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 a driving force in the digital payments and FinTech transformation for over three decades. Throughout his global career, he has held senior and executive roles in Singapore, San Francisco, New York, and London.
At Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex, Andrew established and led the global marketing and sales, payments and retailing division across three brands. At Visa, he served as the European and CEMEA head of Merchant Acceptance, Acquiring Services, and Commercial Cards, overseeing operations in more than 120 markets. As Senior Vice President at JCB Cards Europe, he spearheaded the transformation of its acquiring, sales, and marketing divisions. Additionally, he worked as a consultant for Mastercard in Saudi Arabia.
Andrew founded Flotta Consulting Ltd to provide tailored consulting services to start-ups, scale-ups, and established players within the payments ecosystem. He has been appointed to various leadership roles, including Chair, Director, and CEO of Pomelo Pay, Intellias, and as an advisor and CEO for start-ups focused on open banking and QR code payments.
A sought-after commentator and podcaster, Andrew also serves as a FinTech mentor and advisor at Level39, an ambassador and moderator at the UK Payments Association, and a board advisor, event chairman, and moderator at QUBE Events.
Rich Wagner
CEO at Zempler Bank
Rich is CEO and founder of Zempler and has over 30 years of experience in payments and banking, including executive roles at Visa, Barclaycard and Providian. Outside of his work at Zempler, Rich is an active and vocal industry advocate including as a former Chair of the Payments Association and as a current member of the UK Finance Payments Board.
Vlad Karols
Chief Compliance Officer at ZBX Crypto Exchange
Vlad Karols is an AML and compliance professional with a variety of expertise in internal auditing, anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance. He possesses experience in various industries that include financial services, FinTech and virtual financial assets service providers.
Vlad holds a master’s degree in finance and started his career in accountancy which subsequently evolved into tax consultancy, internal auditing and compliance. In recent years, after moving to Malta in 2018, Vlad worked as Head of Internal Audit and AML Advisory in a compliance consultancy company. Currently, he is holding the position of Chief Compliance Officer in a Class 4 Virtual Financial Assets Service Provider (a.k.a. “crypto exchange”) licensed in Malta.
Vlad is approved by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) for holding the positions of Internal Auditor and Compliance Officer in regulated entities.
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.
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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’.
Gerasimos Papaleventis
First Vice President Treasury- Head of Control and Monitoring at FIMBank plc
Gerasimos Papaleventis is a Banker and an Economist having 25 years of experience and progressive responsibility in the banking and finance sector. He is currently the Vice President and Head of Controlling and Monitoring of the Treasury department at FIMBank plc, an International Banking Group based in Malta, where he has been residing with his family for the last 6 years.
His previous work experience includes being in Operations and Foreign Settlements in NBG Securities Services and Beta Securities Services (Greece), where he was positioned as Head of Department in both companies. Gerasimos also delivers training and presentations to professionals and in-house staff training regarding Banking and Finance topics.
He is a Certified Securities Clearing Specialist from Hellenic Capital Market Commission, member of the Hellenic Association of Treasurers and a member of the Economic Chamber of Greece. He holds a Master II degree in Banking and Insurance Science from Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (Paris XIII). Apart from his mother tongue being the Greek language, he can also speak English and French.
Gege Gatt
CEO at EBO
Dr. Gege Gatt is the CEO of London-based company EBO an AI enterprise which automates citizen engagement. He is a digital entrepreneur, a TEDx speaker and has won the UK’s Enterprise Awards in 2024.
He is a WHO reviewer on healthcare information strategy. Gege serves as an Executive Board Member of the Malta IT Law Association and is a specialist examiner at the University of Malta. He’s a Board Member of Humanity 2.0 developed by the Vatican in Rome with a consortium of thought-leaders to identify and remove impediments to human flourishing. His doctoral degree is in IT Law.
Catalin Romeo Barbu
VP Compliance & MLRO, Europe at Shift4
Catalin Romeo Barbu is VP Compliance & MLRO, Europe for Shift4, a global payment processing company, boldly redefining commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world. With over 15 years of experience working in regulatory compliance and AML roles in financial services, Catalin holds an Msc in economic studies and International Relations and an Executive MBA with Cotrugli Business School. Catalin is also certified in compliance and money laundering with ICA (International Compliance Association) and CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment) and is an active associate member of CISI.
Christian Reinheimer
Director Payments Product & Technology at LeoVegas Group
With a product-centric background in online companies, Christian spent several years with Swedish online payments giant Klarna before joining LeoVegas where he is responsible for the Payments Product & Technology department. Driving the vision & strategy to provide an industry-leading payment experience to all customers of LeoVegas Group's brands worldwide is his mission.
Annabel Pisani
Head of Risk at MoneyBase Ltd
Annabel has recently joined MoneyBase Ltd. and Calamatta Cuschieri Investments Services Ltd. as a Head of Risk.
Annabel Pisani previously served was the Group Head of Risk at Trust Payments Ltd for the past 4.5 years based in Malta. Annabel was responsible for the Group Monitoring of the Acquiring business including Fraud protection, AML prevention and process improvements within the Risk team. Also, analysis the risks for the organisation when introducing new products/services.
Annabel comes with a banking background, where she served in Managerial roles (lending and Risk areas) for a Maltese Commercial Bank for over 20 years.
Annabel was a contributor in choosing/implementing several systems to help with risk mitigation, monitoring and process improvements. Annabel is passionate about sharing her working experience and best practices with others, hence she attends a number of forums and webinars both as a speaker and a participant.
Annabel is also a Travel Guru and an event planner when the time permits.
Ian Gauci
Managing Partner at GTG
Dr Ian Gauci is the Managing Partner of GTG and a seasoned technology and commercial lawyer with over 25 years of experience advising governments, authorities, and clients in the technology and cybersecurity landscape. In addition to his legal practice, he is an academic, director, author, lecturer, and international speaker.
Giovanni Cunti
CEO of Gate.MT (EU exchange of Gate.io Group)
Mr Cunti has more than 28 years of experience working in executive roles for top tier technology and financial service companies across the globe. He has been always at the forefront of innovations and cutting-edge technologies, helping companies in building their structures and delivering growth in operations and revenues.
Mr Cunti currently holds the position of CEO for Gate.MT, the EU regulated crypto exchange of Gate.io Organization. He has a broad experience in finance and the crypto/blockchain environment, gained at the helm of several companies. He is very knowledgeable on laws and compliance frameworks regulating the industry. He pioneered fintech services and products, including digital, mobile money transfers, and blockchain projects.
Mr Cunti received his doctorate degree in Physics from the University of Rome "La Sapienza", where he specialized in elementary particles physics; he holds an MBA from London Business School, with focus on operations and growing businesses.
Theresia Mallia
Head of Payment Product at Kindred Group
Theresia Mallia is a prominent figure in the payments and e-commerce sectors, currently serving as the Head of Payment Product at Kindred Group, a leading online gambling company. With over 15 years of experience in e-commerce, Theresia has made significant contributions to the development and optimization of payment solutions within the digital entertainment industry.
Beyond her direct responsibilities at Kindred Group, Theresia is also recognized for her thought leadership in the payments sector. She has contributed to industry publications, including insights on balancing risk management with customer experience expectations in payments. Her expertise is frequently sought after in discussions surrounding fraud prevention and financial crime management within the digital landscape.
Maja Andreevska-Blazhevska
Head of Financial Crime Compliance & MLRO at Finance Incorporated Limited
An experienced and seasoned Compliance and MLRO with more than 20 years of experience in Compliance, Financial Crime and AML/ CFT operations. For the most of this tenure, she held senior managerial positions within the finance industry, primarily banking.
She holds Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies, Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership and Executive MBA in Finance. In addition to these academic achievements, she is also a Certified Compliance Officer and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Officer.
Former Lecturer for Certified Compliance Specialists on the Academy of Banking and Information Technology (ABIT) in Skopje, on the one-year specialization course for young professionals aiming to become Compliance Officers.
During her professional engagements, she managed vast number of projects in the following fields: Corporate governance, Regulatory compliance, Financial Crime, AML/CFT activities, Reporting, GDPR, Risk management, regulatory alignment and participated in various panels and discussion forums in challenging the practical aspects of current and upcoming legislation/regulation.
Currently works as Head of Financial Crime Compliance & Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) in Finance Incorporated Limited (FIL).
Jürg Baltensperger
Managing Director at JayBee Ltd
Jürg Baltensperger is one of the most experienced and well-known pioneers in the field of regulation & compliance for financial intermediaries in FinTech and Blockchain. As a graduated lawyer, risk manager & business economist and certified Blockchain expert, he covers regulatory aspects in his field of expertise in a holistic approach.
With the consulting firm JayBee he founded in 2017, Jürg and his team support around 120+ financial intermediaries in the areas of fintech & blockchain such as banks, asset managers and crypto exchanges. JayBee serves clients from startup level to international collaborations with regulatory consulting, licensing and outsourcing services. JayBee also provides staff lending & recruiting services and partners with various IT tool provider in order to offer implementation of RegTech solutions.
Jürg teaches in the areas of Corporate Governance, Risk Management & Compliance at universities of applied sciences and set up his own education CAS Digital Compliance Officer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, where compliance officers, auditors & regulators are made fit in the areas of FinTech & Crypto.
Luis Teles
Head of Operations Department at BNF BANK
Luis Teles, Head of Operations at BNF Bank, has over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, with a dedicated focus on the payments sector for the past two decades. His career has been marked by a hands-on role in implementing innovative payment frameworks and driving transformative change within the industry.
For the last eight years, Luis has led operations at BNF, leveraging his comprehensive experience across all areas of banking to deliver operational excellence. His true passion lies in the payments domain, where he has made a significant impact by contributing to national working groups. In these roles, he has helped shape payment scheme rulebooks, oversee their implementation, and introduce value-added services that enhance the user experience.
With a solid academic foundation—a degree in Management and a Masters in Finance—Luis combines strategic insight with a forward-thinking approach. He has a keen interest in the role of technology in shaping the future of payments and redefining the interaction between people and financial systems.
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Bob Reid
CEO & Co-Founder at Everest
Bob Reid is the CEO and Co-Founder of Everest, a licensed European crypto custodian with its own high-speed blockchain, and the world’s first global, programmable token to represent any asset (fiat, stock, commodity, real estate).
Its biometrics-based identity + transaction platform empowers partners to compliantly offer global onboarding and access to crypto trading, international payments, and investments.
Previously, Bob was a General Manager at BitTorrent, and an advisor to Kai Labs, a Singaporean-based blockchain & crypto accelerator. He also held roles as the VP of Strategy & Business Development at Neulion and DivX.
Vince Vella
CTO at Computime FinTech and ComplyRadar
Dr Vincent Vella brings over 20 years of senior technical leadership and management experience. Presently, he serves as the CTO/COO at the FinTech arm of Computime Group for BRSANALYTICS and ComplyRadar. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Vince is an esteemed lecturer at the University of Malta, contributing to the Department of Artificial Intelligence.
With a profound passion for Computational Finance, Dr Vella's main interests revolve around exploring the dynamic intersection of AI and blockchain. Specifically, he delves into areas such as AI Managed Funds, decentralised AI utilising smart contracts, data standardisation and discovery, as well as regulatory frameworks. This keen interest reflects his dedication to advancing the potential synergies between artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies.
Fiorentina D'Amore
Managing Director Malta, UAE at Bitpanda
A seasoned sector leader with over 25 years of experience across banks, financial institutions, fintech startups, and cryptocurrency businesses. Specializing in innovation, operational risk, regulatory compliance, and strategy, she drives success through the application of technical regulatory excellence. A frequent speaker, she advocates for pragmatic solutions and sharing of best practices in fintech.
Fiorentina holds a MBA in Technology and Innovation Management, with research and a published thesis on knowledge dissemination in digital industries.
She sits as the Chairperson of FIMA and serves as Managing Director for Bitpanda in Malta and the UAE, guiding one of Europe’s top names in crypto and investments platforms.
Sam Boboev
Product Manager at the Payments Factory
Sam is a product leader with a proven track record in the payments and fintech sector, playing a key role in shaping product strategies across the UK, EU, and Central Asia. Beyond his professional endeavors, Sam is the founder and curator of Fintech Wrap Up, a widely acclaimed newsletter delving into fintech, payments, digital banking, and tech industries. He is also passionate about pro-bono peer mentorship, offering guidance and insights to aspiring product managers seeking to navigate the dynamic fintech landscape.
Fani Pedulou
Head of Sales at TFI Markets
Fani is a KPI expert with over 17 years of experience at TFI MARKETS, a leading global financial institution. She has been instrumental in driving growth and elevating the company’s brand. She is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and communicating key performance indicators. Fani plays a key role in assessing the financial viability of new business ventures. She manages a vast portfolio of corporate clients, including regulated investment firms and EMI’s.
Kristian Camenzuli
CFA at Dominion
Kristian Camenzuli, CFA, serves as the Managing Director of Dominion Fiduciary Services Malta Limited (DFSML), leading the Malta office of the international Dominion Group. With a presence in major cities worldwide, Dominion Group specializes in administering private wealth, pensions, and trusts, as well as offering corporate services.
Leveraging the Group’s global reach and deep expertise, Mr. Camenzuli ensures Dominion remains a trusted partner for high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and businesses, delivering tailored solutions to meet their financial and business needs.
With extensive experience in investment management, lecturing, and trust and pension administration, Kristian has built a strong reputation for leadership, financial management, and strategic planning. Under his direction, DFSML is dedicated to achieving optimal results for clients, focusing on intergenerational wealth transfer and creating enduring legacies that stand the test of time.
Annalise Vassallo Seguna
Managing Legal Officer at MDIA
Annalise Vassallo Seguna holds the position of a Managing Legal Officer at MDIA. She practices in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Distributed Ledger Technologies and contract law. Dr. Vassallo Seguna also assists in the drafting of legislation and serves as an advisor on a number of boards related to the schemes and initiatives of the MDIA. She graduated with a Master of Advocacy from the University of Malta in 2018 and was granted the warrant to practice law in 2019. Apart from her extensive experience in civil and commercial law, Dr. Vassallo Seguna also holds a Masters in Distributed Ledger Technologies.
Rolands Grancovskis
Head of Payments at The Lotter Group
Rolands Grancovskis is a professional with extensive experience in the iGaming industry. He has a strong background in leading Customer Operations and fraud prevention initiatives and now heads the Group’s Global Payments department.
Rolands specializes in identifying and negotiating with financial partners, developing payment processing strategies, and optimizing payment routing. He ensures seamless project management for system integrations and actively collaborates with compliance teams and regulators to facilitate efficient and compliant onboarding processes.
Keith Cortis
AI Lead at KPMG Islands Group
Keith Cortis is an Associate Director within the Digital Solutions team at KPMG Malta and is the KPMG Islands Group AI Lead. He has extensive experience in leading and handling AI and data-driven research, development, and innovation projects at both a European and national level spanning academia, the private sector, and the public sector on numerous fields. Moreover, he provides consultation services on AI at a strategic, architectural, technical, and governance level, and help organisations understand how to best utilise and adopt AI to maximise the potential business impact. He has also been involved in various strategies at a national level for the Government of Malta, such as the Strategy and Vision for Artificial Intelligence in Malta 2030.
Adrian Mizzi
Co-Founder and CTO at Weavr
Adrian is a seasoned CTO with extensive experience in building and leading high-performing IT and software engineering teams. As the co-founder and CTO of Weavr, a leading embedded finance platform, he is driving innovation at the forefront of the payments industry. Previously, Adrian served as Group CIO/CTO at Ixaris Systems, a pioneer in virtual prepaid technology, where he led a 100-strong team across development, engineering, and project management. He also held a senior leadership role at Entropay, further solidifying his expertise in the payments industry. With a PhD in Computer Science and a number of research papers published, Adrian combines deep technical knowledge with a strategic approach to solving complex business challenges.
Julian Goffin
Co-founder and CEO at Alunafi Ltd
Julian is a commercially driven C-level payments expert with over 15 years of experience in the payments industry. As CEO and Co-Founder of Alunafi, an innovative payment institution, Julian combines strategic vision with seamless execution to drive business success through collaboration, innovation and embracing the technologies surrounding Blockchain and AI.
Previously, Julian played a pivotal role in scaling his former company from startup to multimillion-pound revenues. His leadership philosophy focuses on empowering teams to take initiative and fostering a culture of shared leadership. By streamlining processes, optimizing costs, and ensuring sustainable, organic growth, Julian has consistently delivered exceptional results.
He firmly believes that effective leadership is rooted in collaboration and the recognition that empowering others is the key to long-term success.
Ivan Zammit
Chief Operations Officer at MFSA
Ing. Ivan Zammit was appointed Chief Operations Officer in January 2020. He is a member of the senior leadership team of the MFSA responsible for the operational and corporate support functions of the Authority, including people and culture, technology, finance, administration and communications.
Ing. Zammit works closely with the CEO and the rest of the management team to ensure a harmonised management approach for the Authority by coordinating corporate strategic and operational planning and execution to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Authority. He leverages operational and technical expertise to integrate people, process and technology such that the Authority operates efficiently and effectively, developing operating policies and procedures to ensure strong governance and operational infrastructure, and to ensure that all activities are performed in compliance with local and EU legislation governing the Authority’s activities.
Ing. Zammit graduated with an Honours Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Malta and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Henley Business School, UK. Throughout his professional career spanning over twenty-five years, Ing. Zammit has held various senior management positions and has vast experience in operations, technology and business management in the telecoms sector. He was a member of the executive team at Vodafone Malta with responsibility for its corporate and small business segments before spending some years carrying out management consulting as private practice on a full-time basis specialising in business transformation through people and technology.
Damian Mifsud
Fintech / Regtech Entrepreneur
Damian has been involved in a number of successful start ups and exits in a number of
different jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Republic of Ireland and Malta in payments and Regtech. More recently, Damian has been pivotal in facilitating cross- border mergers and acquisitions of EU-based financial institutions by global financial entities seeking entry into the EU market.
Axel Contreras
Payments Operations Manager at NIUM
Axel Hernandez is a fintech professional with extensive expertise in payments and financial operations. Having led payments teams at industry giants like Nubank and Wise.
Axel has a proven track record of driving innovation. Currently a Manager at NIUM and a consultant, he specializes in payment operations, cross-border solutions, and leveraging AI for innovation.
Axel has also contributed to the growth of a Y Combinator-backed startup.
Monica Orlandi
Senior Account Manager at Swift
Monica Orlandi joined Swift in November 2017 for Business Development across Southeast Europe. Monica manages a portfolio of medium – large banks in Italy and covers the role of Malta Country Manager.
Earlier in her career, Monica held various roles as Relationship Manager in London across a number of business sectors. Monica has a Master’s degree from London School of Economics and Political
Science.
Ramon Bondin
Executive Director/CEO at Dolfin Asset Services Limited (Malta)
Ramon started his career with ECOVIS Malta after which he was authorized by the MFSA as a Senior Manager in charge of Trust Administration and Corporate Services. During his 7 years at ECOVIS, he was significantly involved in all aspects of the group’s management, as well as being a key member of ECOVIS GRC Ltd where he was authorized by the MFSA to hold compliance and risk management positions with UCITS Management Companies and Alternative Investment Fund Managers. Following this, Ramon worked with Alter Domus as a manager in the corporate services section, focusing on licensed entities, mainly Alternative Investment Fund Managers and trust business. He was also appointed Head of Depositary Services for the Malta office in 2016. He obtained an Associate Professional Risk Manager Certificate in 2013.
Joining Dolfin Group in 2017, he was in charge of setting up and launching an investment services and depositary business in Malta, where he currently sits as an Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Ramon holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Malta and an Msc in Economics from the University of York (UK).
Andrew Christodoulou
Financial Services Expert and Business Development Manager at Worldline
Andrew is a seasoned financial services expert specializing in digital transformation across industries such as banking, payments, and retail. With expertise in payments, digital security, open banking, and customer services, he has helped numerous companies optimize their financial operations and adapt to the evolving digital economy. A recognized leader in fintech, Andrew also authors Five Point Friday, a popular LinkedIn newsletter that delivers the top five fintech, payments, and tech stories each week, offering insightful analyses and trend-focused updates. Learn more here: Five Point Friday
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