Ready To Hear Views From The Most Influential Payments & Regtech Experts?
#npf
19th NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum
OUR SPEAKERS
Robert Courtneidge
Payment Industry Expert
Robert Courtneidge is valued and respected industry expert in the emerging payments industry. He is working with a number of businesses assisting them on their strategy and products using his 30+ years legal experience to give them practical and innovative solutions. He is co-author and Editor of The PAYTECH Book 2020. He was co-founder of the Prepaid International Forum and has worked with the Emerging Payments Association since it was founded.
He has been regularly featured in the prestigious Payments Power 10 (including being ranked #1 in 2015), a highly competitive ranking of the most influential contributors in payments. As a lawyer in payments he was voted in the top 10 in the world by US publication Paybefore in 2015 being the only European in the list. As a lawyer he has worked closely with The Payments Services Regulator, HM Treasury, UK Finance and Financial Conduct Association, in the UK as well as other compliance and industry bodies globally. Robert has deep expertise in electronic money and payment services and is highly skilled in all aspects of payment services including consumer protection, banking regulation and compliance, and AML/CTF. Robert is highly active on the conference front regularly chairing and moderating events as well as speaking on issues facing the European Payments’ Industry including laws relating to blockchain, digital assets and Central Bank Digital Currencies.
Andrew Doukanaris
Chief Executive Officer at Flotta Consulting Ltd
Andrew has been at the heart of the digital payments transformation for almost three decades, holding senior roles in issuing and acquiring with Chevron/Texaco, Visa Inc., JCB Cards, and a Mastercard advisor in The Middle East - During which time has been based in Singapore, San Francisco, New York and London.
He is a Fintech mentor/board advisor at Level39 in London and the former CEO and Chairman of multinational QR code payments Pomelo Pay. In January 2022, Andrew was appointed CEO of Blukite Network - an Open Banking network with revolutionary patented technology.
Makis Savvides
Director of Global Payments and Fraud at Wargaming Group Limited
Makis is the Director of Payments and Fraud at Wargaming Group Limited. He is responsible, among others, for the development and execution of the company payments strategy, its alignment to the overall product and company strategy and ensuring that the payments function remains at the forefront of payments innovation. The Wargaming payments platform offers more than 250 payment methods globally, allowing players to pay in their local payment methods and currency (more than 100 currencies are available). Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 5,500 employees and offices spread all over the world. Over 200 million players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. The flagship products include the massively popular free-to-play hit World of Tanks, the strategic naval action game World of Warships and World of Tanks Blitz.
Makis is also a member of the Board of Directors of one of the largest insurance groups in Cyprus and is the co-chair of the European Advisory Board at the Merchant Risk Council, a global membership organization connecting eCommerce fraud and payments professionals through educational programs, online forums, career development, conferences, and networking events. Before joining Wargaming, Makis was a Director at Deloitte at the Financial Advisory department. He holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is also a Qualified Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Andreas Roussos
Partner at Point Nine
Andreas Roussos is an accomplished executive with extensive expertise in finance, business, and operations, recognised for his leadership in diverse organisational settings, including highly regulated environments. His dedication to excellence is evident in his ability to consistently exceed objectives while optimising resource allocation and talent development. Adept at crafting robust solutions, Andreas excels in driving continuous improvement initiatives in high-pressure contexts. He is skilled in building and nurturing productive relationships with clients and stakeholders, effectively enhancing revenue streams and elevating organisational prominence within the industry.
Andrea Moundi Savvides
Global Director of Risk and Compliance at Harneys and Chair and Founding Member of the Cyprus Compliance Association
Andrea Moundi Savvides is a qualified lawyer and Head of Compliance – Europe. She has extensive experience in the field of financial services, AML and sanctions and regularly works with our Tax and Regulatory team. Andrea also advises on competition law matters, at both local and European level including advising on issues which require notification to the relevant authorities.
Prior to joining us in 2018, Andrea was a senior corporate lawyer in the legal and compliance team of an authorised investment firm where she liaised with regulators in multiple jurisdictions. She also gained experience in financial services law and regulation including MiFID II and other regulatory regimes such as the automatic exchange of information. She regularly advises clients on a range of regulatory issues which include white collar crimes, sanctions and anti-money laundering cases.
In 2018 Andrea was also recognised as an influential and innovative in-house counsel according to the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Greece and Cyprus. She is also a holder of the advanced certificate of the CySEC and the ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering - Int.Dip (AML).
Andrea also practised as an advocate advising on various contentious and non-contentious matters.
Andrea is also a regular contributor to our Regulatory Blog.
Stavroula Kampouridou
CEO at DIAS
Stavroula Kampouridou holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Athens and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University (on a full university scholarship).
She has over 19 years of experience in IT, FinTech (Financial Technology), and Innovation. She began her career at IBM Greece as a Hardware Sales Specialist, and later advanced to the role of Client Systems Manager. She then joined the National Bank of Greece (NBG Group) as an Executive Advisor, contributing to the establishment of the bank's Procurement Group and later serving as IT Procurement Manager.
Currently, she serves as the CEO of DIAS S.A., the Greek Automated Clearing House (ACH), a position she has held since January 2021. Under her leadership, DIAS S.A. has made notable advancements, including migrating to TIPS, and enhancing the reach of instant payments across Europe. In 2023, DIAS processed 406 million transactions valued at €450 billion and achieved significant growth in invoiced transactions, revenues, and net profits for the third consecutive year.
Additionally, Ms. Kampouridou was a Technology Advisor to the Governor of the Bank of Greece and Head of the FinTech Innovation Hub, where she led initiatives such as the creation of a Regulatory Sandbox.
Since June 2022, she has been an independent non-executive member of the Board of Directors at Fourlis Holdings S.A. and a member of the Audit Committee.
Since June 2024, she has been an independent non-executive member of the Board of Directors at HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings S.A. and a member of the Audit Committee.
Demetris Taxitaris
Chief Executive Officer at MAP S.Platis
Demetris Taxitaris is the Chief Executive Officer of MAP S.Platis, a leading consulting Group in the provision of solutions in licensing, regulatory compliance, internal audit, risk management, human resources, regulatory technology, information technology, business resilience, information security including cybersecurity, governance, executive training and innovation to regulated and other firms. In the past, he worked at Bank of Cyprus as Head of Asset Management with local and international clients, individuals and institutionals, across all industries. Prior to that, Demetris worked at Deloitte in London where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, becoming a member of the ICAEW. Demetris is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (‘ICPAC’), the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (‘CIFA’) and the Association of Cyprus International Financial Firms (‘ACIFF’).
Justine Scerri Herrera
Partner at MK Fintech Partners Ltd
Dr. Justine Scerri Herrera is a Managing Partner at MK Fintech Partners which Maltese entity forms part of the Top Tier International ‘Michael Kyprianou’ group. Incidentally, MK is Top ranked in The Legal 500 and according to Gold Magazine is the 3rd Largest in size in Cyprus. Her areas of expertise include Fintech, Blockchain, Crypto and investments sectors. Justine mainly deals in advising and licencing for issuers and service providers falling under the Maltese Virtual Financial Assets Regulations (crypto & blockchain), Investment Services Act (Capital Market players, Capital Raising etc) and Financial Institutions Act (EMI, PI). Justine’s love for fintech and decentralisation sprouted 7 years ago while conducting her Doctoral and Masters Thesis’s focusing on jurisdiction in cyberspace and the rise of technology. Justine’s past work experience includes working for a Top Tier Investments Firm (Exante), an International Bank and a leading criminal law firm. Other academic accomplishes include a certification with the Malta Stock Exchange in ‘Securities and Trading’ and certification in ‘Virtual Financial Assets’. Notably, Justine formed part of Malta’s Digital Think Thank (Taskforce set up by the Maltese Government) and was recently nominated to be on the VFA Executive Committee which is part of the Malta Chamber of Commerce. Justine is also a true academic at heart and in her spare times often publishes research and speaks at events worldwide. Her favourite quote is ‘knowledge is power’.
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Brandon Birmingham
Senior Software Developer at Computime Fintech (creators of ComplyRadar)
Dr Brandon Birmingham is a data scientist with more than 7 years of experience in the IT industry. He specialises in Artificial Intelligence and software development and is currently a Senior Software Developer for ComplyRadar - which forms part of the Fintech division within Computime Group – where he contributes towards the development of the AI-driven AML and transaction monitoring system.
He is also an assistant lecturer and a research support officer within the departments of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Engineering at The University of Malta. Brandon obtained his PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Malta in 2022 and has contributed to the Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision research fields.
Peter-Jan Grech
Founder and CEO at BRND WGN
Peter-Jan Grech, founder and CEO of BRND WGN, is a renowned figure in the realm of brand transformations, boasting over two decades of expertise. His leadership at BRND WGN, a top-tier brand advisory agency with a presence in Malta and the UK, has been instrumental in navigating businesses and leaders through impactful change strategies and brand expansion in multiple sectors, including financial services and hospitality. As a skilled public speaker, Peter-Jan hosts the insightful “UnBrandMe” podcast, delving into the professional paths of entrepreneurs and brand creators. His commitment extends beyond business; he contributes his strategic acumen to various advisory boards, fostering change management. An enthusiastic challenge pursuer, he participates in endurance sports, sometimes for fun but most times to champion sustainable living and environmental conservation.
Dr. Elena Niki Karletidi
General Secretary and Founding Member of the Cyprus Compliance Association, Athens & CY Bar, Banking Expert
Dr. Elena Niki Karletidi, a business lawyer, who brings over 15 years of experience in legal, compliance, and risk areas, specializes in Commercial Law, Company Law, Banking Law, Contract Law, Investment Law, and Consumer Protection Law.
Elena is a qualified Lawyer both in Greece and Cyprus Bar Associations, and holds an LLM in International Commercial Law and a PhD in Law. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Legal Relations in Crowdfunding in Cyprus: Legal Issues and Challenges in the Digital Age,’ provides an innovative and groundbreaking legal analysis of the legal framework for Crowdfunding in EU and Cyprus, published as a practical legal guide with Nomiki Bibliothiki in 2024.
Elena guides teams through legal and regulatory landscapes, simplifying complexities and spearheading success in the financial sector. Fluent in Greek, English, and French, she brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience when delivering practical legal training and advice.
Elena is also a certified mediator and a member of the Cyprus Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution. Since 2011, she has served as Legal Counsel for credit institutions in Cyprus, advising on various legal matters.
Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Manager at a systemic bank in Cyprus, specializing in Regulatory Compliance.
Elena is also a professional member (MiCA) of the International Compliance Association (ICA) and a Founding Member and Board Member of the Cyprus Compliance Association (CCA).
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Fabian Meyer
Managing Partner at CORE SE
Fabian Meyer is Managing Director in Switzerland and a member of the board of CORE SE - a European technology think tank based in Berlin. As an expert in payment services and FinTechs, he is responsible for large projects with renowned clients in the financial sector in the DACH region and the United Arab Emirates. He has several years of consulting experience in the banking sector and in transformation engineering.
George Apostolides
Chief Compliance Officer at Eurobank Cyprus
George Apostolides is the Head of Compliance and Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer at Eurobank Cyprus. George has extensive experience in the area of Banking for Anti Money Laundering and combating Terrorism Financing, Implementation of Financial Sanction Programs and Regulatory Compliance. George is approved to head the Compliance Department of the Bank by the European Central Bank. Prior to his career as a Compliance Officer, George was involved in the area of auditing holding a senior position in the Internal Audit Department of Eurobank Cyprus and as a External Auditor for a Big4 firm. He holds the professional qualification of a Charter Accountant (ICAEW) and the Russian Sanctions Risk Management Specialist certification (K2-Integrity).
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Anna Stylianou
CEO at AML Cube
Anna Stylianou is an experienced AML compliance and financial crime risk management expert, with a proven track record of success in regulated financial institutions.
Over her career, she has worked in traditional banking, EMIs, as the Head of Compliance and Non-executive director investment firms, and has collaborated with reputable lawyers.
She is an expert in embedding regulatory compliance standards and delivering results in the fight against financial crime.
Anna is also a recognised international thought leader in the AML, KYC, and crypto compliance fields.
Anna is passionate about educating and uplifting her peers, existing compliance professionals, and the next generation. She is the founder and principal of AML Cube, a consulting and training firm aiming to assist entities in combating financial crime.
Amrit Toor
Solutions Architect | Cyber Security Expert at Cloudflare
With over 20 years of experience in the cyber security industry, Amrit Toor is a seasoned Solutions Architect specialising in building robust zero trust strategies and helping organisations defend against cyber threats. Throughout his career, Amrit has served as a professional services consultant and security consultant for leading companies such as Forcepoint and Netskope.
Amrit’s extensive expertise encompasses a wide range of security solutions, where he has consistently delivered innovative strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of each organisation. His deep understanding of the evolving threat landscape enables him to empower businesses with the tools and knowledge necessary to enhance their security posture.
Mateo Jarrin Cuvi
Global Manager for Partners & Media at The Association of Governance, Risk & Compliance, UK
During his 20-year career, Mateo Jarrin Cuvi has played important roles in a wide array of industries, eventually landing in the financial services sector where he has focused on content creation and management.
After dabbling in the oil and gas field, managing media relations for the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC, and working as a program manager for a Cypriot study abroad firm, Mateo served as Content Manager for Taxlinked, an international network for tax and law professionals, and Content Writer for FXPRIMUS, a Forex broker with a strong presence in southeast Asia. Today, he leads the charge for the International Governance and Compliance Association (IGCA) as Global Manager for Partners and Media.
Mateo holds a BA in Foreign Affairs and Latin American Studies from the University of Virginia (UVA) and an MA in Latin American Studies with a focus on Anthropology from the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). Plus, he’s a budding writer who has published fiction, food and wine articles, and other travel-related pieces in several local and global publications.
Oliver Hanmer
Head of Supervision and Compliance Monitoring at the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR)
Oliver joined the UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in June 2023 as the Head of a newly formed Supervision and Compliance Monitoring division. The PSR is the economic regulator of payment systems in the UK and oversees the main systems that enable people and businesses make payments.
The Supervision and Compliance Monitoring Division is responsible for actively supervising the UK's regulated payment systems. Oliver is also responsible for driving better outcomes for people and businesses by having dedicated teams focused on monitoring compliance and enforcement who can take action where needed to discourage non-compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Oliver joined the PSR from the Bar Standards Board (the independent regulator for the barrister’s profession) where he was the Director of Regulatory Operations with a broad remit covering regulatory compliance, risk based supervision and professional standards, including leading on the introduction of a supervision regime for Barristers.
Jiří Ambrož
Head of Payments and Oversight Unit | Deputy Director of Payments Regulation Division at the Czech National Bank
Jiří joined Czech National Bank in 2016 as a Legal Expert. He is currently a Head of Payments Regulation and Oversight Unit in the Financial Regulation and International Cooperation Department. His team is mainly responsible for legal and policy issues related to European and national payments legislation, international cooperation in the field of payments as well as oversight of financial market infrastructures. Jiří is also a member of several policy structures within European Central Bank and European Banking Authority. His previous experience include public administration and legal advisory. Jiří holds a master’s degree of Law from Charles University in Prague with a period of study at Free University of Berlin.
Abbas Khamisa
Head of Treasury Solutions, Global Banking at MUFG Investor Services
Abbas Khamisa, Head of Treasury Solutions within the Global Banking and Payments business at MUFG Investor Services, is responsible for building MUFG Investor Services’ banking and treasury solutions for private equity/venture capital firms, hedge funds and asset managers.
Abbas joined MUFG Investor Services in 2023, after eight years at Goldman Sachs working across Structuring, Investment Banking and FX/Emerging Markets. Prior to that, he worked in the Capital, Risk & Pricing group at Royal Bank of Scotland.
Andria Papageorgiou
Managing Director at Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm
Andria Papageorgiou is the Founder and Managing Director of Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm. She is a member of Cyprus Bar Association with more than 10 years of experience. Her main areas of practice are Regulatory Compliance (i.e. AML, MiFID, MiCA, etc.), Licensing (in CY, EU and offshore countries), Mergers and Acquisitions, Property Law (i.e. Real Estate), Data Protection Law, Business Law, Company and Commercial Law, Corporate Law (i.e. incorporation of a company), Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Family Office Services, and Banking Law.
Mrs. Andria Papageorgiou is a holder of an LLB, LLM, LPC (all from UK universities and professional institutions), CySEC Advance Certificate and CySEC AML Certificate. She is also an Accredited Mediator for Commercial and Banking Disputes. Since 2023, she is elected as a member of the Financial Services Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association and member of the Regulatory Compliance Committee of the Limassol Bar Association.
A decade prior to founding Andria Papageorgiou Law Firm, she was holding a key position as Senior Associate Lawyer in top-tier law firms serving high net-worth individuals and corporations, as well as holding key positions reaching the highest position of Chief of Legal and Compliance Department in various Fintech Group of Companies (i.e. forex, crypto and payments industries), leading the legal teams of the relevant Groups, resolving complex legal issues on a daily basis.
Kamran Hedjri
Group CEO at PXP Financial
The end-to-end payment platform: PXP Financial provides a single unified payments platform to accept payments online, on mobile and at the point of sale. Powered by inhouse acquiring, 200+ alternative payment methods & financial services, PXP processes over EUR 21.5 billion annually through our unified gateway. Whatever your business needs today or tomorrow, PXP Financials’ innovative payment platform will support your business growth with all the payment services you will ever need from one source, wherever your business takes you.
Theodoros Stavrou
Head of Compliance of Société Générale and Member of the BoD and Founding Member of the Cyprus compliance Association (CCA)
Theodoros Stavrou is the Head of Compliance of Société Générale Bank – Cyprus. He is an accredited Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Sanctions Expert (CRMS) with extensive experience in the field.
In 2001 Theodoros joined MOKAS, the FIU of Cyprus as an Investigator on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing cases. Apart from his main duties he was also the representative of Cyprus in different organisations like Europol, the MONEYVAL committee of the Council of Europe, FIU.net and others.
He is an accredited professional trainer on AML/CFT/Sanctions for professionals and law enforcement. He is a founding member and member of the BoD of Cyprus Compliance Association (CCA).
Michael Ioannou
Chief Information Officer at Elias Neocleous & Co LLC
Michael is the Chief Information Officer of Elias Neocleous & Co LLC, managing the firm’s Information Technology, Privacy and Cybersecurity Departments as well as providing innovative solutions for the legal operations.
Throughout the past years, Michael has assisted in forming the Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Department for Elias Neocleous & Co. LLC and has been managing a team of legal and security consultants. Together with the Legal Tech team, Michael has assisted many organisations of different sizes and natures in complying with the GDPR, understanding and mitigating cyber risks and advising businesses on the full range of IT legal topics and privacy issues that underpin them.
One of his greatest innovative achievements was the development of Neolaw.AI, using the latest and best aspects of machine learning and AI together with a natural language processing, neolaw.ai is set to become an indispensable legal assistant and knowledge repository for ‘in-house’ lawyers and practicing lawyers throughout Cyprus and beyond.
Dorina Mastora
Compliance Officer at Elias Neocleous & Co LLC
A seasoned professional with a decade of rich experience in the international banking sector. With a proven track record in leadership and compliance, Dorina Mastora brings a wealth of expertise and a commitment to excellence.
Leadership Journey: Over the past ten years, Dorina has held pivotal roles in esteemed international banks, as a Branch Manager and progressing to more complex responsibilities. She is known for her effective communication, team collaboration, and strategic decision-making skills, making a lasting impact in every leadership role.
Compliance Excellence: Currently serving as the Deputy Compliance Officer at Elias Neocleous Co&LLC in Cyprus, Dorina is at the forefront of ensuring that corporate processes align seamlessly with legal requirements. She has successfully completed extensive reviews, managed UBO registration projects, and fostered a culture of ethics and compliance within the organisation.
Alessandra D’Este
Senior Payments Expert, EMEA at Swift
With nearly 25 years of experience in the financial sector, Alessandra has held various roles during her career. Since joining Swift in 2019 as a GPI Sales Expert, she has advanced to the position of Senior Payment Expert with market coverage of Southern Eastern Europe and selected countries in Eastern Europe. Prior to joining Swift, she dedicated almost two decades to Wells Fargo, where she served in multiple capacities, including Global Relationship Manager for major European entities.
Viktorija Poluektova
Chief Risk Officer at Ecommpay
Viktorija Poluektova is a seasoned expert with nearly two decades of experience in AML, Compliance, and Risk Management, particularly in banking and card acquiring. She has built and shaped effective compliance and risk frameworks. She currently serves as the Chief Risk Officer for one of the leading payment acquiring companies, where she oversees corporate risks. Viktorija is known for her commitment to prioritising quality over quantity, consistently delivering impactful and lasting results.
Christos Makedonas
Partner | Digital Risk at Grant Thornton
Christos leads the Digital Risk Services at Grant Thornton and is a Co-founder of Enactia, a global RegTech solution focusing on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Privacy and Cybersecurity. With 20 years of professional experience in Cyber Security and Data Protection, Christos has established himself as a leading authority in the field. He has served as the president of the ISACA Cyprus Chapter and as a co-chair of the IAPP Cyprus KnowledgeNet Chapter. Christos holds an array of esteemed professional qualifications, including CISA, CDPSE, CIPP/EU, CEH, ECSA, CCFP, CMI, CFIP, and ISO 27001 Lead Implementer. His educational background comprises an MSc in Analysis, Design, and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BSc in Computing Informatics from the University of Plymouth, UK. Christos's primary areas of expertise encompass Privacy & Data Protection, Discovery & Digital Forensics, Incident Response, and Ethical Hacking. He has spearheaded international Data Protection and Privacy projects and has been actively involved in both local and international investigations. Christos's extensive expertise and practical know-how emphasise his crucial contribution to shaping impactful tactics and resolutions within the dynamic fields of Cybersecurity and Data Protection. This comprehensive understanding has played a significant role in establishing the fundamental principles of Enactia.
Matthias Horvath
Senior Pre-Sales Consultant at BPC
Matthias is a thought leader in payments with over 15 years of experience working for international institutions including banks and payment vendors. During this time, Matthias worked in different product/project/consultancy roles and was the Lead Product Owner rolling out Apple Pay in Austria. Before re-joining BPC as Senior Pre-Sales Consultant, Matthias enabled his former company vipaso to become the first austrian fintech in the Mastercard Startpath program.
As a thought payment industry leader, Matthias is also a well known Podcast Host with his „Payment Talk“ Podcast, focusing on Innovation in Payments.
Panagiotis Kriaris
Commercial Director - Business Development at Unzer
Panagiotis has spent his career in the borderline between business and technology with a leadership background at an international level.
Panagiotis brings senior expertise across Financial Services, Banking, Payments, FinTech and E-Commerce.
Innovation, Digitisation, Emerging Technologies, Strategy & Business Development have been at the center of his work and attention over the last years.
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.
Christos Taratsides
Head of Sales at snappi
Christos Taratsides is the Head of Sales at Snappi, where he has spearheaded B2B commercial initiatives since the company's inception. With a full banking license from the Bank of Greece and the ECB, Snappi is primed to transform the Greek banking landscape and scale across the EU, making banking a positive experience. Christos brings a wealth of fintech and digital innovation experience to his role.
Prior to joining Snappi, Christos served as Business Development Manager at Klarna, the leading global BNPL provider, and at Kantar, a top firm in marketing data and analytics. His early career is rooted in the startup and scale-up ecosystem, where he served as Head of Sales for Universal Avenue (now Velory), a Swedish sales-as-a-service platform backed by top VC investors with an initial $17 million in seed funding. At Universal Avenue, he collaborated with major digital brands such as Shopify, Spotify, iZettle, Sumup, Viva Wallet, and Bambora, solidifying his expertise in digital innovation and commercial strategy.
Later, Christos worked as an independent sales consultant for a range of technology and fintech companies. He also actively supports digital innovation and startup development as a mentor in various international competitions and social platforms.
Ani Filipova
Founder and CEO of Change Advisory
Ani has been an international banking executive for over 20 years. She was involved in the original setup and ongoing management of three banks, including Citibank in Bulgaria.
Ani’s career took her to Bucharest, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Between 2015 and 2021, she was the Regional Chief Operating Officer for Citibank Treasury and Trade Solutions in Asia, covering 16 countries, including India and China. Ani’s focus was on transformation, digitisation, and culture change. They won Euromoney Best Bank for transaction services three times during this period; and won various categories of the Global Finance Best Digital Bank awards each year since 2017.
In April 2021, Ani decided to leave her high-flying job and try something different. Leaving Hong Kong, Ani relocated to Athens to build a “portfolio career,” running a “portfolio” of activities: board director, change advisor, investor, career coach, lecturer, podcast host, and speaker.
Stan Safronov
DeFi and Marketing Expert at Mercuryo
Stan Safronov is a seasoned professional in project management, marketing, and blockchain, with a diverse background in global sports events and strategic business development. With over a decade of experience, he has held leadership roles across multiple industries, including blockchain, Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and real estate, showcasing his ability to drive growth and implement innovative solutions.
Stan has recently partnered with one of the industry leaders for On Ramp and payment solutions Mercuryo as a DeFi and Marketing Expert. Stan miraculously combines and keeps his roles as a Investment and DeFi Advisor for Asterizm.io and Chainspot.io, where he played a crucial role in shaping blockchain strategies, conducting market analyses, and fostering partnerships. His previous experience includes leading marketing and sales initiatives at Pafilia Property Developers and overseeing international broadcasting standards at the FIFA World Cup 2018 as a Broadcast Venue Manager of the International Broadcast Center.
Eva Taleva-Borislavova
CEO at Remitly Europe Limited
Eva is the CEO of Remitly Europe Limited, a global leader in digital cross-border remittances. Leading the regional strategy and business performance, Eva’s key priorities focus on driving the overall sustainable growth of the business, leading a high performing executive management team, maintaining strong customer centricity across all business operations, and building Remitly Europe's regulatory compliance position within the financial services industry. Eva is accredited as PCF 1 & 8 (Executive Director and Chief Executive) by the Central Bank of Ireland and is an Executive Director on Remitly Europe’s Board of Directors. With over 14 years of experience across the fintech/financial services industry, Eva is passionate about payments, financial inclusion, and sustainable innovation.
Yorgos Korfiatis
Deputy Director at Bank of Greece
Yorgos Korfiatis studied Business Administration in State University of New York (NY), and Economics and Sociology in Greenwich University (London). He holds an MSc in Finance from Birkbeck College (London) and followed postgrad (doctoral) studies in Greenwich University. He lectured econometrics and microeconomics both in Greenwich University (London) and New York College (Athens).
Since 2000, he has been working in the Bank of Greece (BoG) in the field of payments. Currently, he is Deputy Director of the Payment and Settlement Systems Department. His areas of activity include the implementation of actions related to the Eurosystem’s payment policy, the development of strategies aiming at the establishment of a level playing field in the payments market, the adoption of risk-preparedness policy proposals regarding the smooth operation of payment infrastructures, as well as the research and analysis of payment-related developments in the fintech innovation sector.
He represents the BoG at the relevant working groups and committees of the Eurosystem. He is the national (Greek) project manager (PM) of TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS), TARGET2 Securities (T2S), and Payment Statistics (Blue Book). He gained distinctions in the 1st and 4th EUROchain Hackathons organized by the ECB for the design of a CBDC operating on DLT. Under the BoG’s catalytic role, he serves as president of the Advisory Group on Market Infrastructures for Payments (AMI-Pay GR-NSG) and as a member of BoG’s FinTech Hub. He curated and organized the exhibition “e-payments: a roadmap”, hosted by the Museum of the BoG.
George Christofides
Executive Director at Meerkat City
George Christofides is a Meerkat Services Ltd (widely known as Meerkat City) Director and shareholder. George brings in a wealth of experience in financial services having started his career 25 years ago. This experience includes venture capital and private equity investing across various sectors, and consulting and investing in the fintech industry having been active through multiple roles since 2014.
He is currently advising on Electronic Money and Payment Services activities and regulatory compliance matters. He is also spearheading a risk management team that covers the broader financial industry spectrum actively supporting licensed financial services firms. Aside from Meerkat City he is also Executive Director of a licensed Cyprus Investment Firm, and director of an Electronic Money Institution. Academically he is a Hofstra University (New York) and Baruch College (CUNY, New York) alum and professionally he is a holder of the CySEC “Advanced” Certificate.”
Evangelia Pefkou
CEO at Zipp Europe Limited
Evangelia Pefkou is a seasoned leader in the financial services sector, currently serving as the CEO of Zipp Europe Limited, a cutting-edge electronic money institution licensed by the Central Bank of Cyprus. Evangelia brings over 15 years of expertise in the financial services industry with a track record of steering companies through complex regulatory environments and offering unparalleled knowledge in Risk Management, International Corporate Law and Compliance across multiple jurisdictions. Her journey has not only shaped her as an expert but has also molded her into an insightful leader in finance.
Before joining Zipp Europe, Evangelia held senior executive roles at multinational, publicly-listed organisations where she was pivotal in driving growth and shaping corporate strategy. Her leadership was marked by her transformative approach to global risk and compliance which led to the development of comprehensive frameworks that not only strengthened regulatory practices across international markets but also supported the organisations’ broader strategic goals.
At Zipp Europe, Evangelia drives financial innovation and ensures regulatory excellence while delivering customer-centric solutions that have positioned the company as a trusted leader in the European financial landscape. Her academic background includes multiple law degrees and certifications in Risk, Compliance and AML/CTF, giving her a deep understanding of the financial sector's intricacies.
Andreas Theodosiou
Senior Group Compliance Officer at Capital.com
Antreas Theodosiou is an experienced Senior Group Compliance Officer with a strong background in global regulatory compliance, having worked with Capital.com Group and previously with Leverate Financial Services Ltd and MAP S.Platis Financial Advisory. Antreas has been instrumental in overseeing projects across multiple jurisdictions, including CySEC, SCB, BMA, SCA and FSA-regulated firms, focusing on ad-hoc audits, AML procedures, licensing and compliance risk evaluations. With expertise in cross-border compliance, regulatory reporting, and policy development, he is well-versed in managing compliance operations at both group and entity levels.
Isidoros Mezopoulos
Chief Commercial Officer at DiPocket Group
Isidoros is a dynamic IT leader with a proven track record in financial services and large corporates, having worked with industry giants like Oracle, TSYS, IBM, and Mastercard. With over 19 years of experience, he has risen from developer to C-level executive, driving technology strategies that fuel business growth and ensure regulatory compliance. His expertise in fintech innovation, digital transformation, and leading cross-functional teams has consistently delivered results in fast-paced environments. A passionate advocate for financial literacy and inclusion, Isidoros is committed to harnessing technology to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and profitability, while delivering secure, scalable, and accessible solutions.
Christophoros Pericleous
Head of Compliance & AMLCO at Pay.com
Christophoros is the Head of Compliance & AMLCO of Pay.com, a Fintech company regulated by the Central Bank of Cyprus. Christophoros is an active compliance professional with over 13 years of experience in financial crime, sanctions, and risk management across the financial services industry. With deep expertise in building and enhancing AML/CFT, Card Schemes and Sanctions compliance programs, Christophoros has a proven track record of helping organizations navigate complex regulatory landscapes and he is known for his strategic leadership and a hands-on approach for ensuring defensible compliance frameworks. Christophoros is a qualified lawyer in Cyprus and a co-founder of the ACAMS Cyprus Chapter in which he also served as a member of the Board of Directors.
Yiannis Pettemerides
Forensic Investigations, Sanctions Compliance, Anti Money Laundering Compliance
Yiannis is a Consultant, in the fields of Forensic, Anti-Money Laundering, Regulatory Compliance, Registered Auditor and Insolvency Practitioner, with more than 20 years of experience.
He was engaged, for more than 2 years, as an External Technical Expert, and leading the Onsite Inspection Teams, of the AML/Supervision Department of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). He was also the Chairman and a Member, for more than 5 years, of the Economic Crime and Forensic Accounting Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and also the Vice-Chairman, for more than 4 years, of the Promotion of the Profession and Academic Relations Committee of the Cyprus Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).
Yiannis is engaged as an External Technical Expert, in the fields of Forensic Investigations, Anti-money Laundering Investigations and Audit Investigations, by the Cyprus Police Economic Crime Unit, the Attorney General Office, the Audit General Office and the Private Sector.
Furthermore, Yiannis is a Member of the AML and Compliance Committee of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), a Member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and a Founding Member of the Cyprus #209 Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
He holds a Bachelor's and a Master’s degrees in Accounting, Economics and Finance (BA, MA), a Fellowship and Practicing Audit Certificates from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). He is also a Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and of the International Compliance Association (ICA).
Christiana Aristidou
Managing Partner at The Hybrid LawTech Firm
Christiana Aristidou is a Transnational Technology Lawyer, Founder and Managing Partner of “The Hybrid LawTech Firm”. She has been practising business and technology law for more than 27 years and is usually involved in complex, multijurisdictional business and technology projects legal and regulatory compliance. Christiana is the Head of the National Delegation to ISO/TC 307 Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies, actively contributing to standardisation efforts, focusing on blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, smart contracts, artificial intelligence, and finance. Christiana is a Certified International Legal Project Practitioner (IILPM) and a Certified GDPR Expert (HELP-EU).
She is the Director of the Legal Division of the Blockchain & Climate Institute (BCI), and the Ambassador of the European Legal Technology Association (ELTA) for Cyprus. She is an approved HRD Trainer and has trained regulators and private organisations in Cyprus and abroad. Christiana is a regular speaker at International Technology Conferences.
George Athanasopoulos
Founder and CEO at UpGate
George is the Founder and CEO of UpGate, bringing over 15 years of industry experience, with 6 years in banking and 9 years in payments. He has a proven track record of building innovative payment products, setups and processes tailored to the needs of global merchants with complex, large-scale operations. George is very passionate about payments, particularly in solving intricate problems and driving performance optimization to maximize conversion rates. He believes that if a customer wants to make a purchase, businesses should have the tools to facilitate that transaction, regardless of the customer’s location.
UpGate was founded to eliminate the payment challenges faced by merchants, allowing them to focus on their core offerings. Under George’s leadership, the company has built a world-class platform with the mission to simplify payments and help merchants reach a global customer base. By leveraging the latest technologies, UpGate enables merchants to achieve improved conversion rates and maximize global monetization opportunities.
Demetra Kalogerou
Independent Financial Advisor, Former Chairwoman at Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC)
Demetra Kalogerou (BSc, MSc, MPhil) is an Independent Financial Advisor and Non-Executive Director to several companies since 2022. She served as Chairwoman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC) from 2011 to 2021, playing a key role in regulating capital markets and enhancing Cyprus's financial stability. As a board member of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), she contributed to the stability of the EU financial system. Mrs. Kalogerou has participated in various national committees, including those reviewing the Cyprus naturalization program and overseeing auditors. She also brings experience from her previous role as a Senior Officer at the Cyprus Stock Exchange.
Nassos Paltayian
Head of Compliance & Information Security Officer at Abacus Limited
Nassos began his career as auditor for Financial Services companies and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in a Big4. Since 2014 Nassos serves as the Information Security Officer while simultaneously heading the Compliance Department at Abacus Limited which also provides advisory services and support to obliged entities in the field of regulatory compliance.
He is also a founding member and Vice chair of the ACAMS Cyprus chapter, and a very active member of the local and European community of compliance professionals. Nassos is also a Certified Risk Management Specialist on Russian Sanctions.
Nassos was also the leader of the DNFBP module for the National Risk Assessment and participated in numerous task forces for the issuance of Directives, Guidance Notes and Certifications in the field of AML, CTF and Sanctions compliance locally and abroad.
Antonia Michail
Head of Compliance and AMLCO at Nuvei Limited
Antonia has over 15 years of experience in the Financial services sector, including AML and Regulatory Compliance consulting, VASPs European Regulatory Framework, Data Protection, M&As, and Business Development. She is a seasoned speaker, panelist, and moderator, and has served as a Chapter leader and Board member in Decentralized Nicosia, a Blockchain related community that serves as an educational point about digital currencies, and Blockchain, and she has collaborated with various bodies within the crypto ecosystem.
She holds a BSc in Politics, an MBA, and an LLM in International Business, CAMS certification, CySEC’s AML certification, as well as additional qualifications relating to Cryptocurrency and VASP's compliance, and speaks four languages.
Currently, she is leading Compliance at Nuvei Limited, part of Nuvei Group - a publicly listed (Nasdaq: NVEI) (TSX: NVEI) International Fintech firm and payment technology partner to the world's leading brands.
Josip Tolić
Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs at Aircash
Josip holds a Master’s degree in Law obtained from the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb
and a title of Global Master of Business Administration with a major in Global Finance & Banking
from the Swiss School of Business and Management Geneva.
His key everyday task is to identify, analyse and evaluate new trends and developments in the
payments area and connected industries with an aim to formulate the impact and proposed
course of action for the company.
Skilled in EU digital payments, FinTech and digital policies, AML, GDPR, and connected regulatory
frameworks with a strong track record in EU policy debates, including the position of Aircash’s
representative within the European Digital Payments Industry Alliance (EDPIA).
Marina Agathangelou
Senior Manager, Customer Success-EMEA Risk Intelligence at LSEG
Marina Agathangelou is the Senior Manager for Customer Success in EMEA for the Risk Intelligence business at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). She has extensive experience helping top-tier financial institutions, in both the private and public sectors across EMEA, improve or create their third-party compliance programs.
Marina has been working for LSEG (formerly Refinitiv/Thomson Reuters) since 2010, holding various positions and has an extensive experience in customer success along with a comprehensive knowledge in AML/Compliance regulations and trends. She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) and holds a master’s degree from University College London.
Andreas Vassilopoulos
Founder and Managing Director at Sliq
Andreas Vassilopoulos holds a degree in Business Management and Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Richmond, USA, and an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the University of Westminster, UK. He began his career with DB Schenker in Miami. Since 2015, he has served as the Business Development Director of G.A.P. Vassilopoulos Group. In 2017, he played a pivotal role in the success of Vpayments, the Group’s Card Acquiring service. Since 2020, he has been the Managing Director of Fetch, driving its growth and innovation in the retail industry in Cyprus. His latest project, Sliq, is an innovative wallet for businesses and consumers, set to launch in the coming months, where he serves as Founder and Managing Director.
Tim Khamzin
CEO & Founder at Vivox AI
Tim is the Founder and CEO of Vivox AI, where he leads the development of AI Digital Workers to streamline compliance operations for banks and fintech companies. With over 10 years of experience in the banking and fintech sectors, Tim began his career at KPMG and went on to lead key initiatives in a digital transformation program at Central Europe’s largest bank, reducing its operational workforce from 24,000 to 5,800 employees. He also scaled a Business Process Outsourcing company to $45M in revenue and developed compliance solutions for Tier 1 banks. Tim holds an MBA from London Business School and is passionate about payments, regtech, and implementing AI applications in compliance.
Aravind Narayan
Global Director- Customer Strategy, GTM at LSEG
Aravind Narayan is a fintech leader with over a decade of expertise in identity verification, AML/KYC, and fraud prevention. As the Global Director of Customer Strategy & Execution at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Aravind is a prominent keynote speaker, known for his passionate insights on digital identity, money movement, and combating financial crime. His thought leadership has sparked meaningful conversations across the industry events, where he continues to shape innovative strategies and advocate for secure, seamless financial ecosystems.