Chalee Asavathiratham, SEVP, Chief Digital Officer

Siam Commercial Bank

Chalee Asavathiratham joined Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) in April 2020, and is currently the senior executive vice president (SEVP) and chief digital banking officer. Asavathiratham has extensive working experience at leading local and foreign companies. Prior to joining SCB, he was the chief research officer at WorldQuant, in charge of researching teams and data scientists in 14 countries worldwide.

He also served as the portfolio manager at Merrill Lynch, New York, and Sun Trading in Chicago, responsible for quantitative trading. He was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in Bangkok and London and analytics engineer at Pivotal Systems Corporation. Asavathiratham was awarded a King’s Scholarship for his undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees, all in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lito Villanueva,
EVP and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)

Lito Villanueva is executive vice president (EVP) and chief innovation and inclusion officer at RCBC. He is also concurrently chief digital transformation advisor of the Yuchengco Group of Companies. Under Villanueva’s leadership, RCBC received six global digital awards during the pandemic and was recognised as the Philippines’ best digital bank. Villanueva also created and launched DiskarTech – the country’s first and only Tagalog and English (Taglish) inclusion super app with over three million downloads in three months after its launch. Villanueva is the Philippines’ leading and award- winning thought leader on digital transformation and inclusive digital finance. He has over 20 years of experience in banking, telecommunications, payments, development finance, and financial technology. He has received over 50 global and regional awards, including being one of the Top 100 FinTech Leaders in Asia. He is also founding chairman of FinTech Alliance.ph and has released various publications including the award-winning three-volume Inclusive Digital Finance Report and the Uncharted Beyond: The Taxonomy of FinTech in the Philippines.

David Jimenez Maireles, Chief Experience Officer and Deputy CEO, TNEX

David Jimenez Maireles is the chief experience officer and deputy chief executive officer at TNEX, a digital-only bank. He is focused on making it the first lifestyle digital banking platform for young people, changing the way customers access day-to-day services with ‘invisible’ banking products and lifestyle services that enhance customer experience.

Maireles has built his reputation through leading digital banks, innovation projects and scaling up business-to-customer and business-to-business products in Europe, US and Southeast Asia. He is a speaker, blogger and one of the leading FinTech influencers since 2015. He is also a fintech and financial inclusion practitioner, with more than 15 years of insight across product and customer experience, design, marketing and behavioural economics.

John Gong, Professor and VP-Research and Strategy, University of International Business and Economics - Israel, and a China Forum expert

John Gong currently is the vice president of research and strategy at University of International Business and Economics in Israel. He is also a professor, researcher and expert in the fields of finance, international trade, antitrust, patent dispute and competition policies. He serves as an expert consultant at the Ministry of Commerce’s Antitrust Bureau in China, and acted as the chief architect of the Bureau’s national competition database project. Meanwhile, he is serving as an academic affiliate with Global Economics Group, a leading global economics consulting firm based in the US. He is also the principal author for the China section of the policy position paper by the BRICS New World Bank’s steering committee during its foundation time. He is also a renowned op-ed columnist for several leading newspapers including the South China Morning Post, Global Times and China Global Television Network, on economic and political issues.

John Wong, Managing Director, Head of Global Payments Solutions Hang Seng Bank

John Wong is currently responsible for Hang Seng wholesale banking cash management business and strategy with coverage across sales, product management, digital banking channel development and client implementation. With over 30 years of experience in the banking industry, his specialization lies in transaction banking. Prior to joining Hang Seng Bank in 2015, Wong spent 25 years with Standard Chartered Hong Kong and China. He has successful career span in leading business transformation and managing changes effectively. He is an experienced leader with a background in commercial banking, and is adept at working with people from diverse backgrounds. He was named Transaction Banker of the Year by The Asian Banker in 2018.

Kanokporn Jootar, Deputy Chief and Head of Domestic Transaction Banking, ttb bank

Kanokporn Jootar has over 20 years of combined experiences in transaction banking and financial & technology consulting. She is a seasoned professional who understands the intricacies of both worlds and leverages this knowledge to drive financial well-being for clients. At ttb, Jootar is responsible for providing innovative transaction banking solutions to corporate and SME clients, helping them optimize their cash management and improve operational efficiency and stakeholder well-being. To stay ahead of the curve, ttb is constantly looking for new ways to innovate and improve the transaction banking experience for clients. This includes leveraging technologies and partnerships to develop new products and services that can help clients stay ahead of the competition.

Sam Tanskul, Managing Director, Krungsri Finnovate

Sam is the Managing Director of Krungsri Finnovate. A subsidiary of Krungsri to fully lead on Fintech/ Startup in Thailand and the region, with the key focus in 3 areas, accelerator & academic collaboration, startup project management, and corporate venture capital for Krungsri Group under MUFG with a focus on technological innovation investment in Thailand and ASEAN. He is also one of the board members of Thai Fintech Association. Prior to his current role at Krungsri Finnovate, Sam has over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry with several leading organizations including UOB, GE Capital and Krungsri Consumer, in the area of product management and innovation. Since 2014, he has joined Thailand’s startup ecosystem, as one of the core members behind the success of ‘Krungsri Uni Startup’ a platform for the young, creative generation to develop financial mobile applications in pursuit of their aspiration to be professional startups - and ‘Krungsri Rise’, the first fintech corporate accelerator in Thailand.

Steven Beck, Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance
Asian Development Bank

Steven Beck has over 15 years of experience as Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He established the first authoritative source of default and loss data in trade financing, reshaping the regulatory treatment of trade finance and freeing up billions in additional financing capacity. Beck launched ADB's analysis on global unmet demand for trade finance, highlighting the need to create transformative benefits for small businesses in developing Asia. He drives ADB's digitalization efforts in global trade, leading the creation of the Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) and promoting gender equality by conducting a gender audit of ADB's partner commercial banks. He serves on industry bodies, including the Governing Board of the DSI and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Working Group for Trade Finance and others. Beck is a member of Advisory Council of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, providing strategic advice on international accounting and sustainability reporting standards.

John Howard D. Medina, Chief Operating Officer, PBCOM

John Medina is the Chief Operating Officer of the Philippine Bank of Communications. He has more than 25 years of experience driving innovation, change and transformation for financial services in different countries.

He was a pioneer in the process and technology management practice in the 1990s when he helped transform the Asia Pacific operations of one of the largest multinational banks. He subsequently established a private consulting firm in the United States, helping design new digital business initiatives for financial institutions and startups.

Prior to joining PBCOM, he was the Head of Global Operations, Technology and Credit for the Philippine National Bank. He was also the Integration Director who oversaw the merger of Philippine National Bank and Allied Banking Corporation in 2013. Medina also worked at Union Bank of the Philippines where he conceptualised and implemented digital banking products and services.

Noppachai Tungsinpulchai, Head of Information Technology Risk Management, Krung Thai Bank

Noppachai Tungsinpulchai has an extensive experience in financial budgeting control, risk management, technology implementation, process improvement and internal control for over 10 years for financial service institution and large multinational Companies. He actively drive business to achieve the business result and monitoring the goal both financial operation and regulatory compliance.

Pepjin Kok, CISO & Head of Cyber Security, AIS

Pepjin Kok is the CISO and Head of Cyber Security of AIS, Thailand’s biggest telecommunications group. Pepjin has an extensive experience in cybersecurity, risk management, IT governance and compliance. He has led large international projects, devised international policies and operating models for governance and compliance, and supported the implementation of new technologies in a secure manner. He has serviced finance organisations, but he has also supported manufacturing, petrochemical, telecom and utilities sectors.

Henry Aguda, President and CEO, UnionDigital Bank

Prior to joining UnionDigital Bank, Henry was Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer of UnionBank of the Philippines. Currently, he is President and CEO, UnionDigital Bank and also the Chairman of the Board of UBX Philippines. Henry has received numerous accolades from the Philippine National Privacy Commission and The European Global Banking and Finance Awards. Henry also leads the Private Sector Advisory Council’s (PSAC) Digital Infrastructure Group, whose main advocacy, GoDigitalPilipinas, aims to recognize private sector support of digitization in government agencies.

Adisorn Hatairatana, Head of Consumer Credit Risk Management & Technology, Krungsri

Adisorn Hatairatana is currently the head of consumer credit risk model development & technology at Krungsri. Prior to Krungsri, Adisorn was the director of quantitative risk management at Mnementh Analytics, a fintech startup, building a CECL software solution (Janus) and provided model development advisory services to one of the largest monoline credit card providers in the US among others. He also has a wide range of banking experience from community banks, regional banks, and a global bank. He was in market risk analytics at SS&C GlobeOp, a Long-Term Capital Management legacy, supporting chief risk officers from large hedge funds clients.

Paul Ark, Venture Partner, The Radical Fund

Paul is a venture capitalist focusing on sustainability, and is a Venture Partner at The Radical Fund, an early stage VC firm with an investment mandate towards climate mitigation and adaptation in Southeast Asia. His previous venture capital experiences include Partner & Head of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) at Gobi Partners, a pan-Asian venture capital firm with over US$1.5 billion of assets under management, and launching and managing Digital Ventures, Siam Commercial Bank’s US$100 million global corporate venture capital fund. He spent the early part of his career as an investment banker, working on IPOs, acquisitions, and private equity deals for global banks Deutsche Bank and Citigroup in Asia and New York, as well as boutique advisors Tonson Capital and Blackwood Ventures in Southeast Asia.

Theo Priestley, Author of “The Future Starts Now” and global Technology Futurist

Theo is a globally recognised and sought-after futurist and international speaker, author, and authority on the future of business, technology, and society focusing on the convergence of emerging trends, including Web3, Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence. He is widely known and sought after for his forthright views on the negative impacts of technology on society and currently works to inform political and business leaders of the risks and benefits of adoption.

Theo has been listed as a Top 100 global technology influencer and thought leader on the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Fintech multiple years in a row. He has worked with some of the biggest names in tech and business including SAP, Siemens, Bosch, Software AG, AON, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise - consulting, speaking for, and advising on strategic foresight, and emerging technologies. He has mentored a number of startup accelerators including the HTC ViveX VR incubator and Alchemist, one of Silicon Valley's Top 10.

He is the author of “The Future Starts Now”. He has published more than 300 articles on topics including Web3, Artificial Intelligence, Space, Blockchain, Metaverse, and Mixed Reality, for Forbes, the European, WIRED, Huffington Post, and more. He has also contributed op-eds to VentureBeat, GigaOM, and The Times Raconteur, and has been interviewed for radio and national television news on technology trends.

Arvid Swartsenburg, Head of Digital Strategy & Transformation, TMRW Digital Group, UOB

Arvid Swartsenburg is a senior banker with over two decades experience as a financial services practitioner and consultant across Europe, US, Africa and Asia. Arvid currently is Head of Digital Strategy & Transformation for UOB where he supports the wider banks’ vision to build the future of ASEAN leveraging digital to disrupt the conventional banking model.

From 2010 to 2020, Arvid was a Principal at Arete Financial Partners, a boutique Management Consultancy focused on supporting financial services clients manage change. In this role, Arvid led a wide range of complex projects across Asia and Africa focused on Strategy, O&T, digital transformation, risk management and M&A. From 2000 to 2010 he worked at Citi’s Global Consumer Business across the US, Europe and Asia, where he held a variety of senior roles across product, channel, sales & distribution, wealth management & strategy.

Arvid is passionate about digital transformation & innovation and how this is increasingly changing the way we work, live and play. He has gained extensive experience in working with a wide range of FinTechs and startups in his consulting role and remains an investor, mentor and advisor across various startups globally.

Marc Recker, Global Head of Product, Institutional Cash Management, Deutsche Bank

Marc Recker is Global Head of Product, Institutional Cash Management (ICM), at Deutsche Bank where he is responsible for the strategic development and positioning of cash clearing products for Deutsche Bank globally. The ICM Product function is an integral component of the bank’s franchise in terms of strategic direction, product development well as identifying and executing growth opportunities. Recker has been engaged in the financial services industry since 1998 and represents Deutsche Bank in various industry forums/working groups.

David Cooper, Managing Director, Workflow Solutions Head APAC, Deutsche Bank

Based in Singapore, David Cooper runs the Workflow Solutions (WFS) business for the Asia Pacific region. He is responsible for delivering cross border solutions to the Bank´s clients across the Asian markets, utilising robotic process automation to meet client’s treasury objectives across payments, liquidity, FX and documentation. Cooper and his team focus on delivery of technology led, highly scalable solutions for global clients from corporate, financial institution and financial technology segments. He started his career in software sales, followed by mobile technology enabled Micro Finance programs in Indonesia and Philippines and then Telecoms. He has been in Asia for 18 years, 12 of which with Deutsche Bank, working and living across several ASEAN markets prior to Singapore.

Pratyush Khare, Vice President, Systems Engineering, Asia Pacific & Japan Pure Storage

Pratyush Khare is Vice President, Systems Engineering for Pure Storage in Asia Pacific & Japan. He leads a team of systems engineers across the region that provide pre-sales support to customers that are looking for modern data solutions in their digital transformation journeys.

Pratyush joined Pure from Hitachi Vantara where he was the Field CTO and head of pre-sales in the Asia Pacific. With more than 20 years’ experience as a senior executive and technical consultant in enterprise technology, he has worked with leading cloud, infrastructure, software, and applications companies across the Americas, APAC and India. He has a strong track record of helping customers solve complex technology challenges.

Sanphet Sukhapesna, Head of Integrated Risk Management and Analytics, Kasikornbank

Sanphet Sukhapesna is currently the Head of Integrated Risk Management and Analytics at Kasikornbank. His current responsibilities include establishing risk appetite statement/metric and risk limit as well as risk policies with the integration with strategic/business planning, and capital planning processes. He has been responsible for developing innovative transmission-mechanism analytics for scenario analytics/stress testing to better assess impact from unconventional systemic shock including recent pandemic crisis. In addition, he has played crucial roles in developing innovative credit risk analytics and transforming end-to-end credit processes corresponding to customers increasingly relying on digital/mobile platforms. Sanphet is also responsible for preparing the bank’s readiness for new regulatory landscape including IFRS9 and the revision of Basel III.

Mir Arshaduddin, Executive Director, Head of Consumer Business Operational Risk & Control, UOB Thailand

As the Head of Consumer Business Operational Risk & Control at UOB Thailand, Mir Arshaduddin is responsible for overseeing the operational risk and control for asset products (ANR US$ 2.6 Bn) and insurance products (AUM US$ 1.6Bn). With a wealth of experience in the banking industry spanning over 25 years, he has in-depth knowledge of strategic and operational levels, with a specific focus on retail bank sales & distribution, branch operations, operational risk & controls, regulatory compliance, AML & KYC processes, credit risk operations, collections and fraud risk Management. In additional to his current role, he has held regional and country leadership roles in Singapore, Indonesia, Russia and India.

Gaitri Sharma, CRO, Group Global Banking, Maybank

Gaitri Sharma is currently the Chief Risk Officer, Group Global Banking in Maybank. Her role as CRO is to drive the multi-pillar risk spanning from credit, operational, market, liquidity, sustainability and governance frameworks across the region.

She has over 25 years of global experience in various risk, compliance and technology management roles in the financial services industry where she has successfully shaped and aligned business strategies and risk appetite. Prior to that, Gaitri was with AT&T for 8 years in data risk management with experience in product, program and process management.

Suresh Ramasamy, Former Head of Group IT Security Hong Leong Group

Ts. Dr. Suresh Ramasamy is the Chief Research Officer (CISO) at the Center for Advanced Computing and Telecommunications (CACT). Currently, he is pursuing a second PhD at the Malaysian University of Science & Technology, focusing on Cyber Threat Intelligence, an emerging field, and how Artificial Intelligence aids in attribution issues.

Previously, Ramasamy served as the Head of Group IT Security for Hong Leong Group, overseeing 6 countries and 5 entities across the Hong Leong Financial Group. During his tenure, he successfully led the bank's digital transformation, leveraging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, and Digitalization. Prior to that, Ramasamy held multiple positions at Digi Telecommunications, spanning to Telenor Asia. He built the infrastructure hub in Malaysia specifically for the Asian OpCos as the Chief Privacy Officer and spearheaded the initiative to comply with the Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act. He also served as the Head of Security Operations at Maxis, overseeing the Maxis group's cybersecurity deployment.

Rajesh Mehra, Practice Lead - SCF, Trade & TB,
IFC - FIG Advisory Services
IFC - International Finance Corporation

Rajesh Mehra is the Practice Lead for Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Financial Institutions Group covering Asia and Pacific at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. In this role, he leads client engagements and advisory projects covering Supply Chain Finance, Trade, and Transaction Banking across the region. Based in Bangkok, he currently supports the development of SCF business in the APAC through IFC’s Advisory and Investment projects with FIs in the region. With over 30 years of experience in Corporate Banking, Trade, and Supply Chain Finance, Product Management, and Operations primarily with Standard Chartered Bank, Mehra is a seasoned Transaction Banker. He has worked in leadership roles in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa managing business across a wide footprint. He specializes in Open Account Trade, Documentary Trade, Receivable Purchases, Distributor and Supplier Finance Solutions, Structured Warehouse Financing, and SME Banking.

Barney Frank, Former Chairman of House Financial Services Committee, United States Congress

Congressman Barney Frank is the former chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee between the turbulent global financial crisis years of 2007–2011. As one of the sponsors of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, also known as the Dodd-Frank legislation, his efforts at closing the gaps in financial oversight such as creating a financial stability council, finding ways to liquidate systemically important firms, and strengthening the financial system against further shocks, were crucial for the recovery of the US financial services industry. Congressman Frank is also credited with many grassroot initiatives, including creating a low-income housing tax credit in the 1980s. He is widely respected by chairmen and CEOs of banks in the US, regulators, and fellow lawmakers.

Sonja Davidovic, Advisor, Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Deputy Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

Sonja Davidovic is currently an Adviser at the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub (BISIH) Singapore, leading the Hub’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) work. In this position, she co-leads project Mariana and also leads the post-Dunbar multi-lateral CBDC arrangement work. Davidovic is seconded from the Monetary Authority of Singapore while on leave from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the IMF, she worked as an Economist and Digital Expert on Transformative Technologies. She provided capacity building, policy recommendations and technical advice to IMF member countries on digital currencies, including CBDCs.

In addition to numerous analytical and research papers on financial technology and digital currencies, she has also contributed to the analytical work for the G20 agenda to enhance cross-border payments. Prior to joining the BIS, Davidovic worked as Market Infrastructure Expert on the digital euro investigation phase at the European Central Bank (ECB).

QAMAR SALEEM, Head, Financial Services Advisory APAC International Finance Corporation, IFC

Qamar Saleem is the Head of Financial Services Advisory, Financial Institutions Group for Asia and Pacific at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. In this role, Qamar leads IFC’s Financial Institutions advisory services business driving client engagements spanning across 30 countries aimed at providing client solutions in sustainability, climate change and digital context. The key Practices are focused on sustainability, ESG and climate change; digital bank transformation and digit bank set-up; financial sector resilience, risk, and governance; Trade, Transaction Banking and Supply Chain Finance; Social Impact advisory focused on MSMEs, gender equality and housing.

Qamar has 30 years of global financial services experience having worked across over 60 countries managing large business lines, leading business transformations, and implementing performance improvement solutions across a broad range of financial services while leading large multi-cultural and cross-functional teams. Prior to joining IFC, Qamar was associated with international organizations like HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank as well as large regional banks while serving in several emerging markets.

Alicia García-Herrero, Chief Economist, Asia Pacific Natixis

Alicia García Herrero is the Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis CIB. She is also a Director with the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). She serves as Senior Fellow at the Brussels-based European think-tank BRUEGEL and a non-resident Senior Follow at the East Asian Institute (EAI) of the National University Singapore (NUS). She is also Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Finally, Alicia is a Member of the Council of Advisors on Economic Affairs to the Spanish Government and an advisor to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s research arm (HKIMR) among other advisory and teaching positions.

Colin Richard Dinn, Chief Information Technology and Digital Transformation Officer, Vietcombank

Colin has worked across financial services, consulting and vendor management in Asia and Europe. His role in VCB is to drive the transformation of the business to leverage digital and data ‘leap-frogging’ the traditional evolution, and positioning the bank to exploit new digital and data business models alongside the traditional banking capability.

Prior to this, Colin has worked across several transformations in different Asian markets with a mandate to revamp the technology and operations capability, while driving through a transformation agenda. These included roles within a major consultancy as well as in the ‘C’ Suite, leveraging technology to exploit the new market capability. He was the CTO and Head of Operations of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB).

Previously, Colin was Group Executive for ANZ assigned with overall delivery responsibility to build a new wholly-owned ANZ subsidiary bank ANZ Thai in 9 months. This encompassed all aspects of the business and technical design, as well as property and resourcing with the final regulatory approval. Other roles in ANZ included strategic planning and solution de-livery, design and build of a regional-based retail and corporate banking model.

Colin has worked in Asia for 29 years, with various roles such as Managing Director of Fidelity Information Systems and Head of IT Strategy of Standard Chartered. Early in his career, he worked at HSBC (Midland Bank) in the UK covering technical and business roles.

Axel Winter, Technology Leader; former Global Head of Enterprise Architecture & Technology Strategy for Standard Chartered Bank

Axel Winter is a highly experienced technology leader with strong hands-on experiences in the banking, retail and startup worlds. He was previously Global Head of Enterprise Architecture & Technology Strategy for Standard Chartered Bank and had similar roles at GE Money and Cisco Systems. He also had consulting roles at Accenture and Deloitte. He recently founded a corporate startup that partnered with Grab and JD.Com, two leading platforms operating across the Asia Pacific region. He currently serves as Chief Digital Officer for a luxury mall operator and is also a venture partner and advisor to startups in the asset tokenisation and eCommerce space which keeps him at the frontiers of the digital world. Axel is also an advisor to a special-purpose acquisition company in Singapore and contributed to the world’s second largest retail IPO in 2020.

Takeshi Kito, Vice-chair, Fintech Association of Japan and Committee Member, Government of Japan's Regulatory Sandbox

Takeshi is a Fintech entrepreneur, and Vice-chair of Fintech Association of Japan and leads international partnerships. Aside from those activities, he sits on a committee for the Government of Japan's Regulatory Sandbox and an experts’ group of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for cross-border transfers of data. Prior to establishing his own startup, he worked for Merrill Lynch as an investment banker and has 12 years’ experience in capital markets in total. Before joining Merrill Lynch, he worked at Boston Consulting Group.

Tim Scheffmann, CEO, LTS Ventures

Tim Scheffmann is the chief executive officer of LTS Ventures, a Southeast Asian fintech company based in Vientiane, Laos. He leads LTS in running one of the largest shared microfinance platforms in the region. It is based on distributed ledger technology with online and offline capability and serves over 225,000 client accounts and 858 village banks. Scheffmann has worked on digital financial inclusion in Southeast Asia over 11 years. He was previously a regional director for a blockchain company and assumed chief roles in mobile money, remittance and payments startups. Having worked with Credit Suisse from 2008 to 2012 in almost every financial hub across the world including Frankfurt, Zürich, London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore, Scheffmann managed global projects valued at more than $25 million. Prior to Credit Suisse, he was IBM’s executive business consultant on global projects in the financial sector.

Kumardev Chatterjeen, Metaverse Mastermind, Technology Thought-Leader; Member of INTERPOL Expert Group on Metaverse

Kumardev Chatterjee is a globally known Metaverse Mastermind, Industry thought-leader and expert on Web3, AI and a range of technology areas, a serial tech innovator, founder and entrepreneur, and futurist in technology, author, speaker and investor. He is an Expert of the World Economic Forum, Research and Innovation Independent Expert at the European Commission, Official Member of the INTERPOL Expert Group on the Metaverse, and Official Advisory Board Member to the Government of Finland for their National Metaverse Strategy.

Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of strategy, deep tech and executive leadership experience at start-ups and Fortune 500s across Europe, USA and Asia and has been responsible for more than 100 MN USD in total sales, revenue, delivery and P&L across different geographies, organisations, and roles. During 2021-2022 at NEOM, he was the co-founder the multi-billion-dollar NEOM Cognitive Metaverse. He advises and works closely with governments, official institutions, Fortune 100 companies and startups, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Family Offices and UHNWs, and mainstream media on metaverse, web3, AI, smart cities, innovation and Investments. He was named one of the most innovative global AI executives by Analytics Insight magazine and inducted into the prestigious Progress 1000 list of London’s most influential leaders in technology. Mr. Chatterjee is co-author of Digital Minds for a New Europe.

Howard Davies, Chairman, NatWest Group
Former Chairman, Financial Services Authority, UK

Sir Howard Davies is the chairman of NatWest Group, one of the largest players in the UK financial services industry. He was instrumental in restoring the bank to profitability, strengthening its capital position, and introducing new products and services.

Prior to this, he was the founding chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). During his time at the FSA from 1997 to 2003, Davies led initiatives aimed at enhancing financial stability, consumer protection, and promoting a well-regulated financial sector in the UK.

Davies has been a member of the International Advisory Council of the China Banking Regulatory Commission since 2003 and chairman of the International Advisory Council of the China Securities Regulatory Commission since 2012. He chairs the Risk Committee at Prudential and serves as a member of the Regulatory and Compliance Advisory Board of Millennium Management, a hedge fund based in New York with more than $50 billion in assets under management.

At The Asian Banker Future of Finance Summit, Davies will share his insights on the future of finance in a digital world, the impact of geopolitical conflict and deglobalisation, as well as the threat posed by climate change to global economic growth and the world order.

Jirayut Srupsrisopa, Founder and Group CEO, Bitkub Capital Group

Jirayut (Topp) Srupsrisopa is a renowned figure in the blockchain and digital asset industry, serving as the Founder and Group CEO of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Co., Ltd., the most prominent and trusted blockchain and digital asset group of companies in Thailand. With over 8 years of extensive experience, he has established himself as one of Thailand's foremost experts in bitcoin and open blockchain technologies. Prior to his current role, he successfully founded Coins.co.th, Thailand's largest bitcoin wallet company. Under Jirayut's visionary leadership, Bitkub has achieved remarkable milestones, emerging as Thailand's Unicorn startup within a remarkable three-year timeframe since its inception in 2018. In recognition of his expertise and contributions, he holds key positions in notable organizations, including Executive Board Member and Vice President at the Thai Fintech Association, as well as a Subcommittee member at Thailand's Office of the Trade Competition Commission.

Eli Shoshani, Head of APAC, Bottomline Technologies

Eli Shoshani is the Head of APAC for Bottomline. Based in Singapore for the last 18 years, he is leading the sales team and managing the overall Bottomline business in the region. With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the financial technology industry within Asia, the UK, and South Africa, Shoshani has participated in numerous industry events across Asia as a keynote speaker focusing on growing market trends and innovation in the ASEAN financial landscape. Prior to Bottomline, he held several senior management positions in other financial technology firms such as Finastra, D+H, and Fundtech.

Ng Poh Yee, Head of Corporate Trade Sales, Financial Supply Chain Management, Group Transaction Banking, UOB

Poh-Yee joined UOB in 2017 to head corporate trade sales and financial supply chain management under group transaction banking, based in Singapore. She brings over 20 years of banking experience drawn from different international banks. In her current role, she is responsible for driving the business strategy. In addition, she leads a team in supporting clients across MNCs, regional large corporates to small medium sized businesses to capture trade opportunities, mitigate payment and collection risk and manage their working capital requirements.

Kelvin Teo, Co-Founder and Group CEO
Funding Societies | Modalku

Kelvin Teo is the co-founder and Group CEO of Funding Societies | Modalku. He has been a key member of the Singapore FinTech Association’s Digital Finance Subcomm since 2018 and recently named by the Association as among the Top 12 Fintech Leaders in Singapore in 2020. As one of the Top 200 FinTech Influencers in Asia, Teo has spoken at major conferences such as LendIt Shanghai, Boao Hainan and Money20/20. He has also been featured on Bloomberg, BBC and Business Times. Prior to this, Teo served as a consulting professional at KKR, McKinsey and Accenture.

Phattharaphon Ratanasuvan, SVP, Trade Finance Product, Bangkok Bank PCL

Phattharaphon Ratanasuvan is a highly accomplished trade finance professional with over 25 years of experience. He is currently looking after Trade Product Management at Bangkok Bank, where he leads the efforts in driving trade business as well as trade digitization and innovation. He has been at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the trade industry and has played a key role in the successful implementation of several trade digitization projects. He is known for his in-depth knowledge and insights into the latest trends and developments in the field. Prior to this, he held several Trade Finance positions at Siam Commercial Bank and Citibank Thailand.

Henky Sulistyo, Managing Director, CRO, CIMB Niaga

Henky Sulistyo is an experienced risk professional in the banking industry, with 25 years of expertise in credit (wholesale & retail), asset & liability, market, operational, and enterprise risk management. He relocated to Indonesia in 2012, after spending a decade working in Singapore for global and regional banks, primarily focusing on the Asian market. Henky is a certified financial risk manager by GARP.

Johnson Poh, Chief Data Officer, Group Executive VPBank

Johnson Poh is currently chief data officer and group executive at VPBank, based in Vietnam. He has been a practicing data scientist for the past decade, with experience spanning across finance, consulting and government sectors. His prior professional appointments include being head of enterprise AI and data at UOB Group; head of data science / practice lead at DBS Bank; chief data scientist of ASEAN region at Booz Allen Hamilton and head of data science / principal data scientist at Ministry of Defence, Singapore. He also serves as an adjunct faculty at Singapore Management University (SMU).

Kanishk Upadhyay, EVP, Head Liabilities, Cards and Payments, Techcombank (TCB)

Kanishk Upadhyay has 18 years of experience successfully managing retail banks, strategy, and digital transformation, including new business launches and restructuring across ASEAN, and South Asia. He has been leading the digital and payments transformation for banks, driving multiple large implementations through agile at scale, working with fintech partners and vendors. He is adept at conceptualisation and leading the creation of neo digital bank (BaaS), bringing together diverse industry leaders and technology partners to create a winning offering.

Roongthip Angkasirisan, Managing Director, Country Head of Credit & Risk Management, UOB Thailand

Roongthip Angkasirisan currently serves as the managing director of United Overseas Bank (Thai) Public Company Limited (“UOBT”). With almost 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Roongthip is responsible for overseeing and supervising the credit approval and risk management functions of the bank. Her role covers a range of areas, including credit underwriting, credit risk, market and balance sheet risk, operational risk, collection, and asset management. She has championed new initiatives within UOBT, such as IRB implementation, stress test, ESG, risk culture, and more.

Ng Ying Zhong, VP of Product, Cake Group

Ng Ying Zhong is the VP of Product at Cake Group, a leading digital asset innovator in Southeast Asia. Cake Group empowers investors through secure and transparent decentralized finance (DeFi) services, with its core businesses - Cake DeFi and Levain.

As an accomplished VP, Ying Zhong has transformed Cake Group into a product-led organization. With a team of over 50 professionals, he fosters innovation, drives growth, and develops advanced solutions across key product verticals and the research arm.

Before joining Cake Group, Ying Zhong founded successful startups focused on leveraging AI and automation for enhanced efficiency and outcomes. His entrepreneurial spirit, ability to identify opportunities, create value, and lead teams in dynamic environments have been key to his success. In 2022, he was recognized as a Singapore Fintech Leader Under 30 for his significant contributions to the fintech space.

Supakorn Kungpisdan, Chapter President, Cybersecurity & Governance, Thailand Chief Information Officer Association

Supakorn Kungpisdan is the chapter president of The Thailand Chief Information Officer Association (TCIOA). He has more than 22 years of experience in cybersecurity as a researcher, system integrator, lecture, and head of cybersecurity of leading organisations in various industries including banking, finance and government agencies.

Jose Antonio Pastoral, Business Head, Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

Jose Antonio "J.A." Pastoral is a distinguished banking expert and the Business Head for Trade and Supply Chain Finance at the Bank of the Philippine Islands(BPI). With a specialization in Transaction Banking, he possesses expertise in Cash Management and Trade and Supply Chain Finance. Pastoral holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the esteemed Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines.

Phitha Tanpairoj, Head of Products, Transaction Banking, Krungsri

Phitha Tanpairoj is the Head of Products, Transaction Banking at Krungsri. He is a product development executive with a strong focus on digital transformation and payment solutions. After joining Krungsri in 2019, he helped launch several B2B2C digital payment solutions, QR cross border in Japan and actively participated in Thailand’s digital payment initiatives. Prior to his current position at Krungsri, Phitha had more than 20 years of experience working in the tech and financial service industry with several leading organizations in the field of solution delivery, digital banking and found two successful startups.

Yi Shuen Chin, Director, Global Strategy and Solutions, APJ, Pure Storage

Yi Shuen Chin is the Director, Strategy and Solutions, APJ. In this role, he manages a team of technical specialists across Asia Pacific that help Pure Storage’s customers turn data into business advantage. Chin has more than 20 years of experience in technology, particularly around Content Delivery Networks, Storage and Cloud Services. He also has a proven track record in building out technical services teams across Asia Pacific. Prior to Pure Storage, He worked at Limelight Networks where he was responsible for the pre-sales Solutions Engineering team in Asia Pacific and Japan as well as more than 10 years in regional roles at Akamai Technologies.

Thadpong Pongthawornkamol, Managing Director and Head of Machine Learning, KASIKORN Business Technology Group (KBTG)

Thadpong Pongthawornkamol is a Managing director and head of Machine Learning team at Kasikorn Business-Technology Group (KBTG), Thailand. Under his lead, the team of data scientists, machine learning engineers, and AI research engineers has been using Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI to transform the organization. So far, the team has made technical accomplishment on many fronts such as advanced marketing analytics, deep image processing, and Thai natural language processing (Thai NLP). Prior to his current job, Dr. Pongthawornkamol has spent his adventurous years in US, working as a Software Engineer in a variety of Wall Street and Silicon Valley technology companies including Bloomberg and Google. His main interests include data analytics, artificial intelligence, and software engineering best practices.

Mike Breen, Head of Sales, Standard Chartered nexus

Mike Breen is the Head of Sales for Standard Chartered nexus, a Banking-as-a-Service proposition by Standard Chartered. Based in Singapore, Mike has been leading go to market strategy and customer engagement for the white-label plug and play banking solution with a vision to redefine the banking experience for customers globally by digitally marrying ecosystems to banks. The first market is Indonesia, where the Bank has announced two partners, Bukalapak and Sociolla, with further plans to expand in the region. Mike has led sales and product organisations from start-ups to enterprise over the last 15 years. He has worked in several hypergrowth businesses which were ultimately acquired by larger organisations. Most recently, Mike was at Mastercard Asia Pacific where he was responsible for delivering numerous new multimarket initiatives such as network tokenization for mobile wallets, digital only onboarding experiences and industry standard e-commerce checkout flows. Prior to that, Mike has held multi-dimensional roles in Financial Services and Telecommunications delivering on next generation digital consumer experiences. He has worked in the UK, Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

Sundeep Rawal, Senior Director Asia Pacific, Euronet

Sundeep brings to the table more than two decades of distinguished leadership experience in the payments industry and high-end tech solution consulting across a wide range of products including hardware, software, and enterprise applications, as well as services encompassing outsourcing and consulting. His remarkable expertise lies in providing strategic solution consultations to C-suite executives, translating conceptual ideas into captivating investment prospects. Having spent nine successful years at Euronet, Sundeep has also made significant contributions to other esteemed organizations such as ACI, IBM, ICICI Bank, Electracard, and Tata Teleservices. His unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results and his ability to navigate complex challenges have earned him a reputable standing in the industry. Sundeep's profound leadership acumen, combined with his comprehensive domain knowledge and unwavering dedication to excellence, has positioned him as a trusted advisor and sought-after expert in the payments and technology sectors.

Peter D. Finn, Co-founder and CEO, Synectify

Peter Finn, PhD, National University of Singapore (NUS) and King’s College London (KCL) is a blockchain expert and early AI adopter with over twenty-five years of information technology experience. He has lectured on blockchain and business transformation at Singapore Management University (SMU) and developed IBF-accredited courses for industry professionals. His broad academic and industry experience covers both theoretical and technical disciplines ranging from political theory and classical philosophy to software development, decentralised finance, systems engineering, aviation, marine operations, and renewable energy. He is a serial entrepreneur, confident leader, passionate educator, and life-long learner.

TS Shankar, Asia Representative, BAFT

Shankar is a consummate professional with over three decades of experience in financial services across banks. Non-banks, FinTech's and now with BAFT, (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, a 103-year-old advocacy organization for Trade and Payments). He has worked in Global and regional responsibilities including the US, Singapore, and India in various leadership roles in sales and product development. Currently based in Singapore, Shankar’s remit includes all of Asia Pacific where BAFT constituents are based.

A keen follower of developments across the banking industry with a specific focus on transaction banking, Shankar has also invested in and advices Fintechs, working with bright minds with brilliant ideas.

Yap Kwee Hong, Managing Director, Head of Global Trade Finance, OCBC Bank

Yap Kwee Hong is Managing Director and Head of Global Trade Finance in OCBC Bank where she is responsible for strategic development and building the bank’s trade franchise. Kwee Hong has over 25 years of transaction banking experience managing teams in Trade Finance covering trade sales origination, trade product development, structured trade finance, risk distribution and working capital solutions in a regional capacity across markets and client segments from FI/MNC, large local corporates and SMEs. Prior to joining OCBC Bank, Kwee Hong spent 17 years in Citibank N.A. assuming regional and country roles in Trade Finance in various capacities including sales and product management. Her notable professional contribution included driving trade growth in Asia Pacific and was instrumental in setting up the Asia Trade Hub in Singapore. Kwee Hong has been conferred the IBF Fellow in Corporate Banking by the Institute of Banking and Finance in 2019.

Chrisada Sookdhis, Head of Data Science, AIA Thailand

Chrisada is currently Head of Data Science at AIA Thailand. He established and led successful data science departments, which excelled in delivering AI/ML solutions across a myriad of business facets. Prior roles include serving as Head of Risk Management at SCB Asset Management, overseeing USD 30+ Billion AUM. He started his career as Physicist and Lead Engineer, achieving significant revenue growth at Fabrinet. Combining technical acumen with strategic leadership, he is an influential voice in today’s data-driven financial services landscape.

Voranuch Dejakaisaya , Executive Chairman, Kasikorn Business Technology Group (KBTG)

Voranuch Dejakaisaya is an accomplished executive with over 40 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. She is presently serving as the Executive Chairman at Kasikorn Business Technology Group (KBTG). Throughout her career, Voranuch has held prestigious roles across well-established institutions. In the past, she was instrumental in the transition to digital banking and agile solutions as the Chief Information and Operations Officer (CIOO) at Siam Commercial Bank. Her expertise was also employed in her capacity as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at SCB X Public Company Limited.

Voranuch also served as the CIOO at Bank of Ayudhaya and the Chief Information Officer (SEA/IT Regional Head) at GE Capital (Thailand). Voranuch has a proven track record of achievements in innovation and technology within the banking and finance sector. She has led complex technology integrations, supported the growth strategies of organizations, and leveraged emerging technologies to deliver improved analytical insights. Her expertise and leadership have made her a respected figure in the industry, driving the digital transformation of banking operations and ensuring banks are ready for the digital era. With her deep knowledge of banking technology, Voranuch continues to contribute significantly to the growth and success of the financial sector in Thailand. Voranuch awards and recognitions include Top ranked of CIO50 technology leader in ASEAN from IDG in Y2019 and Chief Information Technology of the Year in The Asian Banker’s Business Achievement Awards 2019 event

Martin Buchholz, Advisory to CIMB Thai Consumer Digital Banking, CIMB

Martin has spent most of his career in the Financial Services and IT Services space in Asia Pacific pioneering through several waves of digital transformations. His career began in the development labs at IBM Corporation in the US and UK. After moving to Asia Pacific, he became VP and Chief of Staff at Citibank Asia Pacific Corporate Bank and later the CTO of Asia’s first Internet only bank and a founder of Internet startup Book-n-go.com during the Internet boom. Martin went on to be an advisor and managing consultant in the Financial Service and Telco industries with major engagements with banks in Singapore and Thailand as well as leading the technical build of the Continuous Link Settlement (CLS) utility for the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Martin joined CIMB in January of 2018 as Programme Manager in CIMB Fintech delivering solutions across the CIMB Group. Shortly afterward he moved to be Head CIMB Thai Consumer Digital Bank responsible for Digital initiatives as part of five-year transformation programme. And now at the end of that programme, Martin is now Advisory to CIMB Thai Consumer Digital Banking.

Venkat ES, Head of Asia Treasury Product, Global Transaction Services, Bank of America

Venkat ES is Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific (APAC) Treasury Product, Global Transaction Services, part of Global Banking & Markets (GBAM) at Bank of America. He joined Bank of America in January 2013 in Hong Kong and is responsible for developing and executing the integrated strategy for the Treasury Product for Asia Pacific (APAC) region. His role encompasses comprehensive product management, product development, strategy & innovation, risk and compliance functions for the business unit serving commercial, corporate and institutional clients. Venkat has 25+ years of experience in the financial services industry across multiple regions and geographies. Prior to joining Bank of America, most part of his earlier career was with Citibank, predominantly in Global Transaction Services (Treasury, Trade and Custody) in India, Middle East and the US across multiple functions in product, sales, client coverage, relationship management and credit in country, regional and global roles. He has served on various forums and committees of Central Banks and industry bodies, promoting digital payments.

Ashutosh Kumar, Managing Director, Head of Global Transaction Banking, Asia & Oceania Mizuho Bank

Ashutosh Kumar has over 20 years of experience in the Global Transaction Banking industry across Asia. At Mizuho, he is responsible for the strategy and execution of the business, as well as expanding its franchise in Asia. Kumar joined Mizuho from Standard Chartered, where he held many senior roles including Global Head of Working Capital; Global Head of Transaction Banking Sales, Commercial Banking and Regional Head of ASEAN & South Asia, Transaction Banking amongst others. He is also a member of the task group on Traceability and Sustainability of Supply Chains at Enterprise Singapore. Before joining Standard Chartered Bank, he worked in ABN AMRO’s Global Trade business in Asia Pacific region.

Sandeep Sethi, Consultant, Financial Services Solutions and Corporate Treasury Advisory APAC

Sandeep is an experienced Corporate and Transaction Banking Professional with over 27 years of experience across multiple countries, with the majority of that time spent in Hong Kong as the Asia-Pacific Relationship Manager for Top Global corporates. He has held leadership positions, leading cross-country and cross-functional teams in Corporate banking, Cash Management, and transaction banking operations. In his previous banking role, Sethi served as the Managing Director, Regional Corporate Coverage and APAC Coverage Sector Head for Diversified Industrials and Chemicals at Deutsche Bank. Currently, he is focusing on financial services solutions consultancy and corporate treasury advisory with a specific focus on the APAC region, leveraging his comprehensive understanding of Asia's diverse jurisdictions. Sethi is a certified expert in Sustainable finance from the Frankfurt School of Management and has also completed courses in leadership and fintech from prestigious universities such as the National University of Singapore and the London Business School.

Virag Thakkar, Regional Information Security Officer, Allianz Partners

Virag Thakkar is Regional Information Security Officer (APAC) at Allianz Partners, located in Bangkok. He has 20+ years of leadership experience in Cyber & Information Security Covering Audit Compliance, Privacy Frameworks, Risk Management & establishing Security Operations.

He received his bachelor’s degree at Gujarat University. Having Industry leading certifications like CISSP, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, PCI-SI, ITIL Foundation & Cyber Laws.

Peter Deans, Advisor, The Asian Banker Risk Management Awards Programme

Peter Deans was the former Group Chief Risk Officer of the Bank of Queensland (BOQ) in Australia and comes with a finance career of over 32 years. He has been awarded multiple times by the Australian Banking & Finance magazine for his achievements. Currently he is a Non-Executive Director of Trade for Good Pty Ltd and The Regtech Association and an advisory board member of several startups ventures. Peter is also the Creator & Founder of the 52 Risks management framework.

Shekhar Bhandari, President of Global Transaction Banking Kotak Mahindra Bank

Shekhar Bhandari is President of Global Transaction Banking at Kotak Mahindra Bank and is responsible for Technology, Digital, P&L on Trade, Foreign Exchange, Investment and Supply Chain Finance, International Trade Finance, Domestic and cross border payments culminating into liquidity and working capital solutions for the entire bank. With over 25 years of experience, he has held diverse positions of increasing responsibility across the group. He is instrumental in making Kotak synonymous with innovative and customized solutions, the latest addition being Kotak FYN - a new enterprise portal that offers comprehensive digital banking and value-added services across all products, including trade, account services, payments and collections. Bhandari is passionate about technology, and endeavors to make Banking “Simple and Fast”. Under his stewardship, the bank has strengthened capabilities in Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Signatures, Open banking, machine learning, and data analytics.