Conference Programme

The Gulf is leading the wider Middle East region to pivot from dependence on oil towards economic diversification and sustainability. What opportunities does this trend bring for regional businesses and banks? What will the “Great Pivot” look like in terms of infrastructure, trade, smart technologies, and commercial outreach to other regions, such as Africa? And how will diversification be financed?

ITFA’s Multilateral Advisory Panel is a group of distinguished development bankers who have passed their microscope over ITFA. What can any trade association do to make things better and how can we all help?

• Bleming Nekati, Chief Trade Finance Officer, African Development Bank (ADB)

Bleming Nekati

Chief Trade Finance Officer, African Development Bank (ADB)

Chief Trade Finance Officer, African Development Bank (ADB)

Bleming Nekati currently holds the position of Chief Trade Finance Officer at the African Development Bank (AfDB). His primary responsibilities cover the Bank’s trade finance origination and financial sector operations in Eastern, Western & Southern Africa, a region spanning over thirty countries. Prior to joining the AfDB, he held a series of senior positions including at board level, across a number of sectors such as Corporate & Investment Banking, Financial Advisory Services, Agri-Business, ICT Services, and Structured Trade/Commodity Finance in several countries that include Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Bleming holds both under-graduate and post-graduate qualifications in Economics & Business Management from a number of universities in South Africa, USA, and Zimbabwe. He is an Associate of the Institute of Bankers in South Africa and has attended the Executive Development Programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Sloan Business School).

• Clarine Stenfert, Global Trade Finance Head, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

Clarine Stenfert

Global Trade Finance Head, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

Clarine is an expert in structured finance in Emerging Markets with 30 years of experience across all continents including Africa, Latin America and Asia. She has extensive experience in corporate and investment banking advising and arranging project and structured financings. Clarine has worked for various international financial institutions (Citibank, ING, CA-CIB and JP Morgan).

Clarine is leading Global Trade at MIGA (part of the Worldbank) based in Washington, DC. Before joining MIGA, initially as a consultant in 2020, Clarine was a Managing Director at JP Morgan and Global ECA Head for Infrastructure where she led a team based out of London, New York and Singapore. She has worked on numerous high profile landmark transactions and won several awards. Clarine has advised and arranged billions of dollars of financing in Emerging Markets.

Clarine holds a Master’s degree in International Finance from Columbia University, NY, USA and a BA from European Business School in Germany. Clarine speaks fluent English, French, Dutch and German.

• Gwen Mwaba, Director & Global Head - Trade Finance, African Export-Import Bank

Gwen Mwaba

Director & Global Head - Trade Finance, African Export-Import Bank

Gwen Mwaba joined Afreximbank in May 2015. In her role as Director & Global Head, Trade Finance, she heads the Trade Finance business for Afreximbank and leads a team executing transactions in all Afreximbank member states across Africa.

Her expertise cuts across Receivables Financing, Pre-export and Pre-payment financing, Structured Trade and Commodity Financing and lending to Financial Institutions and Sovereigns.

Gwen has 25 years of banking experience in Oil & Gas, Telecoms, Hospitality, Mining, Health and agri-business.

Gwen is also a member of the Board Advisory Panel of the International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA).

Before joining Afreximbank, she worked for Standard Bank Plc in London.

• Rudolf Putz, Head Trade Facilitation Programme, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Rudolf Putz

Head Trade Facilitation Programme, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Rudolf Putz is Head of EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme and has more than 30 years of experience in financing trade with Eastern Europe, the CIS and the southern and eastern Mediterranean.

He started his professional career in 1983 as Deputy Head of Commodity Trade Finance at Centro Internationale Handelsbank AG Vienna, a subsidiary of Raiffeisen Bank International.

In 1993 Rudolf Putz joined HELM AG Hamburg as Head of Structured Trade Finance and from 1996 to 1997 he was Deputy Head of Structured Trade Finance at Bank Austria International Trade Services Vienna, a subsidiary of Unicredit.

In 1997 he became Director Trade Finance at Deutsche Handelsbank AG Berlin, a subsidiary of Credit Agricole, and since 2000 he has been developing EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP).

Rudolf Putz holds a Doctor’s Degree from the Vienna University of Economics & Business Administration.

• Makiko Toyoda, Global Head, GTFP & GSCF - Trade and Supply Chain, international Finance Corporation (IFC)

Makiko Toyoda

Global Head, GTFP & GSCF - Trade and Supply Chain, international Finance Corporation (IFC)

Makiko Toyoda is Global Head of Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) & Global Supply Chain Finance Program (GSCF) at International Finance Corporation (IFC) (World Bank Group). GTFP is IFC’s largest trade finance program established in 2004 which currently covers 74 countries and GSCF is a newly established program to provide supplier financing in emerging markets. Makiko has 30 years of trade & supply chain finance and banking experiences, having worked in Washington DC, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, London, Frankfurt, and Tokyo. She joined IFC in 2003 and was the Sub-Saharan Africa Head based in Johannesburg before assuming the current role in Washington DC in 2017. She is a member of WTO’s Trade Finance Expert Working Group. Prior to joining IFC, she worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) where she worked on trade and commodity finance programs, and for the Industrial Bank of Japan (IBJ) where she was the Deputy General Manager. She also worked for Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) under the Staff Exchange Program. Makiko holds a BA degree in Economics from Keio University and a Master’s degree from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University.

Great Power Conflict is very much back on the agenda. The Russia-Ukraine crisis and heightened tensions super-power tensions are re-defining risk in a world where conflicts are fought through sanctions, export controls, ESG, access to finance and technology in undeclared “wars” which no-one “wins” as nations fight for economic primacy.It is difficult to understate the consequences for trade finance.This session will take a pragmatic view of how such risk can be managed.

• Andrew van den Born, Managing Director, Global Head of CPRI for FinanciaI Institutions, WTW

Andrew van den Born

Managing Director, Global Head of CPRI for FinanciaI Institutions, WTW

Based in their London headquarters, Andrew has 30 years industry experience and specialises in the structuring and placement of complex credit and political risk insurance programmes for all types of international projects and trade, working closely with lenders, private equity funds, exporters, ECAs/DFIs, traders and investors.

He started his career as a credit reinsurance broker and has spent time at various brokerage houses prior to joining WTW in 2010.  Andrew is a regular contributor to trade magazines and has spoken at various international structured trade and commodity finance conferences.

After reading law at London University, Andrew obtained a Masters’ Degree in International Trade Law from the London School of Economics.

Founded in 1829 and listed on the Nasdaq, WTW is one of the world’s largest insurance and reinsurance brokers with more than 45,000 associates located in over 400 offices in 140 countries. Through its subsidiaries, WTW develops and delivers professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions around the world.

• Sheleena Govind, Senior Transactor, Debt and Trade Solutions, Institutional Client Group, Rand Merchant Bank

Sheleena Govind

Senior Transactor, Debt and Trade Solutions, Institutional Client Group, Rand Merchant Bank

Sheleena is a Senior Transactor in the RMB’s Institutional Client Group, responsible for the origination and structuring of debt, liquidity and trade solutions for financial institutions.

Sheleena has extensive experience in corporate and investment banking in regional banks and is skilled on both the institutional and corporate sector across various industries. Main focus areas include lending, loan syndications and distribution, structured trade finance and working capital solutions across Africa and international jurisdictions.

• Russell Brown, Global Head Trade Finance - Financial Institutions, Deutsche Bank

Russell Brown

Global Head Trade Finance - Financial Institutions, Deutsche Bank

Russell Brown is Global Head of Trade Finance – Financial Institutions, in the Corporate Bank Division of Deutsche Bank, based in London.

Russell is a veteran of Trade Finance with over 30 years experience. His experience has predominantly been on the corporate side and he has been responsible for the full Trade Finance flow product suite to UK, Irish & Nordic corporates and Multinational corporates domiciled in the UK, Ireland, Nordics, Sub Saharan Africa, Israel and selected Eastern European countries.

He headed up Deutsche Bank UK, Ireland and Nordics from 2005 until August 2019. Alongside his position now as Head of Trade Finance & Lending for UK & Ireland Russell has assumed the role of Global Head of Trade Finance – Financial Institutions since August 2019. As a leading global Trade Finance bank Deutsche Bank’s Russell has a team of over 50 people sitting globally serving its correspondent banks to facilitate international Trade in over 145 countries.

We propose, they dispose. What’s really going on In the C-suite and how do they see the world? Find out here!

• Natasha Condon, Payments - Global Head of Trade Sales and EMEA Trade Region Head, JPMorgan

Natasha Condon

Payments - Global Head of Trade Sales and EMEA Trade Region Head, JPMorgan

Natasha is the Global Head of Trade Sales and EMEA Trade Region Head within Payments at JPMorgan Chase. She has 18 years of experience across trade finance and working capital solutions for both corporate and financial institutions. Her global team provide strategic working capital advisory, risk mitigation, sales growth, and digital efficiencies for the top multinationals in the world.

She was recognized for her ESG advisory work in trade finance by Innovate Finance in the Women in Fintech Powerlist 2021 and was awarded the 2022 Social Impact award by Women in Payments. She is also the Co-Chair of the Bi+ Council, a global JPM-wide employee organization, and is active in JPM’s business resource groups for women and for underrepresented minorities.

Prior to her current role Natasha was the Global Head of Core Trade for JP Morgan, in which capacity she ran all documentary trade products for the business. She joined the firm from Citi, where she was Global Trade Sales Head and a member of the Global Trade Management Committee.

Natasha holds a Master of Arts from Oxford University where she studied Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE).

• Damian Austin, Managing Director - Chief Banking Officer, BACB

Damian Austin

Managing Director - Chief Banking Officer, BACB

As Chief Banking Officer, Damian is responsible for leading BACB’s businesses, incorporating Trade Finance, Real Estate, and Banking & Payment Services. Additionally, he oversees the corporate and financial institution coverage, working with BACB’s team of Relationship Managers and Transaction Client Services Team.

Damian has over 25 years’ Banking experience and a proven track record in originating, structuring, and syndicating transactions across a variety of specialist markets; having served as Interim European Head of Wholesale Banking & European Head of Global Transaction Banking at Bank ABC, and previously holding senior positions at HSBC and Barclays, where he built and led the Global Trade Syndications team.

In his role at BACB Damian oversees the Bank’s key business development activities, delivering sustainable profitable growth for the organisation. Using his extensive industry experience, Damian is leading the implementation of the Bank’s strategy to provide tailored solutions to clients operating, and trading, in specialist markets.

• Diego Barron, Head of Private Debt Mobilization Europe, Banco Santander

Diego Barron

Head of Private Debt Mobilization Europe, Banco Santander

Diego is the European Head of the Private Debt Mobilization (PDM). Based in London, he is responsible for all the distribution of assets in Europe, both primary and secondary. His group manages all the underwriting and warehousing risk in Europe for all asset classes.

He joined Santander in 2017 and holds 20 years’ experience in different banking roles mainly in the capital markets arena. Previously, he worked at Banco Popular from 2009 to 2017 where he managed the Institutional and Markets business and was also Head of Investor Relations. Prior to this, he also worked as an equity research analyst mainly at BNP.

• Sinan Ozcan, Senior Executive Officer, DP World Trade Finance

Sinan Ozcan

Senior Executive Officer, DP World Trade Finance

Sinan has 21 years of experience working in executive roles across various industries, focusing on several areas of banking, financial services & logistics i.e. trade & structured finance solutions, supply chain finance, new ventures and business development.

Sinan joined DP World in April 2021, set up “DP World Financial Services Limited” where he continues to serve as Senior Executive Officer and Board Director, and globally leads DP World’s “Trade Finance” business, DP World’s global trade finance initiative.

In March 2017, he set up Maersk Trade Finance business in UAE, obtained regulatory license, rapidly grew business, and served as Senior Executive Officer, Board Director and Regional Trade Finance Head for Indian Subcontinent, Middle East & Africa region until 2021.

Previously, Sinan was Regional Director of UK Export Finance (a British Government Department and the official Export Credit Agency of the UK) for Europe, MENA and Central Asia region, established UKEF’s overseas presence and originated trade & project finance deals.

Prior to UKEF, he headed Trade Finance/Financial Services unit of CNH Industrial for Africa-Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

Before CNH, Sinan held the position as Auditor at VakifBank and covered many areas of banking & financial services.

Sinan holds MBA degree from Philadelphia University and Master’s Degree in Banking & Entrepreneurship from the joint program of Venice & Udine Universities in Italy. Sinan speaks English, Italian, Turkish, French and German and lived & worked in Turkey, USA, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and UAE.

What role do ESG considerations play in 2023 and beyond given the expected economic downturn, pressures on energy security, and global supply chains paired with an ever changing regulatory framework? What role do emerging markets play in the debate, and are the voices of emerging markets heard?

• Yousra El Sayed, Director - Sustainable Finance, Investment Banking, Mashreq

Yousra El Sayed

Director - Sustainable Finance, Investment Banking, Mashreq

Yousra joined Mashreq Investment Banking Sustainable Finance in 2023. Prior to that she has spent 10 years at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development leading origination and business development efforts focusing on GCC based investors. Before joining the EBRD, Yousra worked for the Arab African International Bank, as an investment banker.

Over the years, she designed and implemented several investment projects and various technical, advisory and policy work, across a number of sectors in the Middle East and North Africa regions.

She holds a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo and an Msc in Finance from King’s Business School

• Jonny Carruthers, Director, BPL Global

Jonny Carruthers

Director, BPL Global

Jonny Carruthers has eighteen years of experience in the insurance market. He joined BPL Global in 2015 and was made Director in 2019.

As Director, Jonny’s role focuses on managing a team dedicated to Excess of Loss (XoL) trade credit insurance, supporting a client base that spans the banking, commodity, agricultural and oil & gas sectors.

In 2018, the XoL team led by Jonny was launched to structure and place bespoke credit insurance programmes for large multinational corporates, banks and captives in response to increased demand from BPL Global’s clients for portfolio credit insurance.

The six-strong team has enabled BPL Global to broaden its use of the product within the insurance market and strengthen clients’ credit risk management. The team has also worked to deliver further product efficiencies to enhance portfolio growth for both new and existing clients, helping banks to obtain regulatory capital relief, eliminate operational risks and improve their advance rate through having their own insurance policy.

Before joining BPL Global, Jonny held the position of Executive Director at Willis from 2009 to 2015, with a focus on top-tier banking clients and multinational corporates. He also helped to develop new products and unique policy structures. Prior to this, he spent four years at Marsh as a Client Executive in the London trade credit insurance team.

Jonny holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Bath. He is ACII qualified and holds a FINMA broking licence in Switzerland.

• Joel Bensoor, Head of Portfolio Management, British International Investment

Joel Bensoor

Head of Portfolio Management, British International Investment

Joel is the Head of Financial Services Portfolio Management at British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. Joel oversees a global portfolio, with the aim of investing to create more sustainable and inclusive economies across Africa and Asia.

Prior to joining BII, Joel held senior positions at Mediobanca where he was Head of Loan & CLO Trading, in an African investment fund and at Deutsche Bank, where he focussed on emerging markets credit trading.

Joel has more than 15 years’ experience in trading, portfolio management and structuring. He holds master’s degrees in engineering from University College London and is a CFA charter holder.

• Massimo Falcioni, Chief Competitiveness Officer, Abu Dhabi Investment Office

Massimo Falcioni

Chief Competitiveness Officer, Abu Dhabi Investment Office

 Massimo Falcioni is a highly accomplished CEO, board member, and expert in the financial services industry. 

With over 30 years of experience, he has consistently delivered outstanding results for government and multinational organizations across Europe and the Middle East. His dynamic leadership, strategic vision, and attention to innovation have earned him a prominent position as a trusted and influential figure in the business world. He is ranked as one of the Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes in 2022 and 2019 and has received numerous accolades for his contributions to leadership, global trade and his commitment towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiatives. 

Massimo has demonstrated a deep understanding of economic cycles and import/export trade flows throughout his career, resulting in sustained revenue and EBITDA growth. His recent success as the founder CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ national export credit agency Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI) from 2018 to February 2023 further showcases his ability to drive economic diversification, trade, and project financing, and overall investments aligned with the UAE’s ambitious 2031 agenda. 

Prior to his role at ECI, Massimo held executive roles at Coface, where he served as the CEO for Middle East Countries, and Allianz Trade (Euler Hermes), where he was the CEO for Gulf Countries. He has also held senior leadership roles at multinational companies such as Volkswagen Financial Services, Philip Morris International, and Exxon Mobil. 

Currently serving as the Chief Competitiveness Officer at Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the central government hub supporting investment in Abu Dhabi, aimed at growing the emirate’s private sector and diversifying its economy. He is also the elected Secretary-General and Vice President of the Italian Business Council Dubai and Northern Emirates since 2017, Non-Executive Board Member at Conares, Massimo’s expertise lies in financial services, credit insurance, project and trade finance, commercial and political risk management, strategy, lecturing, and speaking engagements. His exceptional leadership capabilities have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy from the President of the Italian Republic in 2017. 

The need for banks to distribute their trade assets has never been stronger in what many had considered to be a restricted club relying on decade old techniques. Innovations in documentation and digitalisation as well as new investors are changing the landscape.This panel will examine what is changing and how we can all benefit.

• Dominic Capolongo, Chief Revenue Officer, LiquidX

Dominic Capolongo

Chief Revenue Officer, LiquidX

Dominic Capolongo brings over 25 years of broad experience building sustainable revenue production and defining, managing, and leading teams. Previously, Dominic served as Global Head of Funding at PrimeRevenue and held positions at leading financial services companies including FBR, RBC Capital Markets, Jefferies, and Credit Suis

• Nishit Kumar, Head of Loan Syndication, Sales & Distribution, Investment Banking, Mashreq

Nishit Kumar

Head of Loan Syndication, Sales & Distribution, Investment Banking, Mashreq

Nishit has around 22 years of experience in banking and financial services across MENA, India, North America, Europe & Africa, with a primary focus on loan syndication, structured & acquisition finance and trade assets distribution. Nishit has worked in multiple markets including India, Middle East & USA. Prior to joining Mashreq in 2015, he has handled senior level roles in Standard Chartered and ICICI Bank. He has closed numerous transactions for clients, raising over USD 100bn in the public and private markets, across multiple sectors, including Sovereigns, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Shipping, Trading, GREs amongst others

Nishit is a mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur, India, and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, India.

• Izabela Czepirska, Product Manager, Komgo

Izabela Czepirska

Product Manager, Komgo

Izabela has 10 years of experience in Financial Services across traditional banking, FinTech and academia.

Since mid 2020, Izabela has been part of Komgo, where she manages the digital Trade Finance products allowing banks and corporates to connect and transact securely. In her role, she focuses on receivables discounting, documentary credit, secondary market and electronic documents.

She started at Citi on a graduate programme across Transaction Banking, Cash Management, Credit Risk and Trade Finance where she stayed for a further 5 years, taking roles on the Risk Distribution & Syndication desk and in Supply Chain Finance. Alongside working at Citi, Izabela commenced a full-time PhD programme at Warsaw School of Economics. Her dissertation on microfinance around financial inclusion and use of technology came to fruition in June 2019 when she was awarded a PhD cum laude in finance. Soon after she joined Crowdz in London, a blockchain trade finance software platform tied to Ethereum headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Given her experience in different parts of Trade Finance and strong academic background, Izabela joined ITFA Emerging Leaders Committee where she is the Deputy Chairperson to support the initiatives put together in the areas of ITFA EL events, webinars, academic panels and individual mentoring sessions as well as the Market Practice Committee to support the standardisation across the industry.

• Khilola Turaeva, Head of Trade Risk Distribution and SCF Program Management, EMEA, Bank of America

Khilola Turaeva

Head of Trade Risk Distribution and SCF Program Management, EMEA, Bank of America

Khilola is EMEA Head of Trade Risk Distribution and SCF Program Management at Bank of America based in London.

She started her journey in Asaka Bank in 1997, a local large bank in Uzbekistan, where she held different managerial roles in Trade Finance and Transaction Banking. In 2006 she moved to London to join The Trade Asset Management team for RBS (formerly ABN AMRO Bank N.V.) to work alongside the Fl relationship teams to originate trade transactions from financial institutions in Russia & CIS countries as well as distribute the entire range of trade products to Fl investors.

The years spent in ABN and RBS gave a huge amount of insight and exposure which led to the incredible opportunity to join Bank of America back in 2011 and set up the EMEA Trade Risk Distribution desk for BofA, which is now an important market player in the global secondary market. In her current capacity at Bank of America she is managing the distribution of trade Corporate and FI assets and driving growth of the regional SCF portfolio through active buyer and supplier engagement and marketing.

• Pankaj Mundra, Co-Founder and Chairman, 360TF

We are inching towards greater clarity on the new capital rules for trade but what is left to decide? And where we have clarity, how significant are the implications for trade finance? Credit Risk Insurance has also been an important force multiplier for our industry. How do the new rules impact this vital partner to trade finance? Two experts will give the audience the benefit of their knowledge.

• Volker Handrich, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

Volker Handrich

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

Volker Handrich, a German citizen born 21st November 1964, has a law degree from the University of Konstanz, Germany.

He joined the reinsurance industry in 1991 with Aachen Re which was acquired in 1995 by GE Insurance Solutions which since 2006 is part of Swiss Re Group.

He had various underwriting roles in P&C reinsurance before he moved in 2005 to the Bank Trade Finance Team of GE Insurance Solutions (founded in 1998) and today is Geo Lead EMEA and Head FI Risks within the Trade Finance team of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.

• Carol Searle, Group Board Director and General Counsel, The Texel Group

Carol Searle

Group Board Director and General Counsel, The Texel Group

Carol is a Group Board Director and General Counsel at The Texel Group – an award-winning specialist credit and political risk insurance broker. With access to Lloyd’s of London and public and private insurers around the world, Texel develops innovative insurance solutions for financial and development finance institutions, corporations and commodity traders.

With over 30 years’ experience, in both London and South Africa, Carol joined The Texel Group in 2015 having previously been a Partner at a London based law firm where she was responsible for the political risk and trade credit insurance group. She handled claims from multiple jurisdictions under a variety of political risk and credit policies and regularly advised on coverage issues and policy wordings.

Is SCF becoming more accessible and how are new markets, techniques and technologies making this possible? Is SCF finally making its way down to SMEs and how are technqiues like deepr-tier financing helping? Is resilience an issue? What are the new trade corridors and how are they being served?

• Viacheslav Oganezov, CEO and Co-founder, Finverity

Viacheslav Oganezov

CEO and Co-founder, Finverity

Viacheslav, a graduate of the London School of Economics, gained insight into the challenges faced by banks and other nonbank financial institutions during his time at PwC. There, he advised banks on developing and implementing digital strategies. Recognizing the inability of large financial institutions to effectively implement these strategies, the scarcity of capital available to businesses in emerging markets, and the abundance of capital seeking sustainable yields in developed markets, he and his co-founder Alex Fenechiu established Finverity, a supply chain finance platform designed to address these issues.

Viacheslav is responsible for the company’s strategic direction, managing execution by setting clear objectives, ensuring team alignment, and instilling effective processes. He believes that Finverity’s long-term success is secured due to the quality of the product and the strength of its people and culture. Viacheslav attributes his consistently positive attitude, clarity of vision, and the power of his intention to the daily practices he follows, such as yoga and meditation, as well as his overall simple lifestyle.

• Marina Narganes, Head of Distribution & Sales Strategy, Triterras

Marina Narganes

Head of Distribution & Sales Strategy, Triterras

Marina has nearly 20 years of sales experience and deep industry knowledge covering B2B working capital, trade finance, lending, corporate retirement benefits, investments and advisory services.

With proven success in generating new deal flows and her finesse in helping businesses invest, Marina is responsible for providing leadership to assist institutional investors deploy capital in support of cross-border trade opportunities, and to reinforce Triterras’ capabilities to bring cross-border lending to scale.

Prior to joining Triterras, Marina was the Director of Origination with Demica, where she was responsible for origination and distribution in North America. Before that, she had also worked at LSQ, MassMutual and John Hancock Life Insurance Companies.

Marina holds a bachelor degree in International Business from the Fairfield University.

• Olivier den Tex, Unit Manager Supply Chain Finance Marketing, Credit Europe Bank N.V.

Olivier den Tex

Unit Manager Supply Chain Finance Marketing, Credit Europe Bank N.V.

Olivier den Tex is Unit Manager Supply Chain Finance at Credit Europe Bank in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In this role, he is responsible for all products that have to do with buyer-led and supplier-led transactions. Olivier and Credit Europe Bank specialize in payables and receivables finance and work closely with partners: financial institutions, fintechs, insurers and commercial brokers. The mandate that he has includes transactions with a European link either with the buyer or supplier.

Olivier has over two decades of experience in banking, working for ABN AMRO, Rabobank and ING in various positions within corporate banking and specialized in receivables and supply chain finance. He holds a degree in International Marketing Management from HES Rotterdam.

• Angel G. Blanco, Managing Director, Head of Platform Solutions, Demica

Angel G. Blanco

Managing Director, Head of Platform Solutions, Demica

Angel G. joined Demica in 2016, when it was still in start-up phase. He came with a strong conviction that technology can be a key enabler to Trade Finance, given the particular characteristics of this asset class, but that significant development was required. He has been proven correct, and the company has grown hugely since then, with Angel currently a Managing Director and Head of the Platform Solutions Team. The Team provides technology solutions in the Trade Finance and Working Capital space to some of the largest multi-national financial institutions and corporates in the world. In this role, Angel has successfully bridged the gap from a background in Finance, to influential Technologist in this area.

He previously worked at Banco Santander across different countries and business segments, including over 10 years in Corporate and Investment banking, performing different management roles in Structured Trade Finance and Working Capital Solutions.

Angel is a busy father of three young boys, still a dedicated footballer and a wildlife enthusiast.

New laws around negotiable instruments are embracing advanced technologies. What’s in it for established trade originators? Will new forms of payment obligations help us harmonise the use of IPUs and expand supply chain finance to the deeper tiers? Which new technologies help us extend open banking practices and mitigate risks?

• Merlin Dowse, Trade Digital Solutions, Payments, JPMorgan

Merlin Dowse

Trade Digital Solutions, Payments, JPMorgan

Merlin Dowse is an Executive Director and a Global Product Manager within the Core Trade Product team. In this capacity, Merlin leads a global team responsible for the management of digital solutions and innovation available to the clients of J.P. Morgan across the globe.

Alongside his role at J.P. Morgan, Merlin is a Vice Chair on the ICC Banking Commission where he both sponsors and chairs the Commercialisation Working Group. Merlin is also an active contributor to the ICC Digital Standards Initiative, BAFT and ITFA industry associations.

Whilst at J.P. Morgan, Merlin previously held the position of Global Product Manager for the Portfolio Management Group within Global Trade at J.P. Morgan. In this role he led the digitization efforts of both the internal and external processes supporting the distribution of all trade finance assets.

Prior to this, while based in London, he was managing the EMEA Trade product set for the Corporate client segment, where he worked alongside industry peers on various initiatives such as the Bank Payment Obligation, SWIFT for Corporates whilst also helping expand J.P. Morgan’s global footprint.

Before joining J.P. Morgan, Merlin worked in various capacities in the Trade Services department at Rabobank in the Netherlands.

• Anthony Wadsworth-Hill, Co-founder, DCEO & COO, Mercore
• Sean Bowey, Head of Product GTRF, SAB

Sean Bowey

Head of Product GTRF, SAB

Sean is a Trade Finance specialist with 22 years’ banking experience, 18 with HSBC and 4, in Riyadh, with HSBC associate SAB.  He has held leadership positions in Trade Finance in New York, Latin America and Hong Kong and has a particular passion for innovation and digitalization, leading SAB’s digital projects in Trade Finance, including Saudi Arabia’s first ever blockchain based Trade Finance transaction.

Sean is involved with Trade Finance industry initiatives including the International Trade & Forfaiting Association’s Middle East Trade Technology adoption group and is committed to using technological developments to reduce friction in Trade Finance, to decrease the Trade Finance gap and to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision initiatives of becoming a global trade hub and digital banking centre with a growing SME sector.

• Iain MacLennan, Vice President (General Manager): Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Finastra

Iain MacLennan

Vice President (General Manager): Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Finastra

As Vice President and General Manager for Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Iain is responsible for the strategic roadmap and delivery of these products for Finastra, he has responsibility for both the Product and Engineering groups. In addition, Iain leads Finastra’s engagement with the International Chamber of Commerce on ICC TradeComm, a financial marketplace that is being launched in early 2023 in Latin America, and then globally.

Iain joined Finastra in January 2019, from Lloyds Banking Group where he spent 6 years in several leadership roles in Technology and Group Transformation supporting the Commercial Bank. He was most recently the Engineering Lead within the Commercial Servicing Lab delivering Agile change (Digital, Process and Fulfilment) improving the overall Customer and Colleague Experience across all sectors.

Prior to Lloyds Iain held Change and Technology roles with Barclays, Deutsche Bank, ING Barings and Swiss Bank Corporation, primarily in Global Transaction Banking. He has over 25 years’ experience in delivering technology enabled change within the Financial Services industry. Iain holds a Ph.D. and a B.Eng from the University of Glasgow, plus a MBA from Henley Business School.

How do we future-proof and build an inclusive, equitable trade finance industry? Is the ony one glass ceiling and have they all been broken or do we still have a long way to go?

• Vivian Nwachukwu, Product Manager (CDCS, CSDG) - Product Development, Bank of China (UK) Limited

Vivian Nwachukwu

Product Manager (CDCS, CSDG) - Product Development, Bank of China (UK) Limited

Vivian has over 15 years banking experience covering Retail and Private Banking, Payments and Trade Finance at various banks.

 

She joined Bank of China, UK as Product Manager covering the Guarantees and Standby Letters of Credit (SBLC) products and is responsible for the Management, Marketing and Development of the Guarantees/SBLC product as well as product innovation.  As subject matter expert, she also provides technical support with the reviewing and drafting of Guarantees/SBLC wordings/contracts for the bank’s Corporate and Financial Institution clients.

 

Prior to her current position, Vivian was the Operations Manager of the Guarantees Team at Bank of America, where she managed a team responsible for processing Guarantees/SBLCs across their EMEA branches and in this role, she received the Achievement of Performance Excellence (APEX) Award in recognition of extraordinary results achieved.

 

Vivian holds an MBA from Aston University. She also holds CDCS and CSDG certifications from the London Institute of Banking & Finance.

• Niamh Dennehy-Maher, Counsel - Allen & Overy LLP

Niamh Dennehy-Maher

Counsel - Allen & Overy LLP

Niamh is a counsel in the banking and finance team in Allen & Overy’s London office. She acts for a variety of clients on a broad range of finance matters and has particular experience in managing major complex cross-border financings in the trade and commodities sector, including new money structured commodities financings and trade and commodities-related restructurings.

Niamh is committed to advancing DE&I in trade and supporting the empowerment of women and has recently contributed to the Women in Trade campaign by Trade Finance Global (TFG), a global initiative to highlight the achievements and challenges of women, sharing her insights and experiences as a female leader in the sector.

• Naura Hussain, Director, Trade Asset Sales & Syndications, AME – Standard Chartered Bank

Naura Hussain

Director, Trade Asset Sales & Syndications, AME – Standard Chartered Bank

Naura Hussain is Director, Trade Asset Sales & Syndications for Africa & Middle East at Standard Chartered Bank, responsible for distribution and syndication of trade assets for AME. She has a strong track record in the industry, specializing in FI Trade Sales, Correspondent Banking and Distribution. She has 18 years of banking experience in the region and was previously with UBL, Noor Bank and Citibank in the UAE. She is actively involved within the regional trade finance community and currently a Member of the International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) Middle East Regional Committee since 2018 with a 2-year term as Chairperson ending in 2022.

Find delegates with similar interests and share knowledge during the ITFA networking session!

Book meetings with other delegates by accessing the portal in the app.

Find delegates with similar interests and share knowledge during the ITFA networking session!

Book meetings with other delegates by accessing the portal in the app.

Fraud remains pervasive and impacts both lending institutions and the people, companies and societies they serve. What is required to combat fraud in the market? Is cooperation required to move the needle? Which initiatives and regulatory efforts will make a difference?

• Andrew Share, Business Information Director, UK and Ireland, Coface

Andrew Share

Business Information Director, UK and Ireland, Coface

Andrew has been in the credit management industry for almost 30 years and has been in charge of credit information production and credit services at Coface since 2002.

Andrew has a deep knowledge of B2B credit management, practices and challenges and has lead the introduction of new innovative solutions for customers, having developed a keen appreciation of the market place and the competition.

Andrew was recently appointed Business Information Director for Coface UK & Ireland and is keen to assist in expanding the recognition of Coface as an established brand name in credit information services in the UK and Ireland.

• Robert Parson, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP

Robert Parson

Partner, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP

Robert Parson is a partner based in the London office specialising in trade and commodity finance, structured trade and digital trade.

Robert’s practice includes financing arrangements across the commodity and trade industry. He represents banks and non-bank financiers, funds, large and medium-sized commodity traders, producers, credit insurers and other participants in financing and monetising the international production, storage, movement and distribution of both raw materials and manufactured goods.

Robert advises regularly on structured trade and inventory finance and the use of credit insurance as a risk mitigant and financial instruments such as letters of credit, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other secure payment arrangements in international trade, as well as having extensive expertise in related disputes.

Robert has an established reputation in the field of digital trade, working on the establishment of digital platforms and the development use and enforceability of electronic trade documents and payment instruments and the legal environment required to support them. He  is also a regular speaker and writer on both digital trade and commodity and trade finance, and is the editor of the legal journal Finance and Credit Law.

• Vincent O'Brien, Director, ICC UAE

Vincent O'Brien

Director, ICC UAE

Vincent O’Brien has been actively involved in trade finance for more than a quarter of a century and has delivered technical assistance for trade finance in more than 100 countries. Vincent’s primary activity is trade facilitation with the major Multilateral Development Banks and his recognized specialty is trade related dispute resolution where he often acts as Expert Witness in Trade Disputes and Legal Cases.

Vincent also holds the positions of the Associate Director of the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP).

What are the opportunities and challenges underwriters and bankers face when cooperating for financing their customers business in the Middle East and North Africa? What specific regulatory and license requirements have to be taken into account? Are there any specificities to be aware for different types of insurance cover? Our panel of expert insurers will answer all the questions you may have on this topic.

• Abdelhamid Ali, Head of Risk Services for Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan, Atradius

Abdelhamid Ali

Head of Risk Services for Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan, Atradius

Head of Risk Services for Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan

Mr. Abdelhamid Ali is Head of Risk Services for the Middle East, Egypt, and Pakistan at Atradius. Based in Dubai, he leads a diverse cross-cultural team and looks to achieve the best results for the company and its customers by utilizing his 20 years of experience in the banking and credit insurance industry. Mr. Ali joined Atradius back in 2014.

Abdelhamid’s skill-set spans across credit risk management in corporate banking to trade credit insurance with a solid understanding of the GCC region and Middle Eastern markets. Mr. Ali started his career in Egypt with one of the leading investment banks, Commercial International Bank (CIB), and then moved to Dubai to join Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) in 2007.

Abdelhamid earned a Bachelor’s and an MBA degree and is a certified international credit professional (CICP). He is an avid football fan who loves watching and playing football.

• Stefaniya Ilina, Senior Officer, Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX)

Stefaniya Ilina

Senior Officer, Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX)

Stefaniya Ilina has 18 years of professional experience in the London financial industry, and the UAE having worked in the City of London for bank and insurance institutions always with focus on Credit and Political risks, Export and Project Financing having been a buyer of insurance (ECAs and private insurance institutions), originator, broker, and underwriter. She currently is Senior Officer at Abu Dhabi Export Office, part of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. She is a holder of Executive MBA from London Business School.

• Haitham Alkhazaleh, Director of Risk Management, Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI)

Haitham Alkhazaleh

Director of Risk Management, Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI)

Haitham Al Khazelah holds the position of a Risk Management Director at Etihad Credit Insurance. In his current capacity, he manages the Risk Underwriting, Information and claims units of the organization, ensuring holistic risk assessments to further strengthen ECI’s product offerings.

Haitham has an extensive knowledge and experience in the trade credit insurance industry as he previously served in Coface and Allianz Trade, two of the global leaders in the industry. In these organizations, he demonstrated strong leadership skills, having earlier worked as the Risk Analysis and Claims Director at Coface, leading a team of experts responsible for managing a risk exposure in excess of $7 Billion across the Middle Eastern countries and a network of risk and debt recovery and information experts.

Prior to joining Coface, Haitham served in various roles at Allianz Trade in the GCC region including risk underwriting and claims department supporting a multi-billion-dollar risk exposure portfolio in the GCC region and serving multi-national and national clients.

Haitham holds an MBA from the University of Dubai and participated in several extensive international trainings and industry events.

• Zena Brake, Credit Intelligence Director, Allianz Trade Middle East

Zena Brake

Credit Intelligence Director, Allianz Trade Middle East

Zena brings in multiple years of experience in the credit insurance and banking industry in UAE. She joined Allianz Trade in Middle East in 2011 and occupied various positions: Credit Underwriting Team Leader, Head of Credit Assessment and lately Credit Director. Previously, she worked in Noor Bank in Dubai serving several roles in Consumer Banking, Distribution and Islamic Finance. Zena is a CFA charter holder and a member of the CFA Society Emirates, she holds a Master degree in Applied Finance and Banking from University of Wollongong.

A selection of ITFA Regional Chairs provide an update on what is going on in their regions and where ITFA is helping to make a difference.

• Anne-Marie Woolley, CEO, Africa Global Trade Finance Ltd and Committee Member - ITFA African Regional Committee (ARC)

Anne-Marie Woolley

CEO, Africa Global Trade Finance Ltd and Committee Member - ITFA African Regional Committee (ARC)

Anne-Marie is a Board Member and the CEO for Africa Global Trade Finance and has been in banking for over 35 years, the vast majority of which was spent in Corporate Banking and Structured Trade and Commodity Finance.

After spending over 20 years with Barclays in London, the last decade saw Anne-Marie in senior leadership roles with Standard Bank & Nedbank covering the Africa region, as Head of Structured Trade & Commodity Finance. Credit evaluation & management have been key features of the roles where she also managed a team of experienced trade financiers covering Africa.

AGTF was voted on the ITFA Africa Regional Committee in 2022.

• Fatenah El Danab, MENA Head of Trade and Working Capital, Barclays and Chair - ITFA Middle East Regional Committee (MERC)

Fatenah El Danab

MENA Head of Trade and Working Capital, Barclays and Chair - ITFA Middle East Regional Committee (MERC)

Fatenah is currently the MENA Head of Trade and Working Capital at Barclay’s, with a remit across products including traditional trade, working capital solutions and Export & Agency Finance. She has over 20 years of experience working in the GCC region, and has previously held varied positions at Bank of America, HSBC, QInvest, Global Investment House and Gulf Bank. She holds a MBA from NYU Stern specializing in Finance and Strategy with an exchange at London Business School, having attended both as a Mohammed Bin Rashed Fellow. She currently chairs ITFA’s Middle East Regional chapter.

• Hernan Mayol, Chair, ITFA Americas Regional Chapter

Hernan Mayol

Chair, ITFA Americas Regional Chapter

A Global Leader with over 25 years experience in Financial Services, Strategy, and Business Development focused on Trade and Working Capital Solutions, Structured Trade Finance, Government Export Programs, Global Banking and Credit Insurance.

Hernan recently joined Banco de Reservas, largest bank in the Dominican Republic, where he will oversee their US Banking Operations. Before his new role, Hernan was recently the Export Finance Manager for the US Small Business Administration. Previously, Hernan was the Head of Financial Institutions and the Miami Representative for EIA Global – a Trade Credit Insurance Brokerage firm. Prior to that he was the Florida Region Sales Executive for Wells Fargo Bank’s Global Banking Group. Before then, Hernan spent 8 years at Bank of America as the Head of Trade Finance for Latin America and Asset Distribution in the Americas. Additionally, he has held roles at Wachovia Bank (Structured Trade Division / Government Guarantee Programs), Regions Bank (Correspondent Banking), TD Bank (Commercial Banking) and The Trade Bank of Latin America – Bladex (Product Management).

Hernan is a Community Leader, volunteering and leading in numerous industry organizations. He has been a member of ITFA for the past 28 years serving in numerous capacities including former Deputy Chair and Board Member of ATFA, LATAM Committee Chair and Fintech Initiatives Liaison for the ITFA Americas Regional Chapter where he serves as the current Chair. He is Founder of Apprentice Worldwide, a global mentoring organization that supports young professionals in their career journey.

Hernan has earned an MBA and BBA in International Finance & Marketing from the University of Miami and is an Adjunct Professor and Volunteer at Florida International University’s College of Business.

• Vipin Vashishtha, Managing Director, Global Head - Trade Asset Sales & Syndications, Standard Chartered Bank and Chair - ITFA South East Asia Regional Committee (SEARC)

Vipin Vashishtha

Managing Director, Global Head - Trade Asset Sales & Syndications, Standard Chartered Bank and Chair - ITFA South East Asia Regional Committee (SEARC)

Vipin Vashishtha is a Managing Director and Global Head of Trade Asset Sales & Syndications at Standard Chartered Bank. His primary focus is to facilitate trade finance for Corporate and FI clients by leveraging distribution and syndications solutions. Vipin is very actively involved in transforming the way trade finance assets are distributed to / syndicated with banks and alternative investors, He has extensive experience in Trade Finance space through leadership roles across Trade Distribution, Products, Strategy and Technology & Operations. Vipin is an industry leader in Trade Distribution, and currently the Chairman of Southeast Asia Regional Committee of International Trade & Forfaiting Association (ITFA).

Vipin also carries a strong understanding of clients and businesses from his earlier stints in Corporate and Strategy consulting world, covering a wide set of industries such as Financial Services, Technology, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Logistics, FMCG. He holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

ITFA Profile