Ready To Hear Views From The Most Influential Payments & Regtech Experts?
#npf
19th NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum
OUR SPEAKERS
Robert Courtneidge
Payment Industry Expert
Robert Courtneidge is valued and respected industry expert in the emerging payments industry. He is working with a number of businesses assisting them on their strategy and products using his 30+ years legal experience to give them practical and innovative solutions. He is co-author and Editor of The PAYTECH Book 2020. He was co-founder of the Prepaid International Forum and has worked with the Emerging Payments Association since it was founded.
He has been regularly featured in the prestigious Payments Power 10 (including being ranked #1 in 2015), a highly competitive ranking of the most influential contributors in payments. As a lawyer in payments he was voted in the top 10 in the world by US publication Paybefore in 2015 being the only European in the list. As a lawyer he has worked closely with The Payments Services Regulator, HM Treasury, UK Finance and Financial Conduct Association, in the UK as well as other compliance and industry bodies globally. Robert has deep expertise in electronic money and payment services and is highly skilled in all aspects of payment services including consumer protection, banking regulation and compliance, and AML/CTF. Robert is highly active on the conference front regularly chairing and moderating events as well as speaking on issues facing the European Payments’ Industry including laws relating to blockchain, digital assets and Central Bank Digital Currencies.
Andrew Doukanaris
Chief Executive Officer at Flotta Consulting Ltd
Andrew has been at the heart of the digital payments transformation for almost three decades, holding senior roles in issuing and acquiring with Chevron/Texaco, Visa Inc., JCB Cards, and a Mastercard advisor in The Middle East - During which time has been based in Singapore, San Francisco, New York and London.
He is a Fintech mentor/board advisor at Level39 in London and the former CEO and Chairman of multinational QR code payments Pomelo Pay. In January 2022, Andrew was appointed CEO of Blukite Network - an Open Banking network with revolutionary patented technology.
Makis Savvides
Director of Global Payments and Fraud at Wargaming Group Limited
Makis is the Director of Payments and Fraud at Wargaming Group Limited. He is responsible, among others, for the development and execution of the company payments strategy, its alignment to the overall product and company strategy and ensuring that the payments function remains at the forefront of payments innovation. The Wargaming payments platform offers more than 250 payment methods globally, allowing players to pay in their local payment methods and currency (more than 100 currencies are available). Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 5,500 employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. The flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks, the strategic naval action game World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz.
Makis is also a member of the Board of Directors of one of the largest insurance groups in Cyprus and is the co-chair of the European Advisory Board at the Merchant Risk Council, a global membership organization connecting eCommerce fraud and payments professionals through educational programs, online forums, career development, conferences, and networking events. Before joining Wargaming, Makis was a Director at Deloitte at the Financial Advisory department. He holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also a Qualified Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Craig Jenkins
Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Squared Financial
Craig began his career in the British Army serving in law enforcement on a global scale. He then transitioned to law before moving to corporate advisory consultancy on corporate fraud and compliance in London and Dubai for some of the largest companies in the world. He has worked in the financial investment industry in Cyprus for 6 years and is now the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for Squared Financial.
Andrea Moundi Savvides
Global Director of Risk and Compliance at Harneys and Chair and Founding Member of the Cyprus Compliance Association
Andrea Moundi Savvides is a qualified lawyer and Head of Compliance – Europe. She has extensive experience in the field of financial services, AML and sanctions and regularly works with our Tax and Regulatory team. Andrea also advises on competition law matters, at both local and European level including advising on issues which require notification to the relevant authorities.
Prior to joining us in 2018, Andrea was a senior corporate lawyer in the legal and compliance team of an authorised investment firm where she liaised with regulators in multiple jurisdictions. She also gained experience in financial services law and regulation including MiFID II and other regulatory regimes such as the automatic exchange of information. She regularly advises clients on a range of regulatory issues which include white collar crimes, sanctions and anti-money laundering cases.
In 2018 Andrea was also recognised as an influential and innovative in-house counsel according to the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Greece and Cyprus. She is also a holder of the advanced certificate of the CySEC and the ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering - Int.Dip (AML).
Andrea also practised as an advocate advising on various contentious and non-contentious matters.
Andrea is also a regular contributor to our Regulatory Blog.
Stavroula Kampouridou
CEO at DIAS
Stavroula Kampouridou is the CEO of Interbanking Systems DIAS S.A. since January 2021. DIAS is the Greek Clearing and Settlement Mechanism.
Prior to DIAS, she was Head of the FinTech Innovation Hub and Advisor to the Governor at the Bank of Greece (BoG). Her focus was on the FinTech initiatives undertaken at the BoG, like the Hub created in March of 2019, and the launch of the Regulatory Sandbox, a project fully funded by the EU.
Before joining BoG, she was an IT Procurement Manager at NBG Group, heading the efforts of the sourcing unit. Prior to that she was a Hardware Sales Manager at IBM, responsible for the hardware sales in the Banking and Telecom sectors in Greece. She was awarded «Rookie of the Year» as the top performing new hire in Europe for the highest sales in IBM.
She holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Athens, with distinction and an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University on a full scholarship.
Demetris Taxitaris
Chief Executive Officer at MAP S.Platis
Demetris Taxitaris is the Chief Executive Officer of MAP S.Platis, a leading consulting Group in the provision of solutions in licensing, regulatory compliance, internal audit, risk management, human resources, regulatory technology, information technology, business resilience, information security including cybersecurity, governance, executive training and innovation to regulated and other firms. In the past, he worked at Bank of Cyprus as Head of Asset Management with local and international clients, individuals and institutionals, across all industries. Prior to that, Demetris worked at Deloitte in London where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, becoming a member of the ICAEW. Demetris is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (‘ICPAC’), the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (‘CIFA’) and the Association of Cyprus International Financial Firms (‘ACIFF’).
Justine Scerri Herrera
Partner at MK Fintech Partners Ltd
Dr. Justine Scerri Herrera is a Managing Partner at MK Fintech Partners which Maltese entity forms part of the Top Tier International ‘Michael Kyprianou’ group. Incidentally, MK is Top ranked in The Legal 500 and according to Gold Magazine is the 3rd Largest in size in Cyprus. Her areas of expertise include Fintech, Blockchain, Crypto and investments sectors. Justine mainly deals in advising and licencing for issuers and service providers falling under the Maltese Virtual Financial Assets Regulations (crypto & blockchain), Investment Services Act (Capital Market players, Capital Raising etc) and Financial Institutions Act (EMI, PI). Justine’s love for fintech and decentralisation sprouted 7 years ago while conducting her Doctoral and Masters Thesis’s focusing on jurisdiction in cyberspace and the rise of technology. Justine’s past work experience includes working for a Top Tier Investments Firm (Exante), an International Bank and a leading criminal law firm. Other academic accomplishes include a certification with the Malta Stock Exchange in ‘Securities and Trading’ and certification in ‘Virtual Financial Assets’. Notably, Justine formed part of Malta’s Digital Think Thank (Taskforce set up by the Maltese Government) and was recently nominated to be on the VFA Executive Committee which is part of the Malta Chamber of Commerce. Justine is also a true academic at heart and in her spare times often publishes research and speaks at events worldwide. Her favourite quote is ‘knowledge is power’.
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Brandon Birmingham
Senior Software Developer at Computime Fintech (creators of ComplyRadar)
Dr Brandon Birmingham is a data scientist with more than 7 years of experience in the IT industry. He specialises in Artificial Intelligence and software development and is currently a Senior Software Developer for ComplyRadar - which forms part of the Fintech division within Computime Group – where he contributes towards the development of the AI-driven AML and transaction monitoring system.
He is also an assistant lecturer and a research support officer within the departments of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Engineering at The University of Malta. Brandon obtained his PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Malta in 2022 and has contributed to the Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision research fields.
Peter-Jan Grech
Founder and CEO at BRND WGN
Peter-Jan Grech, founder and CEO of BRND WGN, is a renowned figure in the realm of brand transformations, boasting over two decades of expertise. His leadership at BRND WGN, a top-tier brand advisory agency with a presence in Malta and the UK, has been instrumental in navigating businesses and leaders through impactful change strategies and brand expansion in multiple sectors, including financial services and hospitality. As a skilled public speaker, Peter-Jan hosts the insightful “UnBrandMe” podcast, delving into the professional paths of entrepreneurs and brand creators. His commitment extends beyond business; he contributes his strategic acumen to various advisory boards, fostering change management. An enthusiastic challenge pursuer, he participates in endurance sports, sometimes for fun but most times to champion sustainable living and environmental conservation.
Dr. Elena Niki Karletidi
General Secretary Cyprus Compliance Association, Athens & CY Bar, Banking Expert
Dr. Elena Niki Karletidi, a business lawyer, who brings over 15 years of experience in legal, compliance, and risk areas, specializes in Commercial Law, Company Law, Banking Law, Contract Law, Investment Law, and Consumer Protection Law.
Elena is a qualified Lawyer both in Greece and Cyprus Bar Associations, and holds an LLM in International Commercial Law and a PhD in Law. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Legal Relations in Crowdfunding in Cyprus: Legal Issues and Challenges in the Digital Age,’ provides an innovative and groundbreaking legal analysis of the legal framework for Crowdfunding in EU and Cyprus, published as a practical legal guide with Nomiki Bibliothiki in 2024.
Elena guides teams through legal and regulatory landscapes, simplifying complexities and spearheading success in the financial sector. Fluent in Greek, English, and French, she brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience when delivering practical legal training and advice.
Elena is also a certified mediator and a member of the Cyprus Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution. Since 2011, she has served as Legal Counsel for credit institutions in Cyprus, advising on various legal matters.
Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Manager at a systemic bank in Cyprus, specializing in Regulatory Compliance.
Elena is also a professional member (MiCA) of the International Compliance Association (ICA) and a Founding Member and Board Member of the Cyprus Compliance Association (CCA).
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Fabian Meyer
Managing Partner at CORE SE
Fabian Meyer is Managing Director in Switzerland and a member of the board of CORE SE - a European technology think tank based in Berlin. As an expert in payment services and FinTechs, he is responsible for large projects with renowned clients in the financial sector in the DACH region and the United Arab Emirates. He has several years of consulting experience in the banking sector and in transformation engineering.
George Apostolides
Head of Compliance and Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer at Eurobank Cyprus Ltd
George Apostolides is the Head of Compliance and Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer at Eurobank Cyprus. George has extensive experience in the area of Banking for Anti Money Laundering and combating Terrorism Financing, Implementation of Financial Sanction Programs and Regulatory Compliance. George is approved to head the Compliance Department of the Bank by the European Central Bank. Prior to his career as a Compliance Officer, George was involved in the area of auditing holding a senior position in the Internal Audit Department of Eurobank Cyprus and as a External Auditor for a Big4 firm. He holds the professional qualification of a Charter Accountant (ICAEW) and the Russian Sanctions Risk Management Specialist certification (K2-Integrity).
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Anna Stylianou
CEO at AML Cube
Anna Stylianou is an experienced AML compliance and financial crime risk management expert, with a proven track record of success in regulated financial institutions.
Over her career, she has worked in traditional banking, EMIs, as the Head of Compliance and Non-executive director investment firms, and has collaborated with reputable lawyers.
She is an expert in embedding regulatory compliance standards and delivering results in the fight against financial crime.
Anna is also a recognised international thought leader in the AML, KYC, and crypto compliance fields.
Anna is passionate about educating and uplifting her peers, existing compliance professionals, and the next generation. She is the founder and principal of AML Cube, a consulting and training firm aiming to assist entities in combating financial crime.
Peter Theunis
Senior Vice President Sales at BPC
Being a highly accomplished professional in the field of finance and fintech, driven by his passion for payments, fintech, digital banking, and embedded finance, with more than 25 years of extensive experience, Peter joined BPC ranks as SVP Sales Europe to drive business growth and expansion across the European market.
Throughout his career, Peter has worked with customers in diverse regions, each with unique needs, gaining valuable insights into the global fintech landscape. His track record in business development and leadership is exceptional, having held key positions in internationally recognized fintech companies such as Pelican.ai, Rivero, Endava, Integri, Clear2pay, and TAS Group.
He possesses an in-depth understanding of payments and banking, which allows him to navigate complex challenges and deliver tangible outcomes. With his wealth of knowledge and experience in IT, operations, business, and finance, Peter is adept at providing innovative and viable business solutions in the highly competitive fintech market.
Mateo Jarrin Cuvi
Global Manager for Partners & Media at The Association of Governance, Risk & Compliance, UK
During his 20-year career, Mateo Jarrin Cuvi has played important roles in a wide array of industries, eventually landing in the financial services sector where he has focused on content creation and management.
After dabbling in the oil and gas field, managing media relations for the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC, and working as a program manager for a Cypriot study abroad firm, Mateo served as Content Manager for Taxlinked, an international network for tax and law professionals, and Content Writer for FXPRIMUS, a Forex broker with a strong presence in southeast Asia. Today, he leads the charge for the International Governance and Compliance Association (IGCA) as Global Manager for Partners and Media.
Mateo holds a BA in Foreign Affairs and Latin American Studies from the University of Virginia (UVA) and an MA in Latin American Studies with a focus on Anthropology from the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). Plus, he’s a budding writer who has published fiction, food and wine articles, and other travel-related pieces in several local and global publications.
Oliver Hanmer
Head of Supervision and Compliance Monitoring at the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR)
Oliver joined the UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in June 2023 as the Head of a newly formed Supervision and Compliance Monitoring division. The PSR is the economic regulator of payment systems in the UK and oversees the main systems that enable people and businesses make payments.
The Supervision and Compliance Monitoring Division is responsible for actively supervising the UK's regulated payment systems. Oliver is also responsible for driving better outcomes for people and businesses by having dedicated teams focused on monitoring compliance and enforcement who can take action where needed to discourage non-compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Oliver joined the PSR from the Bar Standards Board (the independent regulator for the barrister’s profession) where he was the Director of Regulatory Operations with a broad remit covering regulatory compliance, risk based supervision and professional standards, including leading on the introduction of a supervision regime for Barristers.
Jiří Ambrož
Head of Payments and Oversight Unit | Deputy Director of Payments Regulation Division at the Czech National Bank
Jiří joined Czech National Bank in 2016 as a Legal Expert. He is currently a Head of Payments Regulation and Oversight Unit in the Financial Regulation and International Cooperation Department. His team is mainly responsible for legal and policy issues related to European and national payments legislation, international cooperation in the field of payments as well as oversight of financial market infrastructures. Jiří is also a member of several policy structures within European Central Bank and European Banking Authority. His previous experience include public administration and legal advisory. Jiří holds a master’s degree of Law from Charles University in Prague with a period of study at Free University of Berlin.
Abbas Khamisa
Head of Treasury Solutions, Global Banking at MUFG
Abbas Khamisa, Head of Treasury Solutions within the Global Banking and Payments business at MUFG Investor Services, is responsible for building MUFG Investor Services’ banking and treasury solutions for private equity/venture capital firms, hedge funds and asset managers.
Abbas joined MUFG Investor Services in 2023, after eight years at Goldman Sachs working across Structuring, Investment Banking and FX/Emerging Markets. Prior to that, he worked in the Capital, Risk & Pricing group at Royal Bank of Scotland.
Andria Papageorgiou
Managing Director at Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm
Andria Papageorgiou is the Founder and Managing Director of Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm. She is a member of Cyprus Bar Association with more than 10 years of experience. Her main areas of practice are Regulatory Compliance (i.e. AML, MiFID, MiCA, etc.), Licensing (in CY, EU and offshore countries), Mergers and Acquisitions, Property Law (i.e. Real Estate), Data Protection Law, Business Law, Company and Commercial Law, Corporate Law (i.e. incorporation of a company), Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Family Office Services, and Banking Law.
Mrs. Andria Papageorgiou is a holder of an LLB, LLM, LPC (all from UK universities and professional institutions), CySEC Advance Certificate and CySEC AML Certificate. She is also an Accredited Mediator for Commercial and Banking Disputes. Since 2023, she is elected as a member of the Financial Services Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association and member of the Regulatory Compliance Committee of the Limassol Bar Association.
A decade prior to founding Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm, she was holding a key position as Senior Associate Lawyer in top-tier law firms serving high net-worth individuals and corporations, as well as holding key positions reaching the highest position of Chief of Legal and Compliance Department in various Fintech Group of Companies (i.e. forex, crypto and payments industries), leading the legal teams of the relevant Groups, resolving complex legal issues on a daily basis.