Dr. Markus Ampenberger is a Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Munich. With 15 years of experience in consulting, he leads BCG’s Payments & FinTech team in the DACH-region. Markus advises banks, payment providers and FinTechs across Europe. Focus of his project work is on strategy, (digital) transformation, and M&A-related topics. Markus is frequently engaged as an expert, author and speaker on innovative topics in the payments industry. Before joining BCG, Markus gained practical experience in banking and academia. He holds a degree in Business Administration from LMU Munich, an MBA from Colorado State University, and a doctorate in economics from TU Munich. In addition, he has been a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University.

Full Professor of Financial Markets and Banking Law at Bocconi University. Visiting professor at Ca’ Foscari University, Venice. Co-Director of the RULES Unit, Baffi-Carefin Centre, Bocconi University. Academic Board Member – European Banking Institute. Academic Member and Fellow - Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence EUSFIL - European Union Sustainable Finance and Law. Visiting professors at several EU Universities, including Antwerp, Leuven, Toulouse, London (Queen Mary), Warwick. Member of the Faculty, PhD in Legal Studies, Bocconi University. Member of the Conseil d’Orientation, Droit & Croissance, Paris. Editorial Board - Rivista delle Società; Referee and ad-hoc reviewer for European Company and Financial Law, Rivista delle Società, Rivista del Diritto commerciale, Banca Borsa e Titoli di Credito, Giurisprudenza Commerciale, Rivista Orizzonti del Diritto Commerciale, Banca Impresa e Società. Member of the Scientific Committee – Annual conference 2021 of the Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (Portugal); Member of the Italian Associazione Orizzonti del Diritto commerciale; Member of the Italian Association of Comparative Law; Member of Association Européenne de Droit Bancaire et Financier - Italian section; Member of Associazione Disiano Preite per lo Studio del Diritto d’impresa; Member of the Scientific Committee - Interdepartmental Research Centre on European Banking and Finance Law - Roma Tre University; Association of Professors of Economic Law (ADDE). Since 2013, he has been a professor of Musicology at the University of Milan. He has extensive scientific production and publications in the field of corporate law, capital markets law, EU banking law, and in the field of Law and Humanities studies.

Max Bachem is the Founder and CEO of Xaver, a leading B2B FinTech providing an AI-driven operating system for the next generation of wealth and pensions. Previously, Max served as the CEO of Luko Insurance and Coya, where he made history as Germany’s youngest insurance CEO. His deep industry expertise also includes serving as Head of Group Corporate Development at AXA, overseeing corporate strategy, investments, and strategic partnerships. Max began his career in strategy consulting at Oliver Wyman in Zurich and Hong Kong, focusing on digital transformation for global financial institutions. He is a Perplexity Business Fellow, and he holds a Master's in Strategy and International Management from the University of St. Gallen (SIM-HSG) .

Niclas Barthélemy – Co-Founder & CEO, scoreprise.AI Entrepreneur in AI-driven business transformation. Co-Founder and CEO of Scoreprise.AI, Germany's first AI employee agency, building AI solutions that transform organizations into hybrid workforces. B.Sc. in Business Administration (2024, Leuphana University), specializing in Finance & Accounting. Executive AI Certificate from MIT Sloan Executive Education (2024) in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy. 4+ years at bsp-Unternehmensberatung as Accountant & AI Consultant, handling accounting operations, financial closings, and AI integration. Audit internship at Rödl & Partner. Currently Lecturer for AI Use-Cases at Leaders of AI. Multilingual (German native, English C2), bridging finance and AI innovation.

Nicola Beer Vice-President European Investment Bank Nicola Beer is Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg. From 2019 to 2023 she was Vice President and Member of the European Parliament with a focus on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, the Industry and Research Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. She was Member of the German Federal Parliament, Bundestag from 2017 to 2019. Previously, Mrs. Beer was 1999 to 2009 and 2014 to 2017 Member of the Hessian state parliament, serving 2012 to 2014 as Hessian Minister for Education and 2009 to 2012 Hessian State Secretary for European Affairs. Her political career started as city councilor in her hometown Frankfurt am Main, where she also worked as a self-employed lawyer, except during the time as a member of the Hessian state government. Before studying law at the University of Frankfurt, she completed training as a bank clerk after graduating from high school with a bilingual German-French diploma. Mrs. Beer was Secretary General of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from 2013 to 2019, and was deputy federal chairwoman 2019 to 2023.

Alexander Bellabarba leads Global Product Solutions at PayPal, architecting product-market fit strategies across all PayPal markets worldwide. He bridges global innovation with local market execution, ensuring PayPal's products deliver maximum value while addressing diverse regional commerce and regulatory requirements. At Meta (2020-2024), Alexander spearheaded FinTech for EMEA, scaling the company's multi-billion dollar payments infrastructure across Commerce, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. During his earlier tenure at PayPal (2012-2019), he built the company's global product management capabilities, served on the EMEA Management Board, and directed pan-European product strategy. With over two decades in payments and FinTech, Alexander brings deep expertise spanning PayPal, Meta, Deutsche Kreditbank, and eBay. Based in Berlin, he specializes in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and cultural nuances to deliver innovation across diverse markets.

Partner at Redstone and one of the most active Fintech early-stage investors in Europe.

Since 2018, Jochen Biedermann has served as Managing Director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), an international non-profit association registered in Belgium, representing 26 leading international financial centers globally. Its members are government agencies, associations, and similar institutions that develop and promote their financial centers. The World Alliance facilitates cooperation among its members, exchange of best practices, and communication with the general public. As the Managing Partner of FinTech Consult, Jochen leads a network of FinTech experts in Asia, Europe, and Africa. This network, which supports FinTechs in expanding globally, is a testament to Jochen's extensive global connections in the FinTech industry. Since 2022, he has served as an independent director at Eastnets, a Dubai-based leader in compliance, payment protection, and anti-fraud technologies. Jochen is also an expert at the Sino-German Center for Finance and Economics in Frankfurt, backed by the central banks and leading universities in China and Germany, and a fellow of the Think Tank of the Asian Financial Cooperation Association (AFCA) in Beijing. Furthermore, he is a founding board member of the International Digital Economies Association (IDEA), based in Hong Kong, and a member of the advisory council of the Vietnam International Financial Center, Da Nang. He is a long-standing advisor at Frankfurt Main Finance, the Frankfurt Financial Center initiative. Furthermore, he is a mentor at Cyberport in Hong Kong, OneEleven in Toronto, 1871 in Chicago, and 1000 Black Voices. Jochen sits on the board of several FinTech companies. Jochen has a master's degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Goettingen and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cottbus, Germany. He has given guest lectures at leading universities and business schools in Europe, America, and Asia.

Marinela Bilic-Nosic is a Partner in the Financial Services sector at EY Europe West. She advises regulators, central banks, and financial institutions on strategic digitalization and transformation initiatives. With over 20 years of experience in the international financial industry, Marinela has held various executive and board mandates globally. She holds degrees in Economics, Law, and General Management and is certified as an International Board Member.

Thomas Book is a member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Börse AG, overseeing the Trading & Clearing division spanning Cash Market, Financial Derivatives, FX & Digital Assets, Commodities, and Market Data. A pioneer in electronic trading, he joined Deutsche Börse Group in 1995, helping roll out Deutsche Terminbörse’s remote membership model across Europe and the US and later contributing to the creation of Eurex, a landmark cross‑border exchange. He earned a Ph.D. with the thesis “Electronic Exchange Trading and Global Markets.” From 2007 to 2016 he led Eurex Clearing, strengthening its role after the 2008 financial crisis, and in 2016 became CEO responsible for trading at Eurex. He joined Deutsche Börse’s Executive Board in 2018 and continues to shape market structure, innovation, and resilience.

Kat has spent the past decade working across Europe’s startup ecosystem, spanning policy, founding, operations, and investment. Before becoming Ambassador of the European Innovation Council, she served two consecutive terms as a Board Member. She also supports the EU Startup and Scaleup strategy as a member of Commissioner Zaharieva’s advisory forum. Previously, Kat led the landmark French Tech Mission under President Macron, helping design and deliver a series of policies credited with strengthening France’s tech ecosystem and global brand. An entrepreneur at heart, she co-founded Five by Five (later acquired by Capgemini) and became one of Europe’s first Chief Impact Officers at UX analytics company Contentsquare. Kat was named one of UNESCO’s “50 Minds for the Next 50 Years” and recognized as an “Obama Leader”, honoring her commitment to public service

Stéphane Boujnah is CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext, leading European capital market infrastructure, covering the entire capital markets value chain, from listing, trading, clearing, settlement and custody to solutions for issuers and investors. Euronext operates regulated markets in Athens, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris.. In September 2025, Euronext became a CAC 40 company with a market capitalization of approximatively €14 bn. Before joining Euronext, Stéphane Boujnah was Head of Santander Global Banking and Markets for Continental Europe. From 2005 to 2010, he was Managing Director at Deutsche Bank responsible for the development of the investment banking operations in France. Previously he founded KM5 Capital, an advisory company specialsied in equity raising and M&A advice for venture capital funds and innovative technology companies. From 2000 to 2002, he was Director of the European M&A team of Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group in Palo Alto (California) and London. From 1997 to 1999, Stéphane Boujnah was adviser to the French Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He was responsible for innovation policies, privatisations in the technology sector, international investments projects in France and the development of the New Economy. He started his career in 1991 as a business lawyer at Freshfields, focusing on M&A, privatisations and international investments in Eastern Europe. He graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. He holds a Master degree and a DEA in Law from La Sorbonne Paris, a LLM in Law from the University of Kent in Canterbury and a MBA from Insead. Stéphane Boujnah was a member of the Commission pour la Libération de la Croissance Française established by President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. He is founder and Vice-President of the French think tank En Temps Réel, where he published “L’inoxydable modèle suédois” in 2003, a book on the Swedish government and economic model. He is Vice-President of the Board of directors of Accentus and Insula Orchestra. He is Vice-President of the Board of Prométhée Education, a non-profit organization focusing on the support to underprivileged teenagers to boost ambition, access to higher education and preparation to life changing job opportunities.

Nicola is a seasoned executive over 25years of experience in building, transforming, and growing organisations, particularly in the tech sector. Currently, she advises businesses on open finance strategy, AI implementation, transformation and fundraising. Early in her career, she established three financial services businesses during the emerging internet age and became Managing Director of her first company at 26. Her venture capital experience sparked a passion for working with portfolio companies. She also gained extensive operational expertise in the global FMCG sector, Since 2016, Nicola has held Managing Director and C-level roles in financial services and tech companies, including a leadership position at PayPal. Recently, she has served as CEO and Managing Director in BaFin-licensed businesses, focusing on international strategy, business transformation, fundraising, regulation, organizational set-up, product strategy, marketing, sales, HR, and C-level team leadership. Nicola is also an active angel investor, serves as a Board Director for two tech companies, and advises two impact VC funds. She also serves on the Strategy Board of House of Finance & Tech in Berlin and on the board of FRIDA – Open Insurance. She is an internationally recognized expert on open data and embedded finance, frequently speaking and publishing on the topic. Nicola collaborates with industry bodies, banks, insurers, and regulators to shape the future open data economy and is a co.founder of the German Open Finance Charta

Piero Cipollone has been a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank since 1 November 2023. He is responsible for the Directorate Banknotes, the Directorate General International and European Relations and the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments. Before joining the ECB, Mr Cipollone was Deputy Governor of the Banca d’Italia and a member of the Board of the Italian Institute for the Supervision of Insurance. He also served as a member of the Coordination Group for the Cross-border payments programme at the Bank for International Settlements. He previously served as an Executive Director on the Board of the World Bank Group. Mr Cipollone graduated with honours in economics from the Sapienza University of Rome. He holds a Master of Arts in economics from Stanford University and was a visiting scholar at the economics department of the University of California, Berkeley.

Torsten Dannenberg is a Partner at EY and leads the Data & AI practice within Technology Consulting. With nearly two decades of experience in developing Data and AI driven solutions, he specializes in orchestrating large scale transformation programs and guiding organizations through complex digital change. He helps global organizations rethink how they operate, compete, and create value in an AI first world. Torsten’s work centers on the transformative potential of advanced and agentic AI — systems capable not only of reasoning and acting autonomously but of fundamentally redefining how enterprises function. Torsten lives near Cologne with his wife and two children. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and swimming.

Nico Di Gabriele is a Senior Team Lead within the Supervisory Policy Division of the European Central Bank (ECB). He is responsible for digital finance policy development within Banking Supervision and participate to policy activities at European Union and international level in the area of crypto-assets. He is the ECB Banking Supervision member to the Crypto-asset task force of the European Systemic Risk Board. He joined the ECB in 2015 and prior to that he had been serving at the Italian central bank and in commercial banks for 17 years. He is a certified crypto-asset anti-financial crime expert.

Dante Disparte is the Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations for Circle, a financial technology firm and the issuer of the world’s leading regulated digital currencies. In this role, he leads global strategy and operations, market expansion, regulatory policy, public affairs and corporate communications. Dante serves on the board of the Atlantic Council, and The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Circle, Dante was a founder of the Libra Association and has more than two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and global risk expert, most recently as founder and chairman of Risk Cooperative. Dante served as an appointee on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council, the U.S. federal emergency response agency. Dante is a frequent speaker and commentator on business and political issues shaping the world. His views on risk, economic competitiveness and technology are regularly featured in leading media and publications such as Harvard Business Review, BBC, Forbes, and Diplomatic Courier, where Dante serves on the editorial advisory board. Dante is a graduate of Harvard Business School and holds an MSc. in Risk Management from the NYU Stern School of Business and a B.A. in International and Intercultural Studies from Goucher College, from which he received the highest alumni achievement award for public service. He is the co-author of “Global Risk Agility and Decision Making” (Macmillan, 2016) and was recognized as one of the 40 leaders under 40 by the Washington Business Journal and in the inaugural Powermeter 100 list. Dante is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the World Economic Forum, and the Bretton Woods Committee. For access to Dante’s upcoming speaking engagements and hundreds of his published works, please visit www.dantedisparte.com

Dr. Malte Dous is Managing Director Central Europe at Qonto, Europe’s leading finance platform for SMEs and freelancers. From Qonto’s Berlin office he and his team steer the strategic direction, business performance and localization of Qonto’s financial management solution in Germany, Austria and other Central European markets. After studying and completing his PhD at the University of St. Gallen, Malte started his career at Boston Consulting Group and then spent more than twelve years building and scaling platform business models at Zalando, Wayfair and DocMorris. As part of Qonto’s global leadership team, he focuses on how digital finance can unlock the full potential of Europe’s Mittelstand.

Michael Duttlinger is CEO and Co-Founder of Cashlink, Europe’s leading token-based capital market infrastructure. After studying at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and in the USA, the experienced entrepreneur first built a successful payment service for SMEs before focusing on the digitization of capital market processes using distributed ledger technology. Duttlinger is recognized as an expert in tokenbased securities and the future of the capital market. He regularly engages in dialogue with German and European institutions, contributing his expertise to the development of regulated, digital financial solutions. As a multiple recipient of the FinTech Germany Award, he is committed to strengthening Germany and Europe as leading hubs for innovative financial technologies and actively bridging the gap between regulators and fintechs.

I have 20 years of professional experience with a focus on central banking and commercial banking digitalization. I am someone who spent the first half of his professional life at banks’ internal audit, Operational/Cyber Risk and Compliance domains. In the second half of my professional life, I re-invented and developed myself towards a FinTech innovator and change facilitator. Prior to joining the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) where my focus is a Countrywide FinTech, Open Finance strategy and regulatory design, I held senior positions at banks in Georgia and in Ukraine, and served on the management board of a leading retail bank (Liberty) in Georgia. I am passionate about the Strategic Transformation of Central Bank to “Fit” the new paradigm of Open Finance. Master’s degree from London Business School (LBS) specialized in Strategy and Leadership, combined with the domain experience allows me to see and suggest the efficient digitization strategies through industry development lenses. Most recently, my team and I came up with the concept of “FinTech in Georgia; building on the Middle Corridor Momentum”.

From reshaping digital banking to redefining business finance, Alexander Emeshev has been at the forefront of financial innovation. As co-founder of Vivid, he leads product development and operations, driving scalable, customer-centric solutions that transform how people and businesses bank. Before founding Vivid, Alexander led the digital transformation of several major banks. As Executive Director at Kaspi Bank, he spearheaded business expansion and digital strategy. At Tinkoff Bank, he played a key role in scaling digital products, shaping the future of fintech, setting the foundation for his work with Vivid. Under his leadership, Vivid evolved from a B2C fintech into a top European business bank, bringing the speed, simplicity, and affordability of retail banking to SMEs. Today, Vivid provides an integrated financial platform with competitive pricing, treasury management, and seamless connectivity between private and business banking. Backed by Greenoaks Capital and DST Global Partners, Vivid is among Germany’s top three business banks, shaping the future of SME banking in Europe.

Markus Fehn is Head of Strategy & Innovation at Chartered Investment, a FinTech that supports financial institutions, asset managers, and family offices in creating, managing and distributing regulated investment products. Founded in 2013 the firm has arranged more than 2,500 products with an issued volume of 15 bn EUR +. Markus has more than 15 years of experience in management consulting, banking, and digital finance, with a focus on capital‑markets innovation. In 2018, he contributed to the development and launch of the first structured investment product issued on a public blockchain. He later oversaw initiatives leading to Germany’s first tokenised security issued under the eWpG framework. At Chartered Investment, Markus leads the firm’s work on Digital Assets and AI, shaping its long‑term strategy and advancing the integration of emerging technologies into regulated capital‑markets infrastructure. He serves on the board of the Federal Association for Electronic Securities and holds an MBA from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management.

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Rodrigo Garcia de la Cruz promotes the FinTech sector as an entrepreneur, investor, influencer, and academic professional for over ten years. He was recognized as the 17th Top World Influencer in the 2019 FinTech Influencers Ranking published by Jay Palter Social Advisory. His experience and the international network led him to connect all the FinTech, InsurTech, and PropTech globally with corporations and investors. He created the first FinTech "Matching as a Service" platform, Finnovating. Additionally, he worked to advance the FinTech ecosystem, bringing together more than 25 countries, co-founding the IberoAmerican FinTech Alliance, the European Digital Finance Association, and becoming the President of the Spanish FinTech and InsurTech Association. Rodrigo also founded Accurate Quant and invested in more than 15 start-ups as a founding partner of FinTech Ventures, a private investor club specialized in FinTech. Previously, he spent 20 years in large multinational companies such as Citibank (Investment Banking), Barclays (Corporate Banking), and Renault (Robot Programming). He is a Robotics Industrial Engineer, holds a BA in Business Administration, a Master in Management of Financial Institutions from the IEB, and earned an Excellence Program in International Financial Markets from the London School of Economics.

Co-Pierre Georg is a Professor of Practice in Digital Finance and Technology at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and the Director of the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center. His research focuses on financial technology. His work has been published in leading international journals such as the Journal of Economic Theory, Research Policy, Operations Research, and Nature Physics. He earned his PhD in Economics from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and completed his Master's degree at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Previously, Co-Pierre Georg was a professor at the University of Cape Town, where he held the NRF/DSI Dual Research Chair in Blockchain Technology. He has also served as an economist at the Research Centre of the Deutsche Bundesbank and is a Research Associate at the Center for Global Legal Transformation at Columbia University and the Oxford Martin School for the 21st Century.

Dr. Tamaz Georgadze is CEO and co-founder of Raisin. He has led the start-up since its foundation and is therefore largely responsible for its success. Today, Raisin operates its platform in the EU, the UK and the US. As a marketplace, the Berlin-based company connects banks with savers and has become one of the most relevant European fintechs in just a few years. At the beginning of 2024, the fintech also announced an important milestone with its profitability. Georgadze previously worked at McKinsey & Company for almost 10 years - most recently as a Partner. There he advised leading banks and was responsible for the areas of deposit and investment products in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Tamaz Georgadze holds a doctorate in economics. He studied economics and law at the Universities of Tbilisi (Georgia) and Giessen (Germany). He advises the German Federal Ministry of Finance in the Digital Finance Forum (DFF) and is involved in the fintech and start-up scene, particularly in the areas of open banking, digitalization and regulation.

Robin Gerum is CEO and Co-Founder of Fuels, a financing provider for entrepreneurs and investors. He has held senior leadership roles in listed companies across construction, real estate, and international business, leading financing functions, growth journeys, restructuring and refinancing initiatives, and complex M&A processes. Robin began his career in investment banking at Carnegie, holds finance degrees from Rotterdam School of Management and the University of New Hampshire, and combines his professional background with a strong passion for football and team leadership.

Steve is a Partner at 13books Capital, investing in tomorrow’s financial technology. Founded with a mission to back bold founders creating the world-changing financial technology of tomorrow, 13books Capital has invested in Europe's best fintech founders. Coupled with the experience and knowledge of its network, 13books Capital backs the journey of founders to realise their ambitions to scale globally.

Dr. Sebastian Glock is a lawyer and founding partner of vc trade GmbH, which in March 2018 successfully launched the corporate finance platform vc trade. vc trade is a fully integrated digital trading platform for the structuring, marketing, syndication, settlement and lifecycle management of various forms of private debt financing in capital markets for corporates, banks and public institutions. The platform is open to all market participants and aims to accelerate, simplify and make the existing processes more efficient. In addition to transparency, efficiency gains and cost advantages, vc trade also offers new innovative services for all transaction participants, such as a paperless documentation process via e-signature, online document collaboration and a life cycle management suite with information directly fed into the core bank systems of the paying agents. Recently, “LoanAI”, an AI solution specifically engineered for loan transactions has been gone live as an additional service for platform users allowing accelerated deal analytics, automated document creation and transaction partner matching. Previously, Mr. Glock worked for an international law firm in the Capital Markets/Structured Finance area for ten years.

Stefan Grasmann is a blockchain visionary with more than 30 years experience in the tech sector. He is adept at identifying and exploiting business opportunities in the decentralized technology field. Stefan boasts years of experience in fostering tech innovation, developing businesses in challenging new markets and leading intercultural teams.

Investment Director at BlackFin, working on supporting fintech and insurtech startups and scaleaups with paneuropean or global ambitions. At BlackFin, we operate out of 6 offices in Europe and lead A to C rounds with tickets ranging from 5 to 30 million euros. Feel free to reach out and connect (in EN, DE or FR), looking forward to passionate exchanges & debates (and occasionally make a deal out of that ;)).

Alice Guedel is a member of the Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Maria Luís Albuquerque, focusing on digital finance. Since joining in December 2024, she has provided strategic guidance on policy decisions and coordinated with EU institutions and national governments. Previously at the European Commission, she led the Digital Finance Platform project, facilitating data sharing between central banks and fintechs. Before joining the European Commission, she was working in venture capital funds such as Partech, Alven and Omnes Capital, investing in the fintech sector.

Alessandra Guion is a seasoned ecosystem builder and purpose-driven leader and advisor at the intersection of digital finance and sustainability. She founded and led Fintech Belgium for nearly nine years and now sits on its Board of Directors. She also serves as board member at Isabel Group, and Chair of the European Digital Finance Association, all while actively supporting purpose-driven startups across Europe like Mifundo, or through her advisory role to The Connector . With 25+ years of experience, Alessandra empowers startups through strategy, governance, stakeholder engagement and growth. Passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, the single market, inclusion, and climate action, she creates communities where ideas thrive.

As a management consultant with over a decade of experience in financial services, I specialize in bridging the gap between business and IT. I possess deep knowledge of banking operations, the investment business as well as bank IT systems and take pride in supporting financial institutions thrive in the ever-evolving technological landscape to leverage innovation such as digital assets and artificial intelligence. Besides my professional pursuits, I am deeply immersed in the crypto space since several years, too. As a nerd and active member of various communities, digital and generative art collector, DAO member and founder of the probably first fiat-free company in the world, I am passionate about the potential of crypto and blockchain technology to revolutionize the TradFi sector - especially in combination with artificial intelligence. In combination, I am as committed as excited to leveraging my experience and knowledge to empowering Financial Services Institutions to leverage modern technologies as well as to navigate the digital asset revolution and thrive in the decentralized financial ecosystem - driving transformative change for a more efficient, democratic, transparent and safe future.

Ingrid Hengster is the CEO for Barclays Germany and co-leads the Global Chairman Group within the Corporate & Investment Bank. As the CEO of Barclays Germany, she is the franchise leader with responsibility over key decision making and accountability for business strategy and results. She is also responsible for enhancing Barclays’ profile locally with priority clients, regulators, governments and the business community.

Joris Hensen is responsible for the client facing business of the Deutsche Bank API Program, which he co-founded in 2015. With more than 80 partnerships and a company-wide coverage of data-based products, Deutsche Bank is now one of the world's leading open banking players. The Developer Portal of Deutsche Bank gives partners quick and easy access to more than 40 API products, enabling them to connect personalized apps and services and thus open up new areas of value creation. Joris' work includes brand and partnership development in the area of open banking as well as the expansion of internal processes and structures to accelerate the bank's digital transformation. In his more than ten years at Deutsche Bank, Joris Hensen has worked as a project manager on various international projects. He became enthusiastic about innovations and trends early on and set up a corporate foresight program in which he developed future scenarios and innovation strategies for Deutsche Bank. He now regularly writes and publishes on the topics of foresight, innovation, and APIs. In his spare time, Joris is committed to supporting entrepreneurial school and financial education as well as social entrepreneurship for more than 400,000 young students in India (www.karmaheld.de).

Dr. Martin Hess is Chief Economist and a Member of the Management Board of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA). He has been heading the Economic Policy unit at the umbrella organization since 2010. In this capacity, he also serves as the overall project lead for “Digital Currencies”. Martin Hess is also a member of the Chief Economist Group of the European Banking Federation (EBF). Before joining the SBA, Martin Hess held various positions at the Swiss Federal Department of Finance (FDF), most recently as Head Interna-tional Finance and Finance Stability at the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF). From 2001 to 2004, he was an Associate Professor at the Business School of the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City.

After working at HANSAINVEST, an Asset Management Company belonging to SIGNAL IDUNA Group, Dr. Sven Hildebrandt joined Boerse Stuttgart Digital to help building up the Crypto & Digital Assets Business. He currently serves at Head of Dach for Bitpanda Technology Solutions - your partner for all solutions in the realms of Crypto & Digital Assets.

Niko Ihle joined Deloitte in 2012 and is a Director for Deloitte in the Strategy, Risk and Transformation, FSI Financial Crime practicein Frankfurt. Before fighting financial crime, he worked for six years for Deloitte Consulting in the department of Financial Services Solutions (FSS). During his studies he also worked for another Big4 company. During his long career at Deloitte Niko has gained a deep understanding of financial institutes’ systems, processes and compliance functions.

Driving the delivery of next generation responsible and scalable AI - Uniting strategy, engineering and innovation to deliver real business impact in highly regulated enviroments.

Ramin Kader is an executive leader with over 12 years of experience driving strategy, operations, and general management across the fintech and digital asset sectors. Currently, he serves as Head Business Development at Bitvavo, the leading European crypto exchange, where he leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for Markets & Institutional clients.

Prof. Dr. Dennis-Kenji Kipker studied law and computer science and, as scientific director and founder of the cyberintelligence.institute, conducts research at the interface of law and technology in cybersecurity, corporate strategy, and digital resilience in the context of global crises, with a particular focus on Chinese and US IT law. In this role, he advises the German federal government, the European Commission, and companies worldwide, where he holds various positions, including on supervisory boards. Dennis Kipker volunteers with the World Justice Project in the US and serves on the advisory board of the African Center for Cyberlaw & Cybercrime Prevention (ACCP) at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. In 2025, Professor Kipker was included in Capital magazine's “Top 40 under 40” list, which honors individuals whose professional work is considered particularly influential and forward-looking.

Takeshi is a serial Fintech entrepreneur, and Co-founder & CEO of GFTN Japan, actively leading ecosystem building and international partnerships. Additionally, he serves on the committee for the Government of Japan's Regulatory Sandbox and is a member of the experts group at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry for cross-border data transfers. Before starting his own startup, Takeshi worked as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, gaining expertise in capital markets. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, he worked at Boston Consulting Group. He also held the position of Vice-chair at Fintech Association of Japan, where he played a pivotal role in navigating international collaborations for 6 years.

Ronald Kleverlaan is a European thought leader on the future of SME banking, digital finance and alternative funding models. He is Founder and Director of the European Centre for Alternative Finance (ECAF) at Utrecht University, where he shapes the European research and policy agenda on data-driven SME finance, platform-based lending and financial inclusion. As Founder and Chair of Stichting MKB Financiering, established on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, he works at the intersection of banks, fintechs, alternative lenders and regulators, representing over €6 billion in annual SME financing. He is closely involved in the development of new market standards, self-regulation and supervisory frameworks for non-bank SME finance. In addition, Ronald serves as an independent expert to the European Investment Bank and EIF, advising on EU investment instruments such as InvestEU, ERDF and ESF+. His work focuses on how digitalisation, regulation and public-private cooperation are reshaping the next generation of SME banking in Europe.

Georgi Kodinov is DACH Head of Compliance at Nexi Germany. With 15+ years leading risk, compliance, and AML functions in banking and payments, he combines deep regulatory expertise (CRR/CRD, MaRisk, AML) with quantitative capabilities. An experienced counterpart for BaFin, Bundesbank, and ECB, Georgi specializes in digitalizing risk frameworks and applying AI/ML to AML detection.

Konstantin Koenig is a Principal at Illuminate Financial, a global thesis-driven venture capital fund focused exclusively on enterprise fintech and B2B software shaping the future of financial services. Based in London, he focuses on Seed to Series B investments, partnering closely with founders to scale technology-led businesses across digital banking, payments, capital markets technology, data, and financial infrastructure. Prior to joining Illuminate, Konstantin was a Principal at Frog Capital, where he worked on growth-stage software investments across Europe and supported portfolio companies on strategic and operational initiatives. Prior to investing, Konstantin worked for half a decade as an investment banker at FT Partners, advising fintech and financial technology companies on M&A transactions and growth financings.

Fritzi Köhler-Geib is a Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank and is responsible for IT, Data and Statistics, Risk Control and the Research Centre. Before this, she was the Chief Economist and First Vice President of KfW Group. Previously she worked for over twenty years at the IMF and the World Bank in various positions and re-gions as well as at private sector financial institutions, last as the World Banks Lead Econ-omist and Programme Leader for Central America. She received her PhD in Economics from Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and Pompeu Fabra University, Spain. She holds two master degrees in economics and in international management from the Uni-versity of St. Gallen, HEC Paris and the University of Michigan. Her research interests focus on financial crises, their stabilization and growth-enhancing reforms. In addition, she teaches a master’s level course on economic transformation processes at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Christie brings extensive experience in open banking and API product growth from her roles at open banking scale-up Aiia, to global payments player Mastercard, and to her current position at Danske Bank, where she focuses on embedding financial services directly into businesses’ preferred systems. Known for her customer-first approach, she helps businesses create even greater value by integrating Danske Bank’s services to help them run healthy organisations. Christie is also an active contributor to the ecosystem, a host of the Pantrium podcast, and a mentor for founders and emerging talent.

Dr. Markus E. Krüger is a Partner at Latham & Watkins in Frankfurt and co‑heads the German Financial Institutions Group. He advises leading financial institutions, fintechs, and global investors on M&A, growth capital, and regulatory matters, with a strong focus on complex transactions in the financial industry and technology. Markus has extensive experience guiding investors and high‑growth technology companies through key financing rounds and scaling phases, including major investments in fintech, AI, deep‑tech and defense. He works at the intersection of private capital and regulatory innovation, supporting collaboration between public and private stakeholders to accelerate growth. His mandates span large growth financings, strategic bank‑fintech partnerships, and regulatory challenges arising from new (digital) business models. Markus holds a Dr. jur. from the University of Constance and an LL.M. from New York University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in Germany and New York. With his combination of legal expertise, sector knowledge, and strategic insight, Markus is recognized as a key advisor in the financial industry and Europe’s rapidly evolving digital and financial ecosystem.

Jörg Kukies is a former Federal Minister of Finance, was State Secretary in the Chancellor's Office for many years and is the former head of Goldman Sachs in Germany. He combines international financial expertise with political influence – and makes complex issues understandable to a broad audience. Kukies (*1968) began his academic career by studying economics in Mainz and Paris, graduating in 1994 with a Maîtrise degree. From 1995 to 1997, he studied public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School (Master of Public Administration) on a McCloy scholarship. He then went on to study finance at the University of Chicago, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2001. In 2000, Dr. Jörg Kukies joined Goldman Sachs. In London and Frankfurt, he quickly assumed senior positions and eventually became head of German operations and co-chairman of Goldman Sachs Germany and Austria. As a long-standing member of the SPD, Kukies was appointed one of three civil servant state secretaries in the Federal Ministry of Finance by the then Federal Minister of Finance, Olaf Scholz, in 2018. When Olaf Scholz took office as Federal Chancellor in 2021, Kukies became a civil servant State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery. There he was head of the Department of Economic, Financial, and Climate Policy as well as the Department of European Policy. In addition, as personal representative of the Federal Chancellor, he was Sherpa to the G7 and G20 summits. After the breakup of the traffic light coalition, Kukies succeeded Christian Lindner (FDP) as Federal Minister of Finance in the Scholz cabinet on November 7, 2024. He left office with the formation of the Merz cabinet on May 6, 2025.

David Kurz is a Business Development Specialist at Bitvavo. With his passion for blockchain, digital assets, and DeFi, he drives the development of strategic international partnerships and networks within the crypto industry. Previously, he worked for, among others, fija Finance, brokerize, and stock3, and brings deep expertise at the intersection of fintech, crypto, and institutional partners.

Executive Advisor with 25 years of management consulting background. Jürgen implements digital transformation strategies with a focus on getting stuff done, specifically for bank and insurance companies with ambitious visions for where they want to be. Jürgen helps clients rewire the 'Digital DNA' of their organizations from front to back. Additionally he has been the driving force behind major transformations that have delivered cost reductions, agility, efficiency gains and competitive advantage to leading global corporations.

Matthias Lais is Managing Director of neosfer. He heads Team Invest, which acts as the early-stage investor of the Commerzbank group and offers strategic corporate venture capital to early-stage start-ups in order to promote and drive forward the digital and sustainable transformation of financial services. Matthias Lais worked as an investment manager and authorized signatory when neosfer was founded under the name main incubator. Independent and responsible work with the mindset of an entrepreneur is his guiding principle.

Marco Li Mandri is the head of ING Analytics Office since October 2023. From this role he is driving the Analytics vision by focusing on the delivery of impactful solutions, the development of the analytical foundation, and the empowerment of talent. Marco has extensive experience in leveraging data and analytics to empower operational efficiency and product delivery. He has worked as product area lead for Data, Analytics and Management Information at ING KYC tribe DB NL, as well as product manager with focus on AI Strategy at ING Customer Dialogue team, and Vodafone.

I am a dynamic entrepreneur and marketing professional with expertise in strategic brand building, digital content creation, and business growth. With a strong foundation in marketing from my experience at Mercedes-Benz , I have developed a comprehensive understanding of modern marketing principles, consumer behaviour, and campaign strategy — all grounded in real-world application and continuous learning.

Professor Dr. R. Alexander Lorz graduated from high school at the Diltheyschule in Wiesbaden. After completing his preliminary degree in economics, he went on to study law and received his doctorate in 1992. Following his second state law examination, he obtained a further degree as Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Harvard Law School in 1994 and, after passing the bar exam, was admitted as an attorney-at-law in New York in 1995. From 1994 to 2000, he worked as a research assistant at the University of Mannheim. There, he qualified as a professor in 1999 and received his teaching license for public law, including international and European law, as well as legal philosophy. Professor Dr. Lorz taught from 2000 to 2014 as chair of German and foreign public law, international law, and European law at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. From 2007 to 2009, he was State Secretary in the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art and held the same position in the Hessian Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs from 2012 to 2014. He served as Hessian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs from 2014 to 2024 and was also President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in 2019. Since January 2024, Professor Dr R. Alexander Lorz heads the Hessian Ministry of Finance. He is responsible for shaping tax and budgetary policy as well as for the state's investment, construction and real estate management. At federal level, he represents Hessian interests on the Finance Committee of the Bundesrat. The committee's work also touches on European financial issues.

Luigi is Objectway’s founder and CEO group. As visionary entrepreneur, he has dedicated his career to power the investment service business by technology innovation. He has successfully consolidated Objectway’s leadership in the wealth and asset management industry internationally, creating a technology platform, which enables customers to digitally evolve their business and deliver higher performances. His goal today is to create and implement disruptive ways to reduce the complexity and timing of digital transformation. Luigi holds a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Pisa.

Marcus is a seasoned senior executive, advisor, non-executive director, and investor. In the last 20+ years he held various top-management positions with market leading companies in the digital payments and fintech industry and has been involved in shaping the German and European payments landscape. Today, Marcus is an active board member in fintech companies (e.g. N26, AlphaQ VC, Geidea) and is engaged as senior advisor with companies in the financial services, tech, and data space. Beside this, he is active as speaker, author and publisher of specialist articles and books.

Stefanie Münz is a member of the Management Board of LBBW. In her role, she shapes the strategic and financial direction of one of Germany’s leading universal banks, with responsibility for Finance, Strategy, Operations, Digitalization and Innovation. With a strong background in finance, risk controlling, and strategic steering, she offers a holistic perspective on how banks can combine financial stability, operational excellence, and transformation in an increasingly complex environment. Stefanie Münz holds an MBA and a Diplom-Betriebswirtin (BA). In addition to her board role, she serves in several governance and supervisory mandates.

Financial services executive with over 20 years of experience in consulting and banking, currently focused on the development and evolution of the Brazilian Open Finance ecosystem.

Melissa Ott is Managing Director at Futury, where she leads the strategic development and expansion of the startup and innovation ecosystem in the Rhine-Main region. In her role, she connects universities, startups, corporates, investors, and public stakeholders to foster and scale knowledge- and technology-driven ventures. Prior to joining Futury, she worked as a management consultant at Roland Berger.

Florian Pawlizki, LL.M. works in financial services with a focus on Anti-Financial Crime, AML/CFT, and sanctions compliance. He has a strong background in corporate and retail banking, as well as experience at a Big Four auditing firm. As Head of Anti-Financial Crime at IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG, he is responsible for the bank-wide AML/CTF, anti-bribery, and sanctions compliance framework. A key focus of his role is anticipating regulatory change and translating it into actionable frameworks, most recently in the context of the EU AML Regulation. Florian steers cross-functional projects at the intersection of regulation, operations, and digitalization. He contributes to industry discussions through banking association working groups and speaks regularly on pragmatic approaches to integrating compliance requirements into banking processes.

Stephan A. Paxmann is Head of Digitalisation and Innovation at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW). He has been responsible for the bank's strategic digitalisation and innovation activities and projects since 2022. Together with his team, he steers innovation and trend management, analyses and tests new business ideas with digital solutions using the LBBW incubator, develops the digital roadmap for the relevant digitalisation initiatives and supports the banking group in the transfer of new innovative business models with digital solutions into everyday corporate life. Before joining LBBW, he held management positions at Deutsche Bank AG in Frankfurt am Main and New York and at IMG in St. Gallen as head of the German-speaking consulting business. From 2007 to 2010, he was Director International Banking at Allianz SE in Munich and Paris and Group Strategist at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt am Main. In 2010, he founded TME AG, a consulting boutique for the digital transformation of banks and insurance companies in Frankfurt am Main, where he was CEO until 2022.

Thomas is working in the financial service industry since 1998, starting at companies like IBM moving over to Credit Suisse and thereafter serving the industry from the vendor side. Digital Banking and Blockchain always have been in the center of activities, as with companies like synpulse, Crealogix, Metaco and Ripple. Now Thomas is working at Bitpanda Technology Solutions as Senior Manager Strategic Partnerships.

Thibault Pelé is t he Global Head of Digital Currencies at Worldline, leading strategic initiatives across stablecoins and central bank digital currencies. He contributed to notorious projects and working group with banks, regulators, and fintechs on emerging payment rails. Thibault combines deep technical knowledge with strong product and business expertise, and also lectures at a prominent French school on the future of payments.

Christian Pirkner is a serial entrepreneur and currently Chief Executive Officer of Blue Code International AG. Available to users across the Eurozone, Bluecode offers a sovereign European way to pay, accepted across Europe and worldwide. Through its Interoperability Hub, Bluecode combines barcode, QR code, and NFC technologies and is already connected to over 40 payment roaming partner networks, reaching more than 80 million merchants in 190 countries. In addition, Christian is a founding member of the European Mobile Payment Systems Association and a member of the European Payment Council (EPC).

Christoph Pliessnig, Teroxx founder and entrepreneur, began his career in the insurance industry, where he learned how crucial clear, comprehensive advice is for sophisticated wealth decisions. Seeing digital assets as the next frontier for regulated diversification, he shifted his focus to building transparent, institution-grade access to this new asset class. Rising demand for his ability to turn complexity into clarity led him to found Teroxx Global Group in 2018, creating a boutique digital asset house that combines regulatory rigor, exceptional service standards, and digital sovereignty for affluent clients.

Seasoned communications professional with substantial experience in corporate communications, management consulting, and quality journalism, specializes in crisis preparedness and crisis communication ▪ Member of the Executive Advisory Board at CyberIntelligence Institute ▪ Offers broad experience in crisis communications, e.g. in (cyber) incident response teams ▪ Advises company management and supervisory boards on all communications matters ▪ Leads communication projects with complex stakeholder relations ▪ Professional career as a journalist, speechwriter, spokesperson, head of corporate communications and public affairs

Alice Rettig is the Managing Director of TechQuartier, one of Germany’s largest digital hubs and a key ecosystem builder in the Rhein-Main region. With a passion for driving transformation, Alice leads efforts to accelerate technological innovation and foster collaboration between 20 corporate partners and over 700 startups. Her background includes six years in academia, where she focused on corporate innovation and startup acceleration, along with program management for a Berlin-based accelerator.

Verena has significant experience across the full spectrum of German and Europe financial regulation. In addition to German and internationally active banks and financial services companies, she also advises payment and e-money institutions as well as companies and IT service providers seeking to gain a foothold in the regulated financial market. She also has experience in advising capital management companies and foreign fund managers. VC companies that want to invest in regulated financial entities in Germany and Europe also seek advice from Verena. She is specialised in licensing requirements, organizational requirements and compliance, implementing new regulation (such as DORA, ESG, FIDA, MiCAR, PSR/PSD3), dealing with BaFin, and structuring business models of FinTechs.

With over 25 years experience in the Technology industry, Mark is a Managing Director at Google who has established his brand as a business transformation luminary. Mark leads the Financial Services team and is performing a key role defining the growth strategy across the Financial Services customer base across EMEA. With a rich background of experience with leading technology brands, Mark has been instrumental in helping business to integrate leading edge solutions to drive business performance. Mark has held global leadership roles at Cisco supporting strategic Financial Services customers and he was General Manager at Microsoft responsible for foundational partnership achievements. Mark is based in London and holds a BA in Business & Management from Leeds University.

Joaquín Sastre Ibáñez joined the management team of Boerse Stuttgart Digital as Chief Revenue Officer on January 1st, 2024. Previously, he was Managing Director at BitGo, a global digital asset service provider, where he was responsible for building, operating and expanding the business across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Joaquín Sastre Ibáñez assisted large European and international institutions and governments in their digital assets journey, and his contributions were key in several of BitGo's funding milestones. Prior to this, he started his career in the digital asset space in 2017 at Xapo Bank, establishing one of the first regulated institutional crypto custodians and the leading OTC trading provider of the time.

Marc Savani is Managing Director and Partner of NewMark Communications. After 20 years of experience as a media spokesperson at Allianz Global Investors and as internal communications manager at Dresdner Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort, Marc started to advise a broader range of financial institutions in communication matters when joining NewMark Communications in 2021. Clients value his counsel and execution on investment insight, corporate and crisis communication topics. Marc holds a dual Master in Economic History, Economics and Political Science (Bonn) and Economics (Paris – Sorbonne).

Daniela Schackis is Deputy Director General in Banking Supervision at the European Central Bank. The Directorate General SSM Governance & Operations (DG-SGO) ensures the efficient decision-making process of the Supervisory Board and its structures. The DG acts as gatekeeper for new players entering the market (banks, shareholders, board members), withdraws banking licenses and investigates alleged breaches of prudential regulations. The DG leads innovation, integration, simplification and knowledge management in Banking Supervision. Daniela joined the ECB in July 1998. She held various positions in Human Resources, Risk Management and Statistics and has always been a promoter of innovative and data-driven ways of working. Prior to the ECB, she worked at Eurostat. Daniela holds a master’s degree in economics from the University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

Sarah Schmidtke is the managing director at Bankenverband Mitte. It represents the interests of more than 100 private banks in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, which employ around 40,000 employees. Prior to this, Sarah was responsible for managing the Frankfurt office of the European Banking Federation (EBF), focussing on banking regulation & supervision. Before, she worked as Financial Attaché at the British Embassy in Berlin. Prior to joining the diplomatic service, Sarah spent 13 years working for capital markets departments of Commerzbank and Natixis in Frankfurt, London and Paris. Sarah studied at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University. She chairs the advisory board of the European Banking Institute (EBI) and is an advisory board member at the Center for Financial Studies (CFS).

Alexander Schroff leads the Financial Services Practice at Publicis Sapient, a technology company that provides enterprise AI platforms and strategy consulting services, in the DACH region. Together with his team, he supports banks and financial institutions in their digital business transformation and drives the use of cloud and platform technologies, data integration, robotic process automation (RPA) and AI tools. A senior executive with a PhD and postdoctoral qualification, he has more than 15 years of experience. He gained his expertise in various executive roles on the banking side in investment banking, treasury and global markets and as a consultant for highly complex transformation projects in the capital markets and trading environment.

As Managing Director at Reimann Investors Venture Management, Samuel co-leads the venture investment team, blending financial expertise with a passion for transformative technologies. He brings a wealth of experience and a dynamic approach to supporting founders and driving growth in the fintech, insurtech, and SaaS sectors. Samuel joined Reimann Investors at the start of 2025, after an accomplished career in venture capital and strategic investments. Most recently, he served as Partner at Munich-based yabeo, where he focused on investment themes across Europe and the US. Prior to this, Samuel was an Investment Director at Allianz X, deal captaining and overseeing high-profile portfolio investments and key digital corporate initiatives for Allianz. His early career included the role of Director Strategy & Investments at Bertelsmann, where he managed strategic growth projects for the company’s global book publishing division. Before transitioning to early-stage venture capital, Samuel honed his finance expertise in various roles at the technology group Schaeffler, operating across Europe and China. His focus on growth investments and major financing initiatives gave him an international perspective and a deep understanding of scaling businesses in diverse markets. Samuel holds dual master’s degrees in International Management from the University of St. Gallen and CEMS. His academic background complements his professional achievements, reinforcing his strategic and analytical approach to investments. Beyond his professional pursuits, Samuel is driven by a curiosity for the world and its cultures. He enjoys traveling, exploring the arts, indulging in fine dining, and participating in all kinds of sports. His multifaceted interests reflect his open-mindedness and dedication to personal and professional growth.

Tobias Schulz is Principal at HTGF and focuses on investments in areas such as business software, Fintech, Proptech, Legal Tech, blockchain, AI, mobility and sustainability. Before joining HTGF, Tobias started in Investment Banking working for Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. As an Entrepreneur in Residence he helped to build the German unicorn Zalando SE. Tobias Schulz is the founder of several companies in the fashion and fintech industry and led the operations practice of Fashionette GmbH. Tobias holds a B.Sc. degree from EBS University in Oestrich-Winkel in Germany, a M.Sc. degree from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and completed Computer Science programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Joachim Schwerin is PhD economist, blockchain expert and privacy activist. He is Principal Economist in the Responsible Business Conduct unit within the Directorate-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission, where he is responsible for developing policies in support of the Token Economy and Distributed-Ledger Technologies as well as their applications for industry and SMEs. His current focus lies on shaping positive framework conditions for DAOs, Web3 and privacy-enhancing technologies. In the financial domain, he contributed e.g. to the MiCA Regulation, the DLT Pilot Regime and the Digital Euro. Previously, he coordinated the European Commission's industrial and competition policies and worked on SME access to finance. Joachim holds a PhD from Dresden University of Technology and was Post-Doc Research Fellow at the London School of Economics' Economic History Department before he joined the European Commission in 2001.

Simon Seiter is the Chief Financial & Product Officer and Managing Director of AllUnity. He is responsible for closely aligning the financial strategy with product innovation. Before joining AllUnity Simon was both Head of Digital Asset at Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe and before at Deutsche Börse Group. In this role he oversaw the acquisition of the second licensed crypto custodian in Germany, the built out of the first management company allowed to issue crypto funds in Germany and Luxemburg and one of the first crypto register licenses. Besides, Simon has served multiple times as supervisory board chairman and member and advised international associations and policy makers.

Director of the Frankfurt School Entrepreneurship Centre, Ram builds bridges between founders and DAX companies, capital and customers, Frankfurt and Tel Aviv. After 16 years running P&Ls & LBOs for global finance and tech corporations, Ram founded Accelerator Frankfurt, Germany’s first go-to-market program for growth-stage fintech and blockchain startups. He is a serial entrepreneur and business angel and has coached hundreds of start-ups throughout his career. Ram learned from his pro-surfing career the importance of surrounding himself with passionate people and being in the right place at the right time. Since 2022, Ram has built and led the Entrepreneurship Centre at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management from the ground up, incubating more than 200 startups over the past three years.

Audris Siow, Ph.D., is Head of Institutional Partnerships at Bitvavo, where she leads strategic collaborations across the digital asset ecosystem. She was previously EMEA Head of Business Development at Talos, a leading digital asset trading platform. With more than 15 years of experience in global capital markets, Audris has held leadership roles at Virtu Financial and Investment Technology Group (ITG), driving sell-side electronic trading initiatives. Earlier in her career, she spearheaded business development at Smarts Group (now part of Nasdaq), establishing its trade surveillance technology as the global benchmark for exchanges, regulators, and financial institutions. A data-driven leader with deep expertise in financial and regulatory technology, Audris has a proven track record in sales growth, electronic trading, digital assets, algorithms, and surveillance. Her work spans global markets, where she has successfully led large-scale projects and built institutional relationships with asset managers, broker-dealers, banks, and regulators. Audris holds a Ph.D. in Finance, specializing in market integrity and surveillance.

Rodrigo is a co-founder and AI Product Manager at OutSystems. Since co-founding the company in 2001, he has played a decisive role in the design and vision of the product, particularly its architecture and visual language. From day one, he focused on developing innovative, pragmatic ways to accelerate the delivery of enterprise applications. He is now responsible for doubling down on this goal by using AI to increase productivity by an order of magnitude.

Jan Steinhage is Chief of Staff at 0TO9 - a fintech venture builder and investor - working across strategy, operations and execution. In his role, he supports founders build the operational foundations that companies need to launch faster, scale smarter and build financial services that last. Before joining 0TO9, Jan gained over five years of experience across early-stage ventures and scale-ups, including GAIA, Nuri and CLARK, where he developed a deep understanding of what it takes to move from an initial idea to running and continuously improving operations and growth. Beyond 0TO9, he advises early-stage founders, contributes to the European startup operator network Early Builders, and mentors students at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Viggo is CEO and Co-Founder of SolvaPay, a Swedish fintech building AI-native payment infrastructure—enabling AI agents to transact autonomously. Previously, Viggo spent nearly five years at Spotify as Engineering Manager, leading Platform & Infrastructure and Data & Insights teams serving hundreds of millions of users. Before Spotify, he held BI leadership roles at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and East Capital, building deep expertise in financial systems and analytics. He also founded VOKAVE (early-stage investments & AI consulting) and Norn.xyz (blockchain/Web3), and serves on Sweden's Digital Product Passports standards committee.

Niclas Storz founded Tidely beginning of 2021 to solve one of the most critical challenges that companies face: Cashflow Management. Tidely is a cloud-based SaaS solution enabling corporate clients to plan, steer and actively manage their liquidity. With Tidely corporate clients gain transparency on their financials in real-time, are able to forecast expected future developments, can compare various scenarios and last but not least inform various stakeholders with standardized reports. Tidely’s Go-To-Market builds upon 2 major pillars: (1) Direct sales to corporates and (2) Whitel-label integrations into banks’ online banking. Prior to founding Tidely Niclas Storz spent nearly 25 years in management consulting - lastly as Senior Partner and Managing Director of BCG. At BCG he was running Transaction Banking & Payments and Technology & Operations in Banking. He studied Industrial Engineering and Business Administration and conduced a 2 year banking traineeship at Deutsche Bank.

Tuomas Toivonen, Co-founder and CEO at Holvi, has over 15 years of experience advising governments and global mobile operators on payment systems. Tuomas saw the need for a better banking solution for small businesses in Europe. This drove him to create Holvi – a banking-service designed to meet the unique needs of SMEs.

During his 12-year tenure at Deutsche Bank, Hubertus Väth held the positions of Analyst, Head of Communications and Chief Economist for Asia and Global Head of Marketing for Wealth Management at offices in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Singapore. He is the Founder of the NewMark Group and CEO of NewMark Finanzkommunikation GmbH, established in 1997 and specialized in market research, business consulting and financial communication. In 2008, Väth was appointed Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance, the Financial Centre initiative for Frankfurt and the leading Financial Centre in Germany and the Euro Zone. In 2018, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), which was created to facilitate cooperation and exchange of best practices among international financial centres and to foster greater exchange with international public authorities. In 2025, he became the Vice Chair of WAIFC. Väth regularly speaks at international financial conferences on Brexit, FinTechs and Financial Centre Development; Euro Clearing and Green Finance. Väth is a Special Fellow of the Financial Think Tank of AFCA and publishes regularly in this capacity. He is a member of Rotary Club and has a Diploma in Economics from the University Mainz, Germany. Väth is an occasional lecturer at Universities and Business Schools.

At De Nederlandsche Bank, Inge is responsible the well functioning of the Dutch payments market. She is vice-chair of the MOB (i.e. the local national payments forum). At the Eurosystem, she is Vice-Chair of the Market Infrastructure Board, which governs all Target Services, and a member of the High-Level Task Force Digital Euro. At the BIS (Bank of International Settlements), she is a member of the Committee Payments Market Infrastructure. Inge has spent her entire career in payments, both retail and wholesale. Until 2020, she worked in the private sector.

I am a financial professional with two decades of experience in the banking industry, currently serving as CEO of New10, a fast-growing scale-up that offers online financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands. New10 is positioned as one of the "challenger" propositions in the recently updated strategy of ABN AMRO. I have a solid background in business banking, lending and risk management.  In the first part of my career I served in various positions in the business domain of Fortis and ABN AMRO being responsible for SME's and later on corporate customers. Within the risk management domain, I had leading roles in Strategic Risk Management/Central Risk Management, covering most enterprise risk management topics. My personal vision is to create a sustainable and profitable business model that serves the interests of both bank and clients. Long-term success can only be achieved when both parties feel like they are winning.

Amadeus von Kummer is a fintech expert with a strong focus on scaling businesses and driving digital innovation. As Member Executive Management at Teylor AG, the leading European SME lending player and Managing Director at Teylor Technologies he drives the growth of the company's SaaS division that provides innovative lending infrastructure to banks and financial institutions. Prior to joining Teylor, Amadeus held leadership roles at prominent financial technology firms and was deeply involved in supporting and contributing to two successful exits. At Tink, a leading open-banking provider, he managed banking operations in the DACH region following Tink's acquisition of FinTecSystems, where he served as Vice President of Banking & Finance. In these roles, he was instrumental in integrating open-banking solutions into financial institutions, modernizing traditional banking processes. Amadeus is passionate about leveraging technology to reshape financial services, focusing on smarter, faster, and more inclusive credit solutions for SMEs and financial institutions.

Name: Stephen Voss Title: Co-Founder, CSO Sales & Marketing Company Name: Neodigital Versicherung AG Homepage: www.neodigital.de Short Bio: Stephen Voss started his professional career at Allianz AG in Frankfurt. After graduating in business management in 1997 he worked for the Deutsche Bank AG and for the Halifax-Bank of Scotland in Luxembourg for more than 10 years. After several other stations of his career he acted as General Management Executive Manager for AIG Group in Frankfurt for the German and Austrian market from 2010 to mid-2013. From 2013 to 2016 he held the position as Profit Center Manager Broker Personal Lines & Small Business for the Zurich Insurance Group. At the same time Stephen was also CEO and in charge of the Executive Office at Baden-Badener Versicherung AG for Sales & HR. Since Jan 2017 Stephen is co-founder, co-investor and CEO of Neodigital Versicherung AG. Stephen holds dual nationality (British & German) and is married with 3 children. Important career stations: Neodigital Versicherung AG -> Co-Founder, CSO Sales & Marketing Baden-Badener Versicherung AG -> CEO Zurich Versicherung -> Head of Broker Personal Lines & Small Business AIG (Chartis) -> Executive Manager Deutschland/Österreich Halifax Bank of Scotland -> Head of Investment Marketing & Development Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A. -> Head of Marketing Specific Expertise: • Operations, Sales & Marketing • Digital Insurance Processing • German Broker Market • High Net Worth Individuals • Institutional & corporate clients Experience with Startups: • Expert knowledge in starting up new distribution units, products and markets.

I am a Senior Manager with a combined background in banking and consulting and extensive experience in Capital Markets. I bring deep domain knowledge together with strong leadership in complex, regulated environments, leading multidisciplinary teams across business and technology. I engage with emerging topics such as AI in Capital Markets from a leadership and operating model perspective, focusing on the implications for trading, research and market risk.

Senior finance professional with 14 years of experience in debt and equity financing, M&A and operational excellence, complemented by entrepreneurial knowledge from founding and raising capital for two start-ups as well as CFA and CFA-ESG charterholder.

Thomas Walther serves as the Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs of Technische Universität Darmstadt since January 2023. Thomas Walther studied Physics at the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich. After receiving his Diploma, he moved on to the Institute for Physical Chemistry at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, to work on his Ph.D. under the guidance of Prof. Dr. J. Robert Huber. Upon completion he joined the Physics Department of Texas A&M University as an Assistant Research Scientist in November 1994 with Edward S. Fry, where he became an Assistant Professor in July 1998. Since January 2002, he is a Full Professor of Experimental Physics at TU Darmstadt. His research interests include laser physics, spectroscopy and quantum optics. Currently, his group is working on projects in environmental sensing, laser cooling at accelerators, laser trapping of neutral mercury, and quantum technologies in particular a quantum key distribution network. He has authored and coauthored more than 100 papers as well as more than 250 conference contributions. He holds five patents. Thomas Walther also serves as Director of the Forum of Interdisciplinary Research (FiF) at TU Darmstadt

Martina Weimert is the CEO of EPI Company, since the early days of the initiative established in December 2020. Martina has been supporting and guiding European banks and acquirers to build the foundation of the EPI Company, aiming to build an independent European solution and connecting Europe’s payment industry. With 20 years of experience in international consulting, she has in-depth experience in payments and payment solution set-up, fintech, blockchain and retail banking in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Prior to joining EPI, she was a partner in the Financial Services Practice of the consultancy Oliver Wyman in Paris, leading the European payments practice, previously holding the positions of Senior VP at Capgemini Consulting, and Marketing & Sales Director for Deutsche Bank in France. Martina graduated from the Institute of Political Science Paris in European business development and holds a Master degree in International Administration (DESS) from Sorbonne University, and studied before Political Science at the University of Bonn.

Secretary-General of Digital Invest Germany, Research Director at the European Digital Finance Association

With a background in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of St. Gallen, Dr. Camillo Werdich brings deep technical and strategic expertise. Before founding Sinpex, he worked as a KYC and compliance manager at Deloitte, where he saw firsthand the inefficiencies in regulatory processes – driving him to build a smarter, automated solution.

Gregory Wheeler is Professor of Philosophy & Computer Science and Department Head at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, where he directs the Master of AI & Data Science program. His research spans imprecise probability theory and machine learning. He is also CTO and Co-Founder of Exaloan AG, a fintech company operating a digital lending marketplace connecting institutional investors with loan originators worldwide, where he built the ML credit scoring systems. Wheeler holds a joint Ph.D. in Philosophy and Computer Science from the University of Rochester.

Max Wirsching is the Head of Private Capital Solutions at KfW Capital, where he builds and maintains strong connections with a variety of stakeholders, ranging from investors to political actors from several federal ministries. Prior to his current role, he held various leadership positions within the KfW Group, focusing on corporate strategy and marketing. KfW Capital drives innovation and growth by investing in venture capital funds, empowering startups and growth companies in Germany and across Europe to reach their full potential. Through initiatives like the Wachstumsfonds, KfW Capital strengthens the scaling potential of promising businesses, ensuring access to the funding they need to thrive. By focusing on sustainability, technological advancement, and entrepreneurship, KfW Capital not only fosters a dynamic European VC ecosystem but also contributes to long term economic success. As a trusted partner, it bridges the gap between capital providers and entrepreneurs, driving progress and creating impact in key industries.

As Managing Director and founder of Ratepay and Banxware, Miriam Wohlfarth is one of the first female Fintech founders in Germany, with over 24 years of experience in the digital economy. In 2009, she founded the payment service provider Ratepay, which today employs over 300 people. With Ratepay, she actively shaped the developments in the payment industry. With her second company, Banxware, she has been revolutionizing the lending sector since 2020, enabling platforms to offer embedded Finance products. In Germany, she is doing pioneering work in the financial sector. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO, she is responsible for sales and marketing at Banxware. Miriam is a member of the Digital Finance Forum of the Federal Ministry of Finance, a shareholder at Startup Teens, a supervisory board member at Talentsconnect AG, Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG, and Freenet AG, and also a partner and co-shareholder of Payment & Banking, a leading Fintech blog in Germany.

Jens Wolf heads the Venture-Capital Group of Taylor Wessing in Germany. He advises national and foreign companies on all matters relating to M&A, Venture Capital, and Private Equity transactions. In that respect, he focuses on advising Private Equity funds, Venture Capital investors, and technology-driven companies. He has been supporting start-ups and investors in more than 500 transactions, with a volume of several hundred million euros. Together with his team, he routinely acts for his clients in the entire “investment life cycle” - from a company’s formation to its exit. Jens teaches Venture Capital at the Bucerius Law School Hamburg.

Mr Wong joined the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2008 as a member of the Administrative Officer Grade. He has since served in various bureaux and departments, including the Innovation and Technology Commission, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Home Affairs Department. In his capacity as Assistant Commissioner in the Innovation and Technology Commission from 2021 to 2025, Mr Wong oversaw the policies on the Innovation and Technology Fund, including the operation of various funding schemes in relation to research and development and new industrialisation. He was also responsible for policies and resources matters relating to the Hong Kong Productivity Council. Mr Wong assumed the post of the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin in August 2025. Mr Wong received his Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Joachim Wuermeling is a Professor at the ESMT in Berlin and an attorney at A&O Shearman in Frankfurt. Until recently he used to be a member of the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Executive Board (2016 – 2023). His responsibilities covered banking supervision, controlling, accounting and organisation, information technology, data and statistics as well as risk control. He sat on the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism at the ECB , the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and of the German Financial Stability Committee (AFS). His previous positions include serving as Member of the European Parliament, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology, member of the Executive Board of the German Insurance Association, and Chairman of the Association of Sparda-Banken. Dr Wuermeling is a lawyer by education, holds degrees of the University of Bayreuth and the Eu-ropean University Institute in Florence and was a lecturer at the Universities of Bayreuth and Potsdam.

Joachim Wuest is the Director for the Financial Services Industry (FSI) at Google Cloud DACH, where he leads the strategic growth and digital transformation of major financial institutions. With over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, including senior leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Joachim is a seasoned expert in bridging the gap between business strategy and technology. At Google Cloud, Joachim focuses with his team on empowering banks and insurers to leverage AI and cloud technology to innovate - while ensuring the highest level of compliance, security and sovereignty. A strong advocate for cultural change over pure technical implementation, he is dedicated to helping the European economy navigate complex digital shifts. Joachim has lived in the USA, Canada, France and Germany and holds an MBA from the University of Mannheim and the Schulich School of Business, Toronto, Canada.

Sina Wulfmeyer is a leading voice in AI and data transformation across Europe. As Chief Data Officer at Unique AI—a fast-growing GenAI scale-up serving the financial sector—she helped raise Series A, scale the team to 100+, and shape a responsible approach to GenAI. Her credo: Technology should enhance human potential, not replace it. With over 20 years of experience in financial data strategy, including leadership roles at Credit Suisse and Accenture, Sina bridges deep technical expertise with strategic vision. She lectures on GenAI, AI Governance, and Cybersecurity at ETH Zurich, HSG St. Gallen, and HEC Paris, inspiring future leaders to use AI ethically and effectively. Recognized as one of ETH Zurich’s “Top 100 Women in Data & AI” and a “Visionary Catalyst” by GenAI Zurich, Sina speaks passionately about the GenAI revolution in the financial sector, how to implement responsible innovation and how to prepare the next generation for the AI era.

Hailei Zhang is an experienced Compliance Officer based in Luxembourg with expertise in regulatory frameworks, risk management, and corporate governance within the financial sector. With the extensive working experience in international payment service providers, Hailei is specialized in cross-border financial regulation and operational risk oversight. Hailei has proven track record in implementing robust compliance programs, ensuring adherence to AML/KYC, PSD2, GDPR and other Luxembourg and EU financial regulations. Hailei joined dtcpay Luxembourg since November 2025 as Chief Compliance Officer.