6 - 8 Nov 2024 | Singapore EXPO
6 - 8 Nov 2024 | Singapore EXPO
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Featured Programme: Leadership in the Future of Finance by BondbloX
New this year, SFF MeetUp is set to be Asia’s Largest FinTech Meetings Programme. With so much happening at SFF, we’ve designed SFF MeetUp to help you make the most of your time and connect with the right people effortlessly.
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Drive Business Development
Accelerate Deal-Flow
Forge Partnerships
Roadmap for AI & Quantum
Talent of Tomorrow
Director General Digital Euro
Deutsche Bundesbank
Director General Digital Euro
Dr Alexandra Hachmeister was born in Hamburg in 1975. From 1994 to 1999 she studied business management at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel, with study visits in the United States and France. Between 1999 and 2007 she had various roles at Deutsche Börse AG covering Market Functionality, IT, Corporate Office and Strategic Projects. In 2007, she completed her doctorate in market microstructure. She then held multiple management positions at Deutsche Börse AG, including Head of division and Chief Regulatory Officer. In her last role, she was Managing Director for Market Data & Services from 2019 to 2021.
In January 2022, Alexandra joined the Deutsche Bundesbank, where she headed up the Directorate General Economic Education, University and International Central Bank Dialogue. On 1 February 2024, Alexandra Hachmeister took on the role of head of the newly created Directorate General Digital Euro.
Co-founder & Board Member
Coin Center
Co-founder & Board Member
Balaji S. Srinivasan (@balajis) is an angel investor, tech founder, and WSJ bestselling author of The Network State.
Formerly the CTO of Coinbase and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he is an early investor in many successful tech companies and crypto protocols, including Alchemy, Anduril, Benchling, Celestia, CoinTracker, Culdesac, Dapper Labs, Deel, Digital Ocean, Espresso Systems, Farcaster, Hadrian, Instadapp, Luma, Minicircle, Mirror, Nucleus Genomics, Omada Health, OpenGov, OpenSea, Orchid Health, Paradigm, Perplexity, Polymarket, Prospera, Replit, Republic, Roam Research, Starkware, Stedi, Superhuman, Synthesis, Varda, Vitalia, VoteAgora, and Zora, to name a few. Balaji was also an early investor in many important crypto protocols including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Chainlink, NEAR, Polygon, XMTP, and Zcash.
Dr. Srinivasan was the cofounder of Earn.com (acquired by Coinbase), Counsyl (acquired by Myriad), Teleport (acquired by Topia), and Coin Center. He holds a BS/MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.
Deputy Managing Director
International Monetary Fund
Deputy Managing Director
Mr. Bo Li assumed the role of Deputy Managing Director at the IMF on August 23, 2021. He is responsible for the IMF’s work on about 90 countries as well as on a wide range of policy issues.
Before joining the IMF, Mr. Li worked for many years at the People’s Bank of China, most recently as Deputy Governor. He earlier headed the Monetary Policy, Monetary Policy II, and Legal and Regulation Departments, where he played an important role in the reform of state-owned banks, the drafting of China’s anti-money-laundering law, the internationalization of the renminbi, and the establishment of China’s macroprudential policy framework.
Outside of the PBoC, Mr. Li served as Vice Mayor of Chongqing—China’s largest municipality, with a population of over 30 million—where he oversaw the city’s financial-sector development, international trade, and foreign direct investment. Mr. Li was also Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. He started his career at the New York law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell, where he was a practicing attorney for five years.
Mr. Li holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and an M.A. from Boston University, both in economics, as well as a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He received his undergraduate education from Renmin University of China in Beijing.
Chief Legal Officer & Head of Policy
Stellar Development Foundation
Chief Legal Officer & Head of Policy
Candace Kelly is the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Policy for the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), a non-profit organization that supports the development and growth of Stellar, an open-source network that connects the world's financial infrastructure. She leads the team responsible for SDF’s legal affairs and the policy team that is focused on bridging the gap between the public and private sectors.
Previously, Candace worked for Uber Technologies, Inc., where she helped navigate the company’s response to regulatory investigations and advised on safety, security, privacy, consumer protection, and law enforcement response. Prior to that she served for 17 years at the United States Department of Justice.
Commissioner
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Commissioner
The Honorable Caroline D. Pham was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner on April 14, 2022. Commissioner Pham is a recognized leader in financial services compliance and regulatory strategy and policy. Her substantial experience spans key international issues such as prudential regulation and systemic risk, financial markets, fintech and digital assets, ESG, implementation of global regulatory reforms, and addressing the impact of major disruptions like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner Pham is the sponsor of the CFTC’s Global Markets Advisory Committee.
Previously, Commissioner Pham was a Managing Director at Citigroup where she held various senior roles, including Head of Market Structure for Strategic Initiatives on the Institutional Clients Group Business Development team; Head of Capital Markets Regulatory Strategy and Engagement; Deputy Head of Global Regulatory Affairs; and Global Head of Swap Dealer and Volcker Compliance. She was a member of firmwide governance forums and has held leadership roles in many industry organizations.
Commissioner Pham is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and has received various professional awards. She has a B.A. from UCLA and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, where she has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Business and Finance Law and was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Law, Economics and Finance.
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Paxos
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Charles Cascarilla is the CEO and co-founder of Paxos, a regulated blockchain infrastructure platform that enables the movement of all assets in a trustworthy way. With more than 20 years of experience in financial services, Charles has a unique perspective on integrating blockchain technology with traditional systems. He co-founded institutional asset management complex Cedar Hill Capital Partners in 2005 and its venture capital subsidiary, Liberty City Ventures, in 2012.
Charles has been a leader in introducing regulatory frameworks to the blockchain industry by securing the first Trust charter for digital assets and by testifying to the US Senate and House of Representatives on the merits of this technology for the global economy. He was also a founding member of CoinCenter and the Association for Digital Asset Markets. Earlier in his career, Charles was a portfolio manager at Claiborne Capital and an analyst at both Bank of America Securities and Goldman Sachs. He serves on the board of several charities and private companies including Project ALS and The Centurion Foundation.
Charles holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and is a CFA charterholder.
Managing Director
Monetary Authority of Singapore
Managing Director
Mr Chia Der Jiun was appointed Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 1 January 2024. He was previously Permanent Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Prior to his appointment at MOM in 2020, Der Jiun had spent 18 years at MAS in a range of functions covering monetary policy implementation, reserve management, macroeconomic surveillance, and banking supervision and regulation. At the MAS, he was last Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Development) with responsibilities for risk, finance, payment system and currency operations, HR and organisation transformation. Der Jiun also served as Executive Director for Southeast Asia at the International Monetary Fund from 2011 to 2013. He holds a BA(Hons) in Politics and Economics from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD.
First Deputy Governor
Banque de France
First Deputy Governor
Denis Beau was appointed Deputy Governor of the Banque de France on 1 August 2017, and was reappointed First Deputy Governor on 12 January 2024.
In this capacity, he was appointed by the Governor of the Banque de France to represent him as Chairman of the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (ACPR) and, with effect from 17 January 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the Observatory for the Security of Payment Means. He is also a member of the Board of the AMF and of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). Since 1 January 2023, Denis Beau has been Chair of the ECB's Budget Committee (BUCOM).
His tasks as Deputy Governor include in particular the Banque de France's micro-prudential activities, the cash industry, innovation, the Bank’s branch network activities and the internal management of the institution.
Chief Sustainability Officer & Chair of the Prudence Foundation
Prudential plc
Chief Sustainability Officer & Chair of the Prudence Foundation
Diana Guzmán is the Chief of Sustainability & Chair of the Prudence Foundation for Prudential Plc. She brings with her a wealth and breadth of experience working with public and private institutions across sustainability themes.
Before Prudential she was Head of Sustainable Development Investment Partnership & Development Finance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva, where she spearheaded global alliances to create innovative de-risking approaches through blended finance and inclusive net zero transitions and other sustainable development goals across emerging and developing economies. Before the WEF, Diana was Director for CDP, the global environmental disclosure system, where she was responsible for driving listed companies, investors and municipalities to effectively measure and manage environmental risks and opportunities to drive investment decisions. Before that, she has worked in the carbon markets in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Born and raised in Mexico, Diana has worked in America, Europe, the Middle East and China (including Hong Kong). She holds a MBA from London Business School, a BA in Financial Management from Monterrey Institute of Technology, and a diploma on Chinese Mandarin from Beijing Normal University. She fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and conversational in Mandarin and French.
President
Ant International
President
Mr. Douglas Feagin serves as President of Ant International and Corporate Senior Vice President of Ant Group.
He joined Ant Group in June 2016 to spearhead the company's globalization strategy, Alipay's global business development, operations and marketing activities. Prior to joining Ant Group, Mr. Feagin worked at Goldman Sachs from August 1994 to May 2016 and served as a Managing Director from 2004 through 2016.
At Goldman Sachs he maintained a broad set of client relationships across sectors including banks, specialty finance, FinTech and insurance in the U.S., Latin America and Asia.
He graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics in June 1988, and he received an MBA from Harvard Business School in June 1994.
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Cloud and Smart Industries Group
Tencent
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Cloud and Smart Industries Group
Dowson joined Tencent in 2005 and is currently the Senior Executive Vice President and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industries Group (CSIG). He also oversees Tencent's Technical Committee and Advertising and Marketing Services. Previously, he led Tencent's Social Network Group, driving strategies for QQ and value-added services.
Since 2018, Dowson has spearheaded CSIG’s efforts to drive digital transformation across 30 industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. He has earned numerous accolades, such as "2022 Tech Leader in the Greater Bay Area" and "Top 50 Best Professional Managers of 2020." Dowson holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Stanford University.
Chief Executive Officer
SBI Digital Asset Holdings
Chief Executive Officer
Fernando is the CEO of SBI Digital Asset Holdings, a company that oversees and operates digital asset-related businesses, under the SBI Holdings umbrella. SBI Digital Asset Holdings aims to transform capital markets and banking value chains to create end-to-end digital asset solutions for financial institutions. Fernando is an open-source software industry veteran with over 20 years of experience across technology innovation and governance, capital markets and digital assets. He holds unparalleled knowledge of the Asian financial services sector from both a business and technical perspective. Fernando started his career in academia where he became deeply involved with the Linux community. This led him to the corporate world with several roles at the Japanese NTT Group. Fernando has held different roles at SBI Group, including Director of SBI VC Trade, CTO of Japannext, CEO of SBI DigiTrust and CEO of SBI Security Solutions.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Sea Limited
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Forrest Li is Sea's founder and has served as its Chief Executive Officer since its inception in 2009.
Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) is a leading global consumer internet company founded in Singapore. Its mission is to better the
lives of consumers and small businesses with technology. It operates three core businesses across digital entertainment, e-commerce, as well as digital banking and financial technology, known as Garena, Shopee, and SeaMoney, respectively.
Mr Li is a board member with the Singapore Economic Development Board and a member of the National University of Singapore Board of Trustees. He also serves as an independent non-executive director of Shangri-La Asia Limited and sits on the Advisory Council of Stanford Graduate School of Business as Vice Chair.
Mr Li holds an M.B.A. degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Minister of Finance
Luxembourg
Minister of Finance
Gilles Roth was born on 1 March 1967 in Luxembourg. He studied law at the “Centre Universitaire de Luxembourg” and the “Université Catholique de Louvain” (UCL) in Belgium, where he obtained a degree in law and another degree in business administration and management.
Following the legislative elections of 8 October 2023, Gilles Roth was appointed Minister of Finance on 17 November 2023 in the coalition government formed by the Christian Social Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP).
Gilles Roth was elected municipal councilor in 1993 and became mayor of the city of Mamer in 2000. He joined the Parliament in April 2007 and was reconducted until 2023. In 2013, he became Chairman of the CSV political group.
From 1991 to 1994, Gilles Roth practiced as a lawyer. In 1995, he started working at the Ministry of Finance, before being seconded to the Luxembourg Court of Auditors and the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union in Brussels. In 1998, he returned to the Ministry of Finance and became government advisor, later senior government advisor.
Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board
Financial Times
Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board
Gillian Tett is a columnist and member of the Editorial Board for the Financial Times. She writes a weekly column on Friday, covering a range of economic, financial, political and social issues. She also serves as Provost of King's College, Cambridge.
Previously, she chaired the FT Editorial Board, ran Moral Money, the FT's sustainability newsletter which she co-founded, and wrote two columns a week. She has been named Columnist of the Year (2014), Journalist of the Year (2009) and Business Journalist of the Year (2008) in the British Press Awards, and received three awards from America's Society of Business and Economic Writers Awards. She is a best-selling and award-winning author of four books, and received the Royal Anthropological Institute Marsh Award and the American Anthropological Association President Medal for her work in social science. She has received honorary degrees from Carnegie Mellon, Miami and Baruch, Exeter, Lancaster, and Goldsmith's universities.
Chief Innovation Officer
BlackRock
Chief Innovation Officer
Kfir L Godrich, Managing Director, is the Chief Innovation Officer for BlackRock. He is responsible for driving firm's innovation agenda, the connection with the broad financial and technology ecosystems, including partnerships and ventures that accelerate growth. He is continuously exploring new and emerging technologies under an applied innovation strategy, to practically implement them at BlackRock. In addition, he is responsible for Information Security, Aladdin Data and BlacRock's AI Labs. He also serves as a member of BlackRock's Global Operating Committee.
Mr. Godrich service with the firm dates to 2014 as Global Head of Technology for BlackRock. Prior to that, Kfir served as CTO for Hewlett Packard Co. (HP) Technology Services, where he was responsible for road-mapping technology for company's Consulting and Support business units, as well as Advisory Board for HP Labs. He international experience lays in complex systems. Over the years Kfir's worked spanned chronologically from C4ISR to Data Centers, Alternative Energy, Fintech, Cyber, Data and Analytics and ML/AI. He received National Security awards, has been recognized as AI Pioneer at the United Nations, and has a rich portfolio of technology IP. Kfir began his career in the IAF after completing Electrical and Computer Engineering studies at Ben Gurion University.
Vice President Payments for Emerging Markets
Amazon
Vice President Payments for Emerging Markets
Mahendra Nerurkar is the Vice President of Emerging Countries Payments at Amazon, leading Amazon's payments operations for APAC, MENA and LATAM. He is dedicated to making digital payments trusted, convenient and rewarding ultimately simplifying customers' lives and helping them fulfill their aspirations.
Previously, Mahendra led product and general management roles for various global businesses at Amazon. And prior to Amazon, he worked as a strategy and technology consultant at Oliver Wyman and Computer Sciences Corporation advising clients in North America, Europe and Asia.
Mahendra holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from the University of Mumbai.
President & Chief Executive Officer
GCash
President & Chief Executive Officer
Martha Sazon, President & CEO of Mynt, the holding company of GCash, the #1 Finance Super App in the Philippines. Appointed as CEO in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, her focus on customer-centricity has propelled GCash into a lifeline to many Filipinos. With Martha at the helm, GCash is now the Philippines' first and only “duacorn” with millions of registered users, a 3x increase of its user base vs pre-pandemic. As a result, GCash is now a household name and is being used as a verb in the country.
Prior to GCash, Martha had 20 years of experience in various industries like food, OTC drugs, personal care, and telco. Martha spent 12 years at Globe Telecom during which she pioneered many breakthroughs and achievements for a wide array of products and headed the Broadband business.
Martha has also worked as a Marketing Director and Category Leader for Asia at GlaxoSmithKline and as a Senior Product Manager for Del Monte. Martha has attended and finished IMD and INSEAD executive programs and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting (Cum Laude), from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Oliver Wyman
President & Chief Executive Officer
Nick Studer is the CEO of Oliver Wyman, and Vice Chair of Marsh McLennan.
Nick has supported chief executives and senior business leaders on topics spanning governance, strategy, sustainability, risk management, public policy & regulatory response.
Nick led our Financial Services practice as well as our Consumer, Industrials and Services practices, representing each of these businesses on the firm’s Global Leadership Team. He leads Marsh McLennan’s firm-wide initiatives on climate and sustainability.
Nick has worked extensively on industry and public policy initiatives. He has supported the FSB, IIF and the World Economic Forum; he was a founding Director of TheCityUK, a founding member of the FICC Markets Standards Board, a member of the UK’s Voluntary Carbon Markets Steering Committee and is Interim Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Energy Transition Task Force.
Nick is a keen advocate of inclusion and a sponsor of diversity – he leads the firm’s inclusion and belonging strategy and has been twice named a Top 20 advocate by INvolve/EMpower.
Nick graduated with a First Class Honors degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Cambridge University.
Chief Executive Officer
DBS Bank
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Piyush Gupta has been Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group since 2009.
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, headquartered in Singapore. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named "World’s Best Bank" by several global publications like Euromoney and Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, and was also named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney. In addition, in 2019, DBS was listed among the top ten most transformative organisations of the decade by Harvard Business Review.
Prior to joining DBS, Piyush had a 27 year career at Citigroup, where his last position was Chief Executive Officer for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Piyush is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University, and Chairman of the Mandai Park Holdings Board. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Institute of International Finance, Washington, and Vice-Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Executive Committee. In addition, he is a member of Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data. He sits on the boards of Singapore’s National Research Foundation, and the Singapore’s Council for Board Diversity. Piyush is a term trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). Previously, he has been a member of the Singapore Emerging Stronger Taskforce, aimed at defining Singapore’s future in a post-Covid world, the UN Secretary General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the McKinsey Advisory Council.
Piyush has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, India and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad.
Piyush was awarded the Public Service Star by the President of Singapore for his meritorious services to the nation in 2020. He is a recipient of the 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honour conferred by the Indian Government on the country’s diaspora.
Piyush was named one of the world’s top 100 best-performing chief executives in Harvard Business Review - 2019 edition of "The CEO 100". He was named Global Indian of the Year by the Economic Times in 2021, Singapore Business Awards' Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year in 2016, and Singapore Business Leader of the Year by CNBC in 2014.
In his personal capacity, Piyush takes a keen interest in nature, and is a Co-Chairman of the BirdLife International Advisory Group.
President of Technology
Visa
President of Technology
Rajat Taneja is President of Technology for Visa Inc., responsible for the company's technology innovation and investment strategy, product engineering, global IT and operations infrastructure. He joined Visa in this role in November 2013.
Prior to joining Visa, Taneja was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Electronic Arts Inc., from October 2011 until November 2013, responsible for platform engineering, data center operations and IT, supporting the company's global customer base. From 1996 until 2011, he worked at Microsoft Corporation, including most recently as the Corporate Vice President, Commerce Division, in 2011 and the General Manager and Corporate Vice President, Online Services Division, from 2007 to 2011.
Taneja holds a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University and an MBA from Washington State University. He served on the Board of Directors for Ellie Mae, Inc. from 2015 to 2019. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for MSCI since June 2021.
Ambassador for Climate Action and Senior Adviser, National Climate Change Secretariat Singapore & Chairman of the Board of Directors
Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)
Ambassador for Climate Action and Senior Adviser, National Climate Change Secretariat Singapore & Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mr Ravi Menon served for 36 years in the Singapore Public Service.
Mr Menon was the longest serving Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Under his leadership, MAS implemented effective monetary and macroprudential policies, reformed the financial regulatory framework, strengthened skills development in the financial sector, and developed Singapore into a vibrant centre for green finance and a leading global FinTech hub. MAS was named Central Bank of the Year in 2019 by the UK-based publication Central Banking, which lauded MAS as a “pioneer in creating a framework to facilitate next-generation technological and financial innovation” and noted its coherent supervision as a financial regulator and enviable track record for monetary and financial stability.
As Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Mr Menon played a pivotal role in supporting the economy during the global financial crisis and enhancing Singapore’s access to external markets. As Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, he helped to formulate fiscal policies and a framework for spending the income from government reserves.
Mr Menon is currently Chairman of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) APAC Network Advisory Board and a member of the GFANZ Principals Group. He is also a Trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association, a community self-help group.
Chief Executive Officer
Binance
Chief Executive Officer
Richard Teng is the CEO of Binance, bringing over three decades of experience in financial services and regulatory affairs. Richard collaborates closely with regulators, policymakers, industry players, and users to drive Binance's growth in a compliant and sustainable manner. Since joining Binance in August 2021, he has held various senior leadership roles within the company.
Prior to his tenure at Binance, Richard served as the CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), where he established himself as one of the world’s leading innovative regulators. His extensive experience also includes roles as the Chief Regulatory Officer of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and the Director of Corporate Finance at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Richard holds a Master’s degree in Applied Finance from the University of Western Australia.
Deputy Governor
Bank of England
Deputy Governor
Sarah Breeden became Deputy Governor for Financial Stability on 1 November 2023. She is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Financial Policy Committee, Prudential Regulation Committee and the Bank’s Court of Directors. She has specific responsibility within the Bank for financial stability, the supervision of financial market infrastructures, international issues, central bank digital currency and fintech.
Sarah also leads the Bank of England’s work on climate change, domestically and internationally, a role she has held since 2016. She has been a Steering Group member of the international central bank and supervisors’ Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) since its inception in 2017, and chaired its macrofinancial workstream from 2018 until early 2022.
Sarah joined the Bank in 1991. Prior to her current role, Sarah was the Executive Director for Financial Stability Strategy and Risk and a member of the Financial Policy Committee (2021-2023). Previously, she was the Executive Director for UK Deposit Takers Supervision (2019-2021), responsible for the supervision of the UK’s banks, building societies and credit unions, and Executive Director for International Banks Supervision (2015-2021), responsible for supervision of the UK operations of
international banks. Before that, Sarah held a variety of roles, including leading the design and risk management of financial market operations undertaken by the Bank during the financial crisis, and then leading the Bank’s work to support the transition of prudential regulation of banks and insurers from the Financial Services Authority to the Bank.
Sarah has an MA in Economics from Cambridge University and an MSc in Finance from the London Business School.
She is a trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation.
Governor
National Bank of Cambodia
Governor
Serey Chea is the Governor of National Bank of Cambodia. She is passionate about financial inclusion and women economic empowerment. Achievements under her leadership include the establishment of Credit Bureau Cambodia in 2012 that propelled Cambodia’s Ease of Access to Finance to number 7 worldwide in 2017 by the World Bank, the introduction of Bakong, a national backbone payment system using DLT allowing interoperability amongst all financial service providers making financial services more accessible and affordable, and the introduction of financial literacy into the general education program. Serey holds a PhD in economics and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) and a member of the Alumni Community of the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Co-founder
Chainlink
Co-founder
Sergey Nazarov is the co-founder of Chainlink, the universal platform bringing the future of global markets onchain. Chainlink has enabled over $14 trillion in transaction value by providing financial institutions, startups, and developers worldwide with secure access to real-world data, offchain computation, and cross-chain interoperability across any blockchain. Chainlink powers onchain finance applications and high-integrity markets for banking, tokenization, DeFi, global trade, and other major sectors. Nazarov has worked with major market infrastructure providers and institutional banks such as Swift, DTCC, Sygnum and Fidelity International, ANZ, and many others, giving him a unique perspective on what is required to accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology and tokenization and build a global unified Internet of Contracts.
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer
PayPal
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer
Shaun Khalfan serves as SVP and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at PayPal. Prior to joining PayPal, Shaun served as the CISO for Discover Financial Services and four-time CISO with experience at world-leading financial services institutions and top U.S. government agencies. He has repeated success shepherding digital transformation aligned with business goals, launching cybersecurity frameworks, building security engineering teams, ensuring protection of assets, data, privacy, and company reputation. Shaun is a graduate of the University of Maryland and has an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business. He serves on the board of the Kohl Children’s Museum, is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and an independent director at Valimail, the global leader in e-mail authentication.
Chief Legal Officer
GitHub
Chief Legal Officer
Shelley McKinley is the Chief Legal Officer at GitHub where she leads AI development across Trust and Safety, Social Impact, Developer Policy, Product & Regulatory Legal, Commercial Legal, and Legal Operations.
Shelley started her career at Microsoft supporting parts of the Developer Division in 2005. Prior to joining GitHub, she was the head of Microsoft’s Technology and Corporate Responsibility organization, where she oversaw a team that drove the use of technology to benefit society through priorities such as accessibility, environmental sustainability, broadband access, responsible AI, and justice reform.
In addition to counseling customers seeking to adopt AI developer tools, Shelley is an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and loves a good outdoor adventure.
President
Nasdaq
President
Tal Cohen is President of Nasdaq, leading Nasdaq's Market Services and Financial Technology divisions. In this capacity, he is responsible for Nasdaq’s North American and European Market Services businesses as well as the company’s portfolio of marketplace technology, surveillance, risk management and regulatory reporting solutions.
Prior to joining Nasdaq in April 2016 as the Senior Vice President of North American Equities, Tal was the Chief Executive Officer of Chi‐X Global Holdings, LLC from 2010 to 2016. From 2008 to 2010, he served as CEO of Chi‐X Americas.
Before joining Chi-X, Tal held several senior leadership roles at INSTINET, including Senior Vice President of Business Development and Product Strategy and Co‐head of electronic trading for North America, from 1999-2008. Before joining Instinet, he served as M&A Manager at American Express, building out its strategic investment portfolio. Tal started his career at Arthur Andersen as an Auditor and Senior Business Advisor focused on the Financial Services and Telecom industries.
From 2009-2016, Tal served as a Director on the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) Board. He additionally served as a Director on the Canadian Depository for Securities (CDS) Board from 2013-2016.
Tal holds a B.A. from SUNY Albany, an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and is a Certified Public Accountant. He also holds FINRA Series 24, 7 and 63 licenses, the CSI Partners, Directors, and Senior Officers Designation (PDO).
Chief Executive Officer
Euroclear
Chief Executive Officer
Valérie Urbain became Chief Executive Officer of the Euroclear group in May 2024 having previously served as Chief Business Officer and a member of the Euroclear group Executive Committee.
Before her position as CBO she was Chief Executive Officer at Euroclear Bank, with responsibility for Euroclear Bank’s Operations, Commercial, Client Service, Banking and Network Management divisions worldwide.
Between 2009 and year end 2014, Mrs. Urbain was the CEO of the three ESES Central Securities Depositories (CSDs), namely Euroclear Belgium, Euroclear France and Euroclear Nederland.
Prior to this, she was Managing Director and head of the Human Resources division of the Euroclear Group from 2005 until 2009.
Earlier in her career, Mrs. Urbain held a number of positions in Product Management, Commercial and Network Management.
Before joining Euroclear in 1992, Mrs. Urbain worked in the Investment Banking and Bond Sales departments of Banco Hispano Americano and in the Corporate Banking division of Continental Bank (both in Brussels).
Mrs. Urbain holds a degree in Commercial Engineering from the Solvay Business School (Belgium).
Chief Economic Advisor
Government of India
Chief Economic Advisor
Before being appointed Chief Economic Adviser in January 2022, Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran was a writer, author, teacher and consultant.
He has written a weekly Mint column for fifteen years on Tuesdays since 2007.
He has co-authored four books:
(i) The Rise of Finance – Causes, Consequences and Cures
(ii) Derivatives
(iii) Can India Grow?
(iv) The Economics of Derivatives
He has taught at several business schools and institutes of management in India and Singapore. He was the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University.
He was one of the founders of the Aavishkaar Venture Capital Fund and the Takshashila Institution. He has served on the Academic Advisory Board of DAV Schools in Tamil Nadu and the Indian School of Public Policy.
He was a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India from 2019 to 2021.
In his corporate career spanning seventeen years from 1994 to 2011, he was a Currency Economist at the Union Bank of Switzerland, Head of Research and Investment Consulting at Credit Suisse Private Banking in Asia, Head of Asia Research and Global Chief Investment Officer at Bank Julius Baer.
He was an independent Director on the Boards of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, Sundaram Fasteners, TVS Sri Chakra Tyres, Delphi TVS and Aparajitha Corporate Services.
In 1985, he received a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1994 for his work on exchange rate behaviour.
Chief Executive Officer
Ant International
Chief Executive Officer
As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yang leads Ant International’s efforts in delivering a full stack of innovative digital payment, financial technology and digitalization solutions to global merchants. He also acts as the President of the Greater China Payment and Embedded Finance businesses, which provide cross-border mobile payment and digital marketing solutions for Chinese users travelling worldwide. Additionally, Mr. Yang manages Ant International’s Hong Kong and Macao operations.
Prior to serving at Ant International, Mr. Yang held various key management positions at Alipay, under Ant Group. Before joining Ant Group, he served as the Global Vice President of Dell Technologies, holding various executive roles in product development, strategy and business development across Greater China, Asia Pacific, and global emerging markets, accumulating extensive experience in cross-market and cross-cultural management.
Mr. Yang holds a B.A. degree in International Business and Finance from the Lingnan College of the Sun Yat-sen University, and an MBA degree from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota.
The Singapore FinTech Festival 2024 will examine the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing in revolutionising financial services and to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Examining how technologies such as AI and Web3, and digital public goods, can help to accelerate the future of fintech:
Insights Forum*
Sands Expo & Convention Centre
The invitation-only Insights Forum, held under Chatham House rules and designed to facilitate actionable outcomes through meaningful dialogue, will be run over two days prior to the Singapore FinTech Festival in 2024.
The Forum is a platform for:
Insights Forum
Public-Private Roundtables*
Held throughout the year across Elevandi’s global initiatives, these long-form roundtable discussions are held under Chatham House rules, fostering open and in-depth public-private sector leadership dialogues and promoting tangible results.
Steered by a regulator or policymaker, each roundtable is purposefully tailored to drive actionable outcomes, from whitepapers to the initiation of a working group or the declaration of a new commitment.
Insights Forum
Layer One Summit*
The inaugural Layer One Summit by the Global Layer One Organisation convenes central banks, regulators, regulated financial institutions, and technology leaders to promote a public-private sector dialogue on the future of financial infrastructure.
The summit will feature:
Singapore FinTech Festival
Singapore EXPO
The Singapore FinTech Festival is a global nexus where policy, finance, and technology communities converge. Designed to foster impactful connections and collaborations, SFF is a platform to explore the intersections of cutting-edge financial solutions, evolving regulatory landscapes, and the latest technological innovations.
Festival Stage
Hall 1, Singapore EXPO
Where Heads of State, policymakers, financial services leaders, founders, investors and technology experts shape the future of finance and the digital economy.
FutureMatters Stage
Hall 2, Singapore EXPO
The FutureMatters Stage is where pivotal discussions shape the future of key industry verticals. Each session is carefully curated to encourage audience interaction and foster in-depth Q&A. On 6 November 2024, the stage will host The Capital Meets Policy Dialogue—Asia’s premier annual summit bringing together senior policymakers and leading capital providers. This year’s dialogue, themed The AI Conundrum, invites influential voices from both sides to debate the most pressing challenges and opportunities in capital investment, value creation, and policymaking in the age of AI.
Technology Zone & Stage
Hall 3, Singapore EXPO
The Technology Zone and Stage gives participants a comprehensive and immersive experience for in-depth exploration of the latest developments in technology, with a focus on AI and Quantum.
ESG Zone & Stage
Hall 5, Singapore EXPO
The ESG Zone and Stage will spotlight the Environmental, Social, and Governance financial services ecosystem, with a focus on technologies, standards, networks, and data that accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon future.
Talent Zone & Stage
Hall 4, Singapore EXPO
The Talent Zone and Stage expands on the signature Talent Pavilion to advance learning, upskilling and the future of work by highlighting the talent development initiatives of the public and private sectors. The Stage will also host demo days of four hackathons, which will allow promising tech talent to showcase their capabilities.
Founders and Investors Zone & Founders Stage
Hall 4, Singapore EXPO
The Founders and Investors Zone provides a dedicated platform for financial services founders, entrepreneurs, and investors worldwide to connect. SFF 2024 will also see the return of The Founders Peak, a popular platform where exceptional founders share valuable insights on successful entrepreneurship. The Global FinTech Hackcelerator will also be held here on 6 Nov.
Regulation Zone & Stage
Hall 5, Singapore EXPO
The Regulation Zone and Stage is a space for international financial policymakers and regulators to make announcements, ink partnership agreements, and exchange knowledge and insights on their regulatory and development strategies. The Zone will feature showcases from regulators, international financial centres and associations such as The Association of Banks in Singapore.
SFF Meetup Programme
SFF MeetUp is a new initiative designed to help attendees meet, collaborate, and conduct business efficiently, fostering new partnerships and driving growth opportunities for both individuals and organisations. Don’t miss this opportunity to get six months' worth of one-on-one meetings in just three days!
Exhibition
Explore the forefront of financial innovation at the Singapore FinTech Festival's exhibition. With over 700 exhibitors and 36 international pavilions, discover cutting-edge solutions and emerging technologies redefining the financial landscape - free to access with a Trade Visitor pass.
SFF Innovation Lab Crawl
Take a tour of the most cutting-edge FinTech innovation labs in Singapore. The Innovation Lab Crawl will give attendees the opportunity to step inside the innovation labs and witness the latest up-and-coming projects and innovations in the FinTech industry.
SFF Dinner*
We bring together the Festival's guests and VIPs for an evening of networking and collaboration at one of Singapore's iconic locations.
SFF After Hours at Boat Quay
The SFF industry networking party is the Festival’s hottest ticket, and this year, it's better than ever! Look forward to a night of networking, fun, and revelry that you won't want to miss. It promises to be a truly unforgettable evening!
The Founders ROCK™
You don't want to miss this - ONE-OF-A-KIND industry networking where founders, regulators, and business leaders will jam together on stage to wrap up and celebrate SFF 2024!
SFF Awards Night*
The SFF Global FinTech Awards, represent the industry's highest accolade for FinTech innovation. The Awards seek to recognise innovative FinTech solutions by FinTech companies, financial institutions, technology companies, as well as individuals and companies that have been instrumental in creating new growth opportunities, transforming FinTech industry practices and promoting financial inclusion.
Insights Forum
Green Circle Climate Forum*
The inaugural Layer One Summit by the Global Layer One Organisation convenes central banks, regulators, regulated financial institutions, and technology leaders to promote a public-private sector dialogue on the future of financial infrastructure.
The summit will feature:
Private Event
MUFG FinTech Festival*
The inaugural Layer One Summit by the Global Layer One Organisation convenes central banks, regulators, regulated financial institutions, and technology leaders to promote a public-private sector dialogue on the future of financial infrastructure.
The summit will feature:
Insights Forum
Networking Receptions*
Network with central bankers, regulators, policymakers, industry leaders, technologists, and investors at the daily networking reception, open to all Forum attendees!
UOB FinLab's GreenTech Accelerator
*By invite-only
Brian Armstrong, Co-founder & CEO, Coinbase
Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore
Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum & Researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, Ethereum Foundation
Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum & Researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, Ethereum Foundation
Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, CEO, Capital A
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO, Paytm
"Like the festival of light that calls us to spread light over darkness, hope and happiness over despair, this festival calls us to come together in pursuit of a better future for Humanity."
Shri Narendra Modi,
Prime Minister of India
Kristalina Georgieva,
IMF Managing Director
"As the Singapore FinTech Festival demonstrates year after year, innovation in money and payments is moving at a rapid pace. And often with the goal to rethink how we use money..."
Agustín Carstens,
General Manager, Bank for International Settlements
"The true spirit of the FinTech Festival - opening doors to new digital futures; hoisting sails to the winds of change."
Christine Lagarde,
President of the European Central Bank
The Festival
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