Vasileios Theodosiadis
CBDC Project Manager,...
Vasileios Theodosiadis
CBDC Project Manager, IBM, Netherlands
Vasileios Theodosiadis is a blockchain consultant and project manager at IBM, an industry associate at the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, and a member of the “Power of the Many” Working Group at 2Tokens. He advises clients, leads blockchain initiatives, and translates complex business needs to innovative, tech-driven solutions—with a particular focus on the financial industry, including projects such as tokenized central bank money for cross-border payments and tokenized bond issuance. Beyond his commercial work, Vasileios conducts academic empirical research on enterprise blockchain governance and explores how traditional organizations can drive innovation by leveraging elements of the Web3 ecosystem. He regularly shares his insights through speaking engagements and as a co-author of a book, a book chapter, and several academic publications.
Michele Poole
Founder, DeepPoole Advisory...
Michele Poole
Founder, DeepPoole Advisory | Co-Founder, Finclusiv Edge
Michele Poole is a fintech and payments leader with over 20 years of executive experience spanning financial services, payments networks, and fintech innovation. She is the Founder of DeepPoole Advisory, where her current clients include fintechs, small-business entrepreneurs, and the organization responsible for the Canadian payment ecosystem. DeepPoole Advisory helps clients navigate the evolving payments landscape, leverage AI to scale and grow, and build solutions with clarity and confidence. She is also Co-Founder of Finclusiv Edge, a Canadian non-profit building an inclusive fintech community through collaboration and thought leadership. Michele's career includes senior leadership roles at Interac Corp (Canada's national debit and near real-time payments network), National Bank of Canada, and CIBC. She has helped shape international standards and policy dialogue through various advisory roles including EMVCo, PCI Security Standards Council, and the Secure Remote Payments Council. Her expertise lies at the intersection of real-time payments, cross-border interoperability, open banking, and applied AI for SMEs, with a focus on balancing innovation, regulation, and customer trust. Michele is often a guest speaker on the future of payments and fintech, passionate about creating inclusive, resilient ecosystems that unlock value for businesses and consumers alike.
Carrie Forbes
CEO Founder Rockstar...
Carrie Forbes
CEO Founder Rockstar Advisory
Carrie Forbes is the CEO & Founder of Rockstar Advisory and Co-Founder of Finclusiv Edge, where she helps modern organizations move beyond outdated corporate playbooks to build collaborative cultures and develop leaders who drive lasting change. With deep expertise in organizational transformation and inclusive finance, she brings a global perspective to leadership, innovation, and impact. At Fintech Week & Expo Amsterdam, Carrie will moderate the panel "Women in Fintech & Inclusive Finance Leadership" under Rockstar Advisory and speak on the panel "Banking the Unbanked: Financial Inclusion through Technology" with Finclusiv Edge.
Oonagh van den Berg
CEO | Founder...
Oonagh van den Berg
CEO | Founder | Compliance Education, RAW Compliance AI, Portugal
Oonagh van den Berg is a globally recognised compliance expert and dynamic speaker reshaping the future of financial services. With over 20 years' experience across traditional banking, fintech, and crypto, she brings a unique blend of regulatory depth and tech-forward innovation. She has led global GRC transformations for institutions including HSBC, Citi, ING, and Uphold, and founded Virtual Risk Solutions and RAW Compliance- initiatives that empower professionals, uplift industry standards, and advocate for inclusive, human-centred regulation. From the ECB to the United Nations, Oonagh is a trusted voice helping financial ecosystems adapt, evolve, and lead with purpose. She is also the proud mother of three daughters, and a fierce advocate for working mothers and women in business - challenging the narrative that motherhood should limit ambition by championing systems that support equality for parents in the workplace.
Dr. Anastasia Kotowski
Head of Financial...
Dr. Anastasia Kotowski
Head of Financial Markets & Information Technology, Center for European Policy, Germany
Dr. Anastasia Kotovskaia, LL.M. is Head of Department Financial Markets and Information Technologies at the Centre for European Policy in Berlin, Germany. As a legal expert at the European policy think tank, she provides comprehensive background knowledge about policy proposals of the EU and evaluates them as well as drafts practicable policy options for Europe. She had previously worked as a policy expert at the Policy Center of the Leibniz Institute for Financial Market Research SAFE in Frankfurt am Main with a focus on digitalization of finance, sustainable finance, and capital market integration in the EU. She holds a Ph.D. in Law from Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She is author of articles and policy papers in law, finance, and information technology.
Soenil Soebedar
Founder, SOEBIT Cybersecurity,...
Soenil Soebedar
Founder, SOEBIT Cybersecurity, Netherlands
Soenil Soebedar is a solution-oriented IT & cybersecurity professional who spent more than 32 years in the IT sector, 22 years as a freelancer & founder of SOEBIT Cybersecurity in the Netherlands (Europe) and 12 years in the Cyber Security area as an Ethical Hacker, Penetration tester, PKI/Cryptography specialist/Architect, Senior Security Engineer, Senior SOC Specialist. He lives and studies in the Netherlands, born in Suriname (South America).
Natalie Detsik
Advisory Board Member...
Natalie Detsik
Advisory Board Member - Fraud Management, BANKINGCLUB, Germany
Natalie Detsik is an Advisory Board Member for Fraud Management at BANKINGCLUB, Germany and a strategic leader in financial crime prevention. She specializes in AML strategy, regulatory alignment, and enterprise-wide risk management, helping organizations strengthen compliance frameworks and transaction monitoring through data-driven insights. Natalie is recognized for translating complex regulatory developments into practical safeguards that enhance governance, reduce risk exposure, and support sustainable compliance growth.
Atefeh Naderkhani
Senior Program Manager,...
Atefeh Naderkhani
Senior Program Manager, ING, Netherlands
Atefeh Naderkhanipari is a Senior Program Manager in the COO Risk domain at ING in Amsterdam, where she leads strategic transformation across trading risk, product control and regulatory change. With over 13 years of experience in finance and technology, she has worked on data, cloud and risk platform initiatives at institutions including ING, Rabobank and Capgemini. Atefeh is also the founder of a RegTech / embedded-finance start-up focused on compliant onboarding for immigrants and SMEs, and a Finance PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, researching regulation, risk and sustainable finance
Muhammad Abul Kalam Azad
Head of Information...
Muhammad Abul Kalam Azad
Head of Information Security, Eastern Bank Ltd., Germany
With over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT governance, and risk management, I currently serve as the Head of Information Security at Eastern Bank Ltd. My expertise spans cyber defense, data privacy, security governance, and AI-powered risk mitigation, ensuring robust protection for financial institutions in an evolving threat landscape.
Vit Jedlicka
President, Liberland, Czech...
Vit Jedlicka
President, Liberland, Czech Republic
Vít Jedlička is the Founder and President of the Free Republic of Liberland, a sovereign micronation established on April 13, 2015. With academic credentials in economics and political science from the University of Economics in Prague and the CEVRO Institute, Vít has spent over two decades advocating for liberty, inspired by classical liberal thinkers such as Bastiat and Rothbard. Under his leadership, Liberland has grown into a global movement with over 780,000 registered citizenship applicants. The nation is internationally recognized for its forward-thinking use of blockchain-based governance, voluntary cooperation, and minimal state interference. Vít has also initiated NFX, one of the world’s largest community-driven internet networks, reflecting his entrepreneurial vision. He has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, USA Today, CNN, Time, and Fox Business Network, and has spoken at top global forums including Bitcoin Miami, TEDx, Horasis Global Meeting, ALEC, and the St. Gallen Symposium. Vít's recent recognition includes the Gusi Peace Prize (2023) and a Humanitarian Award at the United Nations for his innovative contributions to peace and liberty. In 2024, he appointed blockchain pioneer Justin Sun as Liberland’s first Prime Minister following its first blockchain-based election. His mission is clear: to build the freest nation on Earth, where blockchain governance, economic transparency, and individual liberty enable people to thrive free from excessive regulation and taxation.
David Ballaschk
Senior Payment Expert,...
David Ballaschk
Senior Payment Expert, Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany
David Ballaschk is a payments expert at Deutsche Bundesbank’s Directorate General Payments and Settlement Systems. His work focuses mainly on cross-border and real-time payments. He is a member of various G20 and G7 groups focussing on payments.
Matthias Rode
Partner, Deloitte, Germany
Matthias Rode
Partner, Deloitte, Germany
Matthias Rode is a Partner in Deloitte's German Financial Services practice and part of the Global Deloitte's Financial Crime (FinCrime) expert group. He also co-leads the Deloitte Europe AMLA (Anti-Money Laundering Authority) efforts, supporting financial institutions across the continent as they interpret and prepare for the sweeping changes AMLA brings to the industry. With over 25 years of experience, Matthias focuses on advising clients in the Financial Services Industry on the full spectrum of Financial (Economic) Crime and Non-Financial Risk Management (NFR-M). His expertise encompasses financial crime prevention, large-scale remediation projects, and strategic regulatory transformation. Matthias has led complex initiatives aimed at aligning organizations with new regulations, enhancing governance and organizational structures, improving controls and processes, and integrating data analytics and advanced technology into financial crime risk management frameworks. He is recognized for his practical approach to solving regulatory challenges, balancing compliance demands with cost efficiency, and enabling technological adoption for sustainable change. His leadership continues to shape market standards for financial crime prevention and non-financial risk management, making him a sought-after speaker and advisor on regulatory change, operating model transformation, and digital innovations in risk management within the global financial sector.
Jens Oliver Kreiter
Director and Head...
Jens Oliver Kreiter
Director and Head of Group Anti-Money Laundering, Deutsche Börse Group, Germany
Jens Oliver Kreiter is Director and Head of Group Anti-Money Laundering at Deutsche Börse Group. In this role, he is responsible for the group-wide management and further development of preventive measures against money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crime – including governance, risk analyses, control frameworks and the implementation of regulatory changes, in particular the EU AML Package. With many years of experience in financial crime compliance, the management of international AML programmes and collaboration with supervisory authorities such as BaFin and, in future, AMLA, he is playing a key role in driving the harmonisation and digitalisation of compliance processes within the Group. In addition, he is active as a speaker and panellist on topics such as risk-based approaches, EU regulation and the future of the fight against financial crime in Europe.
Dr Michael Salmony
CEO, Founder &...
Dr Michael Salmony
CEO, Founder & Consultant, Payments Innovation Consulting, Germany
Dr Michael Salmony is an internationally recognised leader on strategy of business innovations in digital and financial services with a particular focus on Payments, Open Finance, FinTech, Digital Identity, B2B/e-Invoicing/SCF, AI for Financial Services and Electronic Money/CBDC/Stablecoins. He is board-level advisor to major international banks, industry associations, regulators, top consultancies, service providers and investors across the world. He regularly helps shape future directions in all key decision making bodies (e.g. European Commission/ European Parliament/ECB/CEPS Think-Tank in Europe, and central banks from Japan to Uruguay and Kazakhstan). For 10 years he served as Executive Adviser to the Board of Worldline Financial Services, helping to bring them from a local player to become the world’s 4th largest financial processor of transactional services, which handles over 17 trillion Euro per year. He also works with multiple regions where financial innovations are currently emerging - for example with the World Bank in Central Asia, as Board Member of Fintech Africa, as Advisory Board Member to Mastercard in Latin America, as strategic partner to FinTech Istanbul. His views are much in demand as keynote speaker at international events and he appears on TV/Radio/all electronic media on advances in finance and is quoted extensively (e.g. Financial Times, Harvard Business Manager, New Scientist, The Economist and governments from Ghana to Malaysia). He teaches at the Oxford Business School on 'AI in Fintech and Open Banking' and at further universities such as in Australia, Turkey, Germany. He has published much own original work which has been translated into many languages including German, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Polish, Danish, Turkish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese and is cited in hundreds of publications around the world. He is extensively networked into the new financial services space and has one of the top most viewed profiles on business social media platforms. He is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers, Freeman of the City of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce FRSA. Previous positions include Director Business Development of leading national central bank (Bank of the Year, Best Innovator Award). Before entering the world of finance, he helped transform companies and business models in many industries as IBM's Director of Market Development Media and Communications Technologies. He studied at the University of Cambridge UK and is married, with two millennial children.
Michael Kohn
Head of Group...
Michael Kohn
Head of Group Anti Financial Crime, Group MLRO & Deputy CCO, Deutsche Börse Group, Germany
Michael is the Head of Group Anti Financial Crime (AFC) and Group MLRO of Deutsche Börse AG located in Frankfurt. In this role Michael manages teams in Frankfurt, Prague and Singapore and oversees the AFC programs in multiple different subsidiaries and locations. Prior to joining Deutsche Börse AG, Michael spent two decades at UniCredit, were he held several senior management positions in different countries among others as Global Head of KYC Program and Head of Anti Financial Crime/MLRO. Michael has extensive experience in compliance, including anti-money laundering, financial sanctions, anti-bribery/corruption, market abuse, conflict of interest, and has interacted with multiple regulators in different countries incl. the US.Michael holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.
Aria Dallmann
Senior Manager, PwC...
Aria Dallmann
Senior Manager, PwC Deutschland, Germany
Aria Dallmann is a Senior Manager in PwC’s FS Transformation team at PwC, specializing in strategy and transformation across the banking and payments value chain – with a great passion for Embedded Finance, FiDA/Open Data and Digital Identity. With a career dedicated to advising banks and FS providers since her professional day one, Aria has a strong track record in program and project leadership, navigating complex partnership landscapes for data driven innovation. Aria holds a Master of Science in Business Psychology with a minor in Economics from the University of Mannheim — she brings that experience with a genuine curiosity for people's logics and the ideas that move them.