyds Banking Group primarily specialising in trade finance, for several years he led their main corporate trade branch in the City of London, and also in operational risk in Lloyds’ wholesale banking division. On leaving Lloyds David then worked at the Bank Of England at the height of the financial crisis and at Barclays Bank in their group operational risk team. 

Website: The London Institute of Banking & Finance



Prof Pete Hahn
Prof Pete Hahn
Dean
The London Institute of Banking & Finance



Pete Hahn joined The London Institute of Banking & Finance in 2016 as the Henry Grunfeld Professor of Banking and Dean from City University of London’s Cass Business School. He was awarded a Fellowship from the Foundation of Management Education and the UK Economic & Social Research Council 2007-2009. In 2009, Dr Hahn became Senior/Special Advisor to at the Financial Services Authority and continued in this role at the Bank of England until 2014 while teaching finance and banking subjects. Pete enjoyed a twenty plus year career in banking, lastly as Citi’s Senior Corporate Finance Officer for the UK where he was also a Managing Director and member of the bank’s London based operating committee. 

He has worked in various areas of consumer, corporate and investment banking businesses in North America and Europe with his first banking position in a branch office of the Société Générale in France while a student. Professor Hahn has a BA from Drew University, an MBA from New York University (US), a PhD from City University London (Cass) and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (teaching), completed a Post Graduate Teaching Certificate, and the International Business Schools Teaching Programme at SDA Boconni business school in Italy.  He has been questioned many times by Parliament, is regularly interviewed by the BBC, and often cited in business publications.

Dr Andrew Hilton
Dr Andrew Hilton
Director

CSFI


Andrew Hilton is Director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, a London-based non-profit think-tank, supported by 70 City institutions (including the BofE and the Treasury), that looks at threats to and opportunities in the global financial system.  The CSFI was set up 25 years ago, and has since published several books and well over 100 reports.  More significantly, it has organized over 3,000 round-tables on issues of pressing interest in the financial services sector – including Brexit, the euro, FinTech, small business finance, high-tech start-ups, microfinance and regulation. Its chairman is Sir Malcolm Williamson, and the chairman of the advisory council is John Plender.

Dr. Hilton also runs his own economic and financial consultancy.  He has worked for the World Bank in Washington and has run a financial advisory service for the Financial Times in New York. He has written books on LDC debt and edited a UN work on free-trade zones.  He is a board member of the Observatoire de la finance in Geneva.  He has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Wharton and an MA from New College, Oxford.  He was appointed OBE in 2006.

Website: CSFI



Antonio Horta-Osorio
António Horta‐Osório
Group Chief Executive
Lloyds Banking Group


António joined the board of Lloyds Banking Group in January 2011 as an Executive Director  and became Group Chief Executive on 1 March 2011.

Previously he was the Chief Executive of Santander UK plc and Executive Vice President of  Grupo Santander. He was also Chairman of Santander Totta in Portugal until 2011, where he  was CEO between 2000‐2006, and between 1996‐1999 he was CEO of Banco Santander  Brazil, having started its retail banking activities in the country.

Click here to view António Horta-Osório's full profile

Website: Lloyds Banking Group


 

Heather Buchanan
Heather Buchanan
Executive Director, Policy & Strategy

All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking


Heather Buchanan is the Director of Policy for the APPG on Fair Business Banking. She is the lead on commercial finance for the Transparency Task Force’s (TTF) Banking Team and is a member of the panel of TTF’s Financial Stability Team. Heather was on the Steering Committee of the BankingFutures project and is a member of the UK Finance SME Advisory Group. She has also contributed to the Lending Standards Board Standards of Lending Practice for Business Customers, and regularly advises MPs, peers, Government departments, regulators, trade bodies and civil society on the commercial relationships between businesses and their lenders.

Website: All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking



Tarja Kallonen
Tarja Kallonen
Head of Financial Work and Competence
Finance Finland



Tarja Kallonen works as head of financial work and competence at Finance Finland (FFI), the representative of the Finnish financial sector with more than 300 member organisations. Her responsibilities include competency foresight and development as well as education policy lobbying. Tarja also organises collaborations between employer and employee unions to increase trust, workplace wellbeing and competency in the financial sector. Prior to her career at FFI Tarja worked for the Central Association of Cooperative Banks, the Finnish Savings Bank in Vaasa, and the Finnish Bankers’ Association as an information specialist, internal auditor, marketing planner and research manager.

She has been in the Board of Junior Achievement Finland since 2015. Tarja is also active internationally: she has participated in various working groups and committees in the Nordic employers’ collaboration network, the European Banking Federation (EBF), Insurance Europe (IE) and the European Banking and Financial Training Network (EBTN).  

Website: Finland Finance


 

Christopher Kiew-Smith
Christopher Kiew-Smith
Section Head – Financial Technology, Financial Services Regulatory Authority

Abu Dhabi Global Market

 

Christopher Kiew-Smith (Chris) joined the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in July 2017. He is the Head of Financial Technology, responsible for the FSRA’s projects in and their regulatory approach to financial technologies. As part of his remit, Chris focuses on fostering a thriving Fintech ecosystem through initiatives such as the ADGM Regulatory Laboratory (Reglab), the ADGM Digital Sandbox and institutional-focused projects. He also creates regulatory policy and rules in relation to emerging technology-driven markets, such as those for crypto-assets. Prior to ADGM, Chris was at the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a co-founder of the FCA Regulatory Sandbox, and led the regulator’s policy towards blockchain technologies.

Chris was also a member of the Whitechapel Think Tank, a London based group of industry experts discussing the potential of blockchain solutions in financial markets. As a lawyer, he has worked closely with numerous innovative startups and global financial institutions seeking to adopt cutting-edge technologies and to respond to regulatory change.  

Website: Abu Dhabi Global Market


 

Sean Kidney
Sean Kidney
Chief Executive
Climate Bonds Initiative



Sean Kidney is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO, working to mobilize debt capital markets for climate solutions.  Projects include a green bond definitions and certification scheme with $34 trillion of assets represented on its Board; working with the Chinese central bank on how to grow green bonds in China; market development programs in Brazil, Mexico, ASEAN and East Africa; and market tracking services for the green bonds industry. He was member of the 2017 EU High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and is a member of its successor, the EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance; he is also a member of green finance advisory groups in China, India, Mexico and Khazakhstan.

Website: Climate Bonds Initiative



Angela Knight CBE
Angela Knight CBE
Non-Executive Director and Board Risk Committee Chair
Provident Financial

 

Angela Knight is a Non Executive Director on the boards TPICAP Plc (where she is also the SID), Arbuthnot Latham, Taylor Wimpey plc and Provident Financial Plc. She is also a member of the governing body of the Astana Financial Services Authority and until March of this year, the Chair of the Office of Tax Simplification.

In her Executive career, she was chief executive of the energy industry trade body Energy UK until 2014 and prior to that the Chief Executive of the British Bankers’ Association during the banking crisis. Angela joined the BBA from the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers (now the Wealth Management Association), where she had been the CEO since the autumn of 1997. 

Before running trade associations, Angela was MP for Erewash from 1992 - 1997, and during that time a Treasury Minister, working for the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Prior to becoming involved in politics which was via Sheffield City Council, she worked in the heavy engineering industry for 15 years, latterly running a company in Rotherham, South Yorkshire

She was honoured with a CBE for services to the financial services industry in 2007.

Angela has a degree in Chemistry from Bristol University and her interests include renovating an old Grade II hunting lodge and driving her classic Morgan car to unusual places.

Website: Provident Financial


 

Sam Lee
Sam Lee
Head of Operational Risk EMEA

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation


Sam Lee is Head of Operational Risk, EMEA for SMBC. He has previously been head of operational risk at RBC, RBS, Barclays Wealth and Credit Suisse Private Banking and has ridden a number of the industry's challenges. Sam started his career training as a chartered accountant and left the profession immediately after qualifying and entered the world of investment banking.  Ongoing focus areas include Operational Resilience, embedding and transformational aspects of Operational Risk.

Website: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation



Ari Lehavi
Ari Lehavi                                                                                  
Executive Director

Moody's Analytics



Ari Lehavi is an Executive Director at Moody’s Analytics and global head of the Training & Certification Division. Ari joined Moody’s in 2001 and became Managing Director for Product Development and Strategy in 2006. With addition of the Canadian Securities Institute to Moody’s training portfolio, Ari took responsibility for the Training & Certification Division—a leader in providing education solutions to financial institutions worldwide.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Ari spent several years as a strategy consultant, helping corporate executives define and execute strategies to drive profitable growth. Before consulting, Ari worked as an investment banker, focusing on financial services and technology.

Ari serves as Chairman of the Board of Bank Street College’s leadership and education program for underserved youth and has also led the Institute of Risk Standards and Qualification—a UK-based awarding body for promoting higher competence standards in risk management. He has authored studies and is a frequent speaker on the subject of financial services risk culture and professional standards.

Ari holds a joint Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees with Honors from Stanford University and has an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. At Stanford, Ari was the recipient of the Sobeiski Award for Creative Thinking in Economics.

Website: Moody's Analytics      


 

Renier Lemmens

Renier Lemmens                    
Senior Advisor & Visiting Professor of Fintech and Innovation
The London Institute of Banking & Finance




Renier Lemmens is LIBF’s Senior Advisor and Visiting Professor of Fintech and innovation. He currently also serves as board member of Revolut, and Chairman of TransferGo and Divido. In the past, Renier served as CEO of PayPal EMEA and member of its global executive team. He was COO of Barclays International Retail and Commercial Banking. Renier was an officer of GE Capital where he served as Chairman and CEO of Budapest Bank, and SVP Business Development for the Americas. Renier was a partner with McKinsey & Company in London, New Delhi, and san Francisco. 

He is a frequent speaker at Fintech Conferences. He holds an MsC with distinction in Computer Science and an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD, France.

Website: The London Institute of Banking & Finance


 

Ntokozo Mahlangu
Ntokozo Mahlangu                                                           
Group Risk

Investec Bank Ltd


Group Risk at Investec Bank Limited and Non-executive director at The Institute of Bankers in South Africa.

Ntokozo holds a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences degree from The University of South Africa and a Master’s degree from The Da Vinci Institute. He is a conducting is PhD research through the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Ntokozo works in the Banking and Financial Services sector with a specialisation in Operational Risk Management. He was worked in the banking industry for 9 years.

In 2015, He joined the Private Banking Masters Programme where his dissertation topic explored the concept of the effectiveness Investec’s combined assurance. The aim of his research was to define the roles in risk management, and how they could be utilised more successfully in supporting management teams in driving the business strategic objectives. This research has assisted Investec on how to better coordinate its combined assurance activities.

Ntokozo is a member and Non- executive director of the South African Banking Institute. He also chairs the Institutes Youth Forum which drives the following objectives : 

  • develop a platform for networking of youths within the banking and financial services industry
  • provide mentorship programs for the future generation of banking and financial services professionals
  • provide a platform for information sharing within the banking and financial services industry
  • develop  a pipeline of future board members for the institute
  • present series of recommendations to the IOBSA board
  • ensure young generation have a voice and remain the driver of the development agenda and future of the institute.

Website: Investec Bank Ltd


 

Anthony Mazen
Anthony Mazen
Head of GSR3 Skills & Capabilities, Group People & Productivity

Lloyds Banking Group


Anthony Mazen is from Lloyds Banking Group. He is a senior leader in their People & Productivity function responsible for the Group’s programme to build its skills for the future. He was previously the Head of HR Architecture & Design, prior to which he spent 10 years at Accenture as part of their Talent & Organisation Performance practice. Ant represents the Group externally on the topic of skills for the future, most notably supporting the World Economic Forum’s research into changing skill sets in financial services and the need for a ‘reskilling revolution’.

Website: Lloyds Banking Group



Catherine McGuinness
Catherine McGuinness
Chair of Policy and Resources

City of London Corporation



Catherine McGuinness is Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee of the City of London Corporation.  As Chair of the Policy Committee, Catherine is Deputy Chair of TheCityUK, the promotional body for the UK financial services industry, and the International Regulatory Strategy Group. She is Chair of the City’s Courts Sub Committee, the body responsible for the management of the Old Bailey and the City of London Magistrates’ Court, which benefits from her substantive background in the legal sector. She has led the City’s work on education, chairing its Education Board and the City of London Academies Trust. 

Catherine has also been closely involved with the City’s cultural offer, having chaired the boards of the Barbican Arts Centre and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and the City’s relationship with Northern Ireland. She is on the board of London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency, and a commissioner on the IPPR Commission on Economic Justice. A solicitor by training, Catherine practised financial services law for several years. Catherine studied PPE at St Anne’s College, Oxford.

Website: City of London Corporation


 

Chris McHugh
Chris McHugh            
Lecturer

The London Institute of Banking & Finance


Chris McHugh is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance at The London Institute of Banking & Finance and a faculty member lecturing on derivatives and risk. He is a visiting lecturer at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University and a PhD researcher at the University of Portsmouth focusing on development finance. As a Senior Adviser to the International Association of Portfolio Managers, he works with development banks on active risk management strategies. 

He has over 20 years’ experience in derivative markets, has worked in corporate finance specializing in financial institutions and in management consulting.

As a Managing Director at HSBC for 14 years he ran trading and structuring teams responsible for the risk management of: Counterparty Risk (‘XVA’), Funding and Collateral Discounting risk; Energy Derivatives; Emerging Market Credit; and Foreign Exchange derivatives. He was at the forefront of the bank’s commercial response to regulatory change and capital optimization.  Prior to that he worked in Markets at Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, and at Merrill Lynch in Investment Banking.

Chris graduated from King’s College, Cambridge, with a degree in Engineering and has an MBA from London Business School. 

Website: The London Institute of Banking & Finance



Ali Miraj                                                                                                      
Ali Miraj                                                                                                             
Director, Infrastructure Finance
ING Commercial Banking UK


Ali Miraj is a Director in Infrastructure Finance at ING Wholesale Banking, originating and structuring transactions in the EMEA region and managing relationships with key infrastructure equity funds. He is a Chartered Accountant and began his career with Price Waterhouse covering banking and capital markets clients before moving to BKR Haines Watts, where he specialised in advising owner-managed businesses. 

He founded the Contrarian Prize in 2012 and was the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the Watford at the 2005 General Election and Aberavon at the 2001 General Election. He also served as a Councillor from 1998-2002. He currently serves on the board of the London Institute of Banking and Finance, was a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of Cass Business School (2015-2017) and a Trustee of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (2009 - 2014). He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers and a Freeman of the City of London. Ali has a BSc in Economics (International Relations) and an MSc in Politics of the World Economy from the London School of Economics. He also read Modern Political Philosophy at Harvard.


Sakhila Mirza
Sakhila Mirza
Executive Board Director & General Counsel

LBMA


Sakhila, has worked in the commodities sector for 15 years, covering the oil markets and then moving to the precious metals. Currently she works at the London Bullion Market Association, where she is a Board Member and the General Counsel. She works very closely with the CEO on the strategic development of the Association that represents banks, and other precious metals market participants. Here, she leads and works on several market development initiatives, for example technology, as well as taking responsibility for all the legal and regulatory work affecting the organisation.  She read law at the London School of Economics and went onto qualify as a solicitor.

Website: LBMA



Kevin Mountford                                                                                                   
Kevin Mountford
Chief Executive Officer
Raisin UK


Over the last 20 years Kevin has operated in a range of Snr Management & Exec roles and he has been employed by a number of large UK brands including Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Birmingham Midshires, where he was Head of Sales and Marketing for their Savings business. 

As ‘Head of Affinities’ for HBOS, responsible for a broad range of 3rd party relationships, providing credit cards, loans and savings products to the likes of AA, Aviva, Sony, British Gas. In total managed a portfolio of 70 brands with a team of 50 and held Directorships in a couple of JV’s and was responsible for a multi-million pound P&L.

As channel ‘Head of Money’ for MSM, was responsible for likes of Cards, Mortgages and Savings & during this time Kevin has established himself as a recognised and respected industry spokesperson, promoting ms.com via the media including press, radio and TV.

In Jan 2011 Kevin formed a start-up consultancy & marketing business;  Plan B Funding specialises in assisting banks to raise retail deposits in the UK and wider Euro market. Not only did Kevin assist in raising investment capital but steered the company towards several early successes and since then Kevin led negotiations with Raisin GmbH and a deal was announced Sept 2017. PBF is now part of one of Europe's leading Fintech businesses.

Website: Raisin UK



Kirsten Mycroft
Kirsten Mycroft
Global Chief Privacy Officer
BNY Mellon


Kirsten serves as BNY Mellon’s Global Chief Privacy Officer, leading the company’s global Privacy program. Her responsibilities include strategy, governance, policy and implementing an enterprise-wide privacy management framework to comply with evolving global data privacy laws and regulations.

Kirsten has over 20 years of experience and deep knowledge of global data privacy, cybersecurity, information governance and technology risk. Prior to joining BNY Mellon, Kirsten was the Group Head of Data Privacy and Records Management at Lloyds Banking Group. Her career began in consultancy, where she spent over 15 years working with global clients of EY and KPMG.

Kirsten participates in several Privacy industry groups and serves on the Advisory Board of the Future of Privacy Forum. She speaks at conferences regularly and has authored/contributed to several thought leadership articles.

Website: BNY Mellon


 

Richard Newland
Richard Newland
Director of Branch and Workplace Transformation

Nationwide Building Society


Richard Newland is the Director of Branch & Workplace Development at Nationwide Building Society. Joining the society in October 2016, he leads the Society’s multi-million-pound property transformation program which aims to create market leading environments for both its colleagues and its members, by transforming c670 network of branches and workplaces for their c18,000 colleagues. He is currently overseeing the development of two new tech hubs, in London and Swindon, which will accommodate c1,500 people, supporting the big investment in technology by Nationwide, which was announced last year, both which are due to open in 2019/20, this is alongside a £350m five-year investment program in its branch network. 

Previously, he was the Director of Marketing, Digital and Internal Communications for Openreach, and a member of its Executive Board. Richard has also held several senior positions at Dixons Carphone, where he started on the shop floor at an early age, rising to become the Head of Consumer Electronics Marketing. Later he joined HSBC Holdings, leading their Global Footprint Strategy, investment and design standards for their retail branches and workplaces for its c110,000 people.

Richard is a former NED/Trustee for The National Skills Academy for Financial Services, a charity established by the UK government, he is also an advocate and a supporter of LGBTQ+ Issues, working with Nationwide and others to enable people to bring their entire selves to the work.

Hedwige Nuyens                                                              
Hedwige Nuyens
Managing Director
International Banking Federation


Hedwige Nuyens has more than 30 years of experience in the Banking Industry and in Finance.   

She currently heads the International Banking Federation representing the banking industry at international level. The International Banking Federation (IBFed) includes all the major national banking associations (United States, European Union, Japan, Australia, Canada, South Africa, China, Brazil, India and Korea) covering more than 95% of the banking industry. Hedwige leads the IBFed's policy advocacy, contributing to increase the effectiveness of the financial services industry's response to the multilateral and national government issues affecting their common interests.

Previously she was Head of Group Prudential Affairs within BNP Paribas, CFO of the Catholic University Louvain and CRO of ABN Amro Bank in Belgium.
 
Hedwige holds a Faculty of Law and a Master Financial Sciences from the Catholic University Louvain and a Master in Business Administration and Finance from the EHSAL Brussels.

 

Baron Sheikh
Baron Sheikh
Of Cornhill in the City of London

Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamic Finance


Mohamed Sheikh, Baron Sheikh of Cornhill in the City of London, was born in Kenya and brought up in Uganda, his parents originating from the sub-continent of India. He chairs businesses in the financial services and property sectors and has long been a leading figure in the insurance industry and also has an academic background. He has been a visiting lecturer on insurance and financial services and has written articles for the insurance and financial press.

He has been the President of the Chartered Insurance Institute and Chairman of the British Insurance Brokers Association on two separate occasions and was a Director of the main board of the Association for four years. In this regard he was the first foreigner to hold these positions. He has also held senior positions in other financial and insurance organisations. Lord Sheikh was elevated to the House of Lords in 2006. He was in fact the first Muslim to be appointed a Peer by the Conservative Party. In view of Lord Sheikh’s longstanding connection with the City of London, he took the full title of Baron Sheikh of Cornhill in the City of London when he was appointed to the House of Lords. He is an active Peer and speaks regularly in the House of Lords on a variety of subjects. 

Lord Sheikh has also been honoured by the presentation of several personal awards which have been given to him for his achievements, leadership, business and community work. He is actively involved in promoting more trade between the UK and overseas counties. He has travelled widely overseas and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate for his community work worldwide. He has already written two books on historic figures which have been well received and he is now writing a historic novel. Lord Sheikh currently Co-Chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Islamic Finance and holds senior positions in several All-Party Parliamentary Groups. He is also the President of the Conservative Muslim Forum.

He can best be described as a businessman, philanthropist, academic and a writer.

Website: Baron SheikhThe All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamic Finance



Sibel Sirmagul
Sibel Sirmagul
European Head of Product and Propositions (incl. Digital) for Global Trade and Receivables Finance
HSBC


Sibel Sirmagul is the European Head of Product and Propositions for HSBC’s Global Trade and Receivables Finance business driving the digital trade, working capital and structured trade finance growth strategy.

Sibel works closely with clients to identify, develop and structure solutions providing risk mitigation and liquidity. 

She started her career with ABN AMRO Bank in 2000, holding senior structured lending positions across various regions; Europe, Middle East and North America. In 2010, following the acquisition by RBS, she joined the Structured Trade Advisory team where she successfully led the structuring of Supply Chain Finance, RF and Trade lending structures throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Sibel holds an MBA from London Business School and is a CFA® charterholder. 
 

Website: HSBC



Nick Ogden
Nick Ogden
Executive Chairman
ClearBank®

 

 

An entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in banking, payments and fintech, Nick Ogden is the founder of ClearBank and the Bank’s Executive Chairman. ClearBank® is the first new UK clearing bank in 250 years. Prior to ClearBank, Nick founded and led two other Fintech companies. The most notable of these is WorldPay, which he launched in 1997.

The first internet payment service to guarantee transactions worldwide, Nick led WorldPay to grow to over 270 employees, and 20,000 customers across 120 countries and e-commerce transactions more than $2 billion per year. During its development from 1994, Nick Created BarclaySquare, a Joint venture with Barclays Bank which was the first bank endorsed e-commerce shopping mall in the world. Following Worldpay, Nick founded the Voice Commerce Group, which launched VoicePay a biometric payments platform in 2007. VCG became the UK’s first non-bank payments institution, in 2009.  Re-branded as Cashflows, it became the first European non-bank principal member of VISA and Mastercard and an agency bank under agreement with HSBC.

Nick has been recognised for many industry awards including the UK Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Computer World Global IT Leaders award, the ID People Awards, the National Business Awards UK Entrepreneur of the Year, The EPA 2017 Payments Industry Contributor of the Year Award and the 2107 Banking Technology Tech Leadership Award. Nick is a finalist in the 2018 Payments Pioneer Awards and the City AM UK Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Website: ClearBank


 

Prasad Padmanaban
Prasad Padmanaban
Chief Executive

Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers
Website: AICB


 

Jo Paisley                                                                                             
Jo Paisley
Co-President
GARP Risk Institute



As Co-President of GARP Risk Institute, Jo Paisley helps lead research and thought leadership for GARP and the broader risk community.  Jo Paisley’s career began at the Bank of England where she worked in various economist roles, ran the Statistics Division and spent the last part of her career in Supervision. Her last role was as a Director of the Supervisory Risk Specialist Division within the Prudential Regulation Authority.

This area provided deep technical risk expertise to front line supervisors across all risk disciplines, covering banking and insurance. She was also heavily involved in the design and execution of the UK’s first concurrent stress test in 2014.   She left the Bank in 2015 and joined HSBC as their Global Head of Stress Testing, where she was responsible for ensuring that they met all their regulatory stress testing requirements around the world. She has also worked as an independent stress testing consultant, advising firms on how to get the most value out of stress testing. 

Website: GARP Risk Institute


 

Darern Parkin                                                                                                     
Darren Parkin
Editorial Director
Coin Rivet


Former daily newspaper editor Darren Parkin is the editorial director of Keep It 100 Media – publisher of Coin Rivet, The Leaf Desk and The e-Gaming Desk. A multi award-winning journalist, his expertise in the crypto, blockchain and even cannabis industries as a writer and presenter is always in demand.

Website: Coin Rivet

 

Sang-Kyung Kim
Sang-Kyung Kim
Chairperson, Korea Network of Women in Finance/CEO
Korea International Finance Institute



Sang-Kyung Kim, CEO of the Korea International Finance Institute (KIFI) is well known for breaking the glass ceiling in the Korean financial industry. 

She studied history at Sungkyunkwan University and earned a master's degree in International Finance from Sogang University. She started with Standard Chartered Bank in 1975 and went through American Express Bank, and Bank of China.  She began her banking career as a secretary in American Express Bank, but she became the first female FX trader in the Korean foreign exchange market.  Two years after entering as a trader, he became a Chief trader at American Express Bank, Seoul Branch. In 1994, bestseller "I Bet My Self" made her a celebrity.  Many young women read her books and wanted to get a job in the finance industry. 

Based on its expertise and experience, she established the Korea International Finance Institute in 1995. In 2003, she established the Korea Network of Women in Finance (KNWF) to form a corporation under the Financial Supervisory Commission.  KNWF consists of about 200 women who are above branch managers or above in the Finance Institutes.  The purpose of the KNWF is to improve women's rights in the financial industry and to create 30% female executives. In July 2018, the government honored to her the Order of National Merit with the 'Gender Equality Achievement'.

Website: Korea International Finance Institute



Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt
Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt
Chairman
Open Data Institute


Sir Nigel Shadbolt is Professor of Computing Science at the University of Oxford and Principal of Jesus College.  He is also the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Open Data Institute (ODI). Since 2009, Sir Nigel has helped transform public access to Government information.With over 500 publications he researches computer science, artificial intelligence, open data and web science.  In 2013 he was awarded a Knighthood for services to science and engineering. 

He is a member of the Data Advisory Board and in 2015 the Chancellor asked him to Co-Chair the UK French Data Taskforce.  In 2018 he published The Digital Ape: how to live (in peace) with smart machines, described as a ‘landmark book’.

Website: Open Data Institute


 

Omar Shaikh
Omar Shaikh
Managing Director & Co-Founder

Global Ethical Finance Initiative


Omar is a Chartered Accountant by profession and specialises in ethical finance, Islamic finance and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and Government advisory. He has advised, and trained, multiple governments on their capital markets, banking, pension and insurance regulation and is a regular speaker at ethical finance conference and events. Omar’s background includes working with EY where he was a Subject Matter Expert for Islamic finance. Through his work at developmental body UKIFC Omar launched the award winning Edinburgh Ethical Finance Round Table series, a platform that led to the inception of the Ethical Finance Hub and that has attracted large international ethical finance events to Scotland.

Justin Shaw-Gray
Justin Shaw-Gray
Account Director

Synack Inc.


Justin Shaw-Gray is the Sales Director for the UKI region for Synack, Inc. In 2018, shortly after joining Synack, Justin was awarded SC Media’s Runner Up for Best Cybersecurity Sales Leader. Prior to Synack Justin held senior roles at Netscope, Zscaler, and Riverbed. Justin is originally from Zimbabwe where he was Founder and Human Rights Activist for the Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe. Justin is an avid runner and lives in London with his wife and three young children.

Website: Synack Inc.


 

Dave Sheridan
Dave Sheridan
Global Chief Information Security Officer

Santander UK


Dave Sheridan is currently Global Chief Information Security Officer at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking and has been working in the Financial Services industry for more than 30 years. He started his career at NatWest where he held a number of senior marketing roles in their rapidly expanding mortgage division. In 1999 he joined Abbey National where he worked closely with the Board Director for IT & Infrastructure to deliver a wide ranging cultural change programme.  Since the Santander takeover of Abbey in 2004, he has been responsible for building and implementing the IT Governance activity in the UK. 

In early 2014 he was asked to take on the additional responsibility for Information Security and has since been instrumental in driving and delivering a multi-layered approach to security across the organisation, working closely with colleagues across the wider Santander Group as well as across the UK Financial Services industry.  He is a Board Member of the Cyber Defence Alliance and also sits on the Cyber Security Advisory Group for the CityUK.

Website: Santander UK


 

Daniel Schmand
Daniel Schmand
Global Head of Trade Finance, Deutsche Bank

Chairman, ICC Banking Commission


Located in Frankfurt, Daniel Schmand drives Deutsche Bank’s Trade Finance & Lending business. He is responsible for strategy and performance across its full range of products including Trade Flow (encompassing Supply Chain Finance), Structured Trade & Export Finance, Structured Commodity Trade Finance as well as Lending. Daniel also coordinates and oversees the Corporate Bank’s activities in the EMEA region. Additionally, he is the Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Banking Commission.

Daniel joined Deutsche Bank in 1987 as a trainee. He holds a Bachelor’s degree of Business Administration as well as executive education at INSEAD and the International Leadership Program at Ashridge, IMD and Duke.

Alastair Tyler
Alastair Tyler
International Director

The London Institute of Banking & Finance


Alastair Tyler is a senior banking professional and academic specialising in Asset Finance, Corporate and Investment Banking. He is the International Director at The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), with responsibility for strategy and business development. He has a long association with LIBF and was on their Board of Governors from 2010 to June 2016. Alastair was a Consultant at Deloitte in the Banking & Capital Markets group where he had a lead role on a Conduct review into one of the major UK international banks.

Before this Alastair worked for over twenty years in Corporate and Investment Banking in a range of senior front office roles for major UK banks. He has authored two textbooks; Corporate Lending and Bank Regulation & Economic Policy and is the Chief Examiner for Corporate Lending at LIBF. Alastair gained a distinction in Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in banking and finance from LIBF in 2013 and has a BSc in Economics from University of Bristol.     


Liesel van Ast
Liesel van Ast
Membership and Regional Coordination Manager

UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative)

Liesel van Ast, Membership and Regional Coordination Manager at the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative. Liesel is responsible for engagement with banks, insurers and investors, coordination across five regions worldwide, training and communications. Before joining UNEP FI in July 2016, she was Programme Manager of the Natural Capital Declaration (now the Natural Capital Finance Alliance), a joint initiative of UNEP FI and the NGO Global Canopy Programme. She developed a technical work programme for financial institutions to strengthen integration of environmental issues into portfolio analysis, focusing on water risk and ecosystems. From 2007- 2013, Liesel was Research Editor at Trucost, the environmental research provider.

From 2005-2007 she was a Writer and Online Editor for the leading UK environmental business journal The ENDS Report. She holds an Investment Management Certificate; MSc in Business Strategy, Politics and the Environment; and Certificates in Environmental Management.

Website: UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative)


 

Hennie Verbeek-Kusters
Hennie Verbeek-Kusters
Head of the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit); Netherlands
Egmont Group Regional Representative



Mrs. Hennie Verbeek-Kusters was appointed Chair of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units on 5 July 2017 for the period 2017-2019. Within the framework of the Egmont Group she has been chairing the IT Working Group (ITWG) as well as the Technical Assistance and Training Working Group (TATWG) as well being actively involved in the restructuring of the founding principles of the Egmont Group. She was one of the driving forces behind the setup of the setup of the Egmont Centre of FIU Excellence and Leadership (ECOFEL). 

Mrs. Hennie Verbeek-Kusters is the Head of the FIU - the Netherlands since 2008. In this period she led the FIU in the process towards the implementation of a new intelligence analysis system that impacted all business processes of the FIU. The FIU – the Netherlands has grown in this period in its capacity to receive and analyze transactions as well as giving more focus to cooperation with (external) partners in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism. 

Since 10-10-2010 she is also Head of FIU for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba). In 1988 Mrs. Verbeek-Kusters joined the Dutch Police Force, serving in various positions. From 2005 until 2008 she was Head of Unit of the National Crime Squad responsible for investigating synthetic drugs and precursors crimes and other serious organized crimes. Over the past 10 years, Mrs. Verbeek-Kusters has been actively involved in the AML/CFT field both national and international, both inside and outside the European Union. In all of these settings achieving results and elevating the professionalism of the FIUs is her main driver. “The power of financial intelligence” is the motto of the FIU - the Netherlands.


Dr Ruth Wandhöfer
Dr Ruth Wandhöfer
Honorary Professor, The London Institute of Banking & Finance; Board Member, LSEG
Permanent TSB, Pendo Systems; Senior Adviser, KPMG; Partner, Gauss Ventures


Dr. Ruth Wandhöfer is an expert in the field of banking and one of the foremost authorities on transaction banking regulatory and innovation in financial technology matters. After a distinguished career of over a decade with Citi, Ruth is now an independent Non-Executive Director on the boards of the London Stock Exchange Group, Permanent TSB and Pendo Systems Inc. She is also a Partner at Gauss Ventures, Senior Adviser at KPMG’s UK Banking Practice and Adviser at Coinfirm.

She continues to focus her passion on bringing the financial industry and the emerging financial digital ecosystem together.

Ruth was named as one of 2010s ‘Rising Stars’ by Financial News; named in Management Today’s 2011 ‘35 Women under 35’ list of women to watch and identified as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Finance 2012 by the Treasury Risk Magazine. She received the ‘Women in Banking and Finance Award for Achievement’ in 2015 and in 2016, 2017 and 2018 she was named on the global ‘Women in Fintech Powerlist’ of Innovate Finance. In 2018 she became one of the Top 10 Global Fintech Influencers (Fintech Power 50). 

She speaks five languages, has completed studies in Financial Economics (MA, UK), International Politics (MA, FR), an LLM in International Economic Law (UK) and a PhD in Finance (UK/NL). She published two books: “EU Payments Integration” (2010) and “Transaction Banking and the Impact of Regulatory Change” (2014), is an Honorary Professor at the London Institute of Banking and Finance and also lectures at Queen Mary London School of Law.