Speakers

Jamal Saleh

Jamal Saleh joined UBF (UAE Banks Federation) in July 2018 and became UBF's Director General on 1st January 2019. Prior to joining UBF, his last role was Head of Credit & Risk and Acting Regional Chief Risk Officer with a leading GCC bank.

Jamal Saleh spent 29 years in banking (Conventional and Islamic) and covered Credit and Enterprise Risk Management (Credit, Market, Operational, Liquidity, and IT Risks).

His first 10 years were in the USA (in Private Banking and Credit) and the last 19 were in the UAE in Corporate Banking, Credit, and Risk Management with three leading UAE banks.

He served as PRMIA's UAE Director General for 7 years (2007-2014) and was concurrently Member on British University's Advisory Board.

Jamal Saleh graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude, from New Jersey (USA) in Finance and Banking, and held 6 professional certifications in credit, finance, investment, and risk management.

He was a frequent TV quest on local and international business channels and newspapers, as well as a key speaker at tens of regional and international forums in UAE, MENA, Singapore, Europe, USA, etc., including 11 years at the renowned RiskMinds of Geneva/Amsterdam from 2006-2016, and the Commonwealth of Nations at Westminster Palace's Central Hall in London.

Miguel Rio-Tinto

Srinivasan Sampath

Srinivasan Sampath is the Group Chief Information Officer at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Sampath has the responsibility for driving the Group’s Technology and Transformation Strategy to ensure that FAB is ready for the next generation of Digital Banking services. Sampath has more than 25+ years of experience in the banking industry. He has delivered several large integration programs in multiple regions. Specialized n creating business value, employee engagement and strengthening business relationships. In the recent years, Sampath has also been involved in leading digitization programs covering end to end digital customer experience and process automation. He was also involved in implementing the first cross border blockchain remittance transaction between two major banks. Sampath has been a chairperson and member of several advisory boards. Sampath holds ACIB from institute of Financial Services (UK) and BSC (Hons) from Manchester University (UK).

Saket Saith

Saket Saith is a seasoned professional at the forefront of digital transformation, specializing in the convergence of strategy and execution.

Currently serving as the Group Chief Technology and Data Officer at RAKBANK, UAE, Saket has over 25 years of experience in leading technology and data initiatives, ensuring the delivery of innovative and customer-centric solutions. Prior to this, he held pivotal roles, including Chief Technology Officer at Barclays in the United Kingdom, and various leadership positions at DBS Bank in Singapore, where he played a crucial role in digital transformation, enterprise architecture, and IT Strategy. He is passionate about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data, and how they can be leveraged to create value for customers, businesses, and society at large.

Saket's career spans the globe, contributing significantly to the growth and innovation of renowned financial and technology organizations. His expertise encompasses enterprise architecture, IT business strategy, software engineering, and operating models. Saket holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor's degree in Electronics & Communications from Delhi College of
Engineering.

Dr. Joseph George

Dr. Joseph George is currently serving as the Group Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at Doha Bank, having joined in early 2023. His role involves leading the bank's digital transformation, with a focus on building a stable, resilient, and scalable digital technology platform that aligns with the bank’s strategic, operational, and security goals to enhance customer experience.
Before his tenure at Doha Bank, Dr. George was the Head of IT Information Systems and Technology (CIO) at the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) from 2015. He played a key role in overhauling the banks technology landscape, implementing advanced, scalable digital architecture to support future growth.
His extensive experience in banking and technology, accumulated over more than two decades, was pivotal in driving a digital transformation at NBF.
Earlier in his career, Dr. George held various senior roles in the banking and financial sectors. Notably, as Head of IT Development at the Commercial Bank of Dubai, he spearheaded the launch of several innovative digital services, such as the region's first Facebook branch, an intelligent virtual assistant, and advanced analytics and customer onboarding solutions.
Dr. George's academic background is equally impressive. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a Diploma in Cyber Law, a Masters degree in Computer Management, an MSc in Psychology, an M.Phil specializing in Software Project Management, and a Doctorate in Software Project Management from the University of Pune. Additionally, he has earned a postgraduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Texas Tech University, Austin, and completed a Post Graduate Program in Financial Management & Analysis from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK).

Hasan Fardan Al Fardan

Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO of Al Fardan Exchange, guides the strategic direction of the organisation, currently spearheading its digital transformation, to optimise efficiencies and broaden digital revenue streams.  Before joining Al Fardan Exchange, Hasan Fardan Al Fardan held various key positions within the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
As the CEO of an Emirati family-owned business in the UAE, Hasan serves on the Executive Board of the Emirates Family Office Association (EOFA). Additionally, being a subject matter expert in fintech, Hasan is a board member of the UAE's Foreign Exchange & Remittance Group (FERG) and head of the FinTech Subcommittee. He also lends his visionary insights as a director of Ajyad Capital B.S.C., a prominent Bahraini investment company. He is a supervisory board member at Evocabank, a leading digital bank in Armenia.
Hasan Fardan Al Fardan holds a Master's degree in Real Estate, Finance and Investment from the internationally esteemed Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK.

Hussain Sajjad Ali Al Lawati

Hussain is a passionate and results-oriented business professional with 14+ years of experience in field of Information Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated a strong ability to lead and drive transformation, having spearheaded initiatives that increased operational efficiency by 20%.
In the past 10 years, he has been fortunate to receive several recognitions for his achievements, including The World CIO 200 Finalist 2023 - Global CIO Forum, Leader Category winner - World CIO 200 Summit 2023 - Oman Edition, Outstanding Leadership Award - Internet 2.0 Conference and Semi-finalist NTI BizPro Awards 2017 - National Training Institute. His work has also been featured in Book of Titans BOTS 6.0, The Global Game Changers 2023 - Passion Vista magazine, internet 2.0 conference magazine and YouTube channel and Oman Economic Review magazine.

Deepak Mehra

Deepak Mehra serves as the Chief Economist at Commercial Bank of Dubai, where he is primarily responsible for analyzing the macroeconomic landscape to identify emerging risks and opportunities that impact the bank's various functions. He is also a member of the executive board of CBD Financial Services LLC, the equity brokerage subsidiary of the bank.

Previously, at CBD, he was the Head of Investments starting in 2007 and was instrumental in establishing the product and advisory platforms. He was also instrumental in launching the region's first Robo Advisory app from a bank in 2021.

In his career spanning over three decades, Deepak has held leadership positions in banks like Citibank and Credit Suisse.

He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA degree from IMT. A regular speaker at conferences and on television he is also the author of two successful self-help books Ready, Steady, Go and Think Like a Golfer.

Mai AlOwaish

Mai AlOwaish is the Chief Executive Officer of CINET, Kuwait's Credit Bureau; She is a seasoned banking information systems and data analytics executive with over 20 years of experience between Kuwait and the United States where she spearheaded a variety of data analytics and e-commerce initiatives and enabled digital transformation and innovation for financial institutions, retailers, airlines, and more.

Mai is a published author, speaker and an award winner; her thought pieces were featured in Harvard Business Review, the Applied Marketing Analytics journal and the Analytics Interpreted book. Mai was also a board member of the Digital Analytics Association(DAA) and the recipient of the DAA President’s Awards. Mai was a featured presenter on Google Summits and The Economist events.

Christoph Koster

Chris has been building financial services and investment platforms for banks, governments and tech companies. He is currently serving as the CEO of ruya, the UAE’s digital-first Islamic community bank. With a focus on ethical Islamic banking practices, exemplary customer service and community engagement, together with his team at ruya he champions a fairer and more sustainable world.
Prior to ruya, Chris held executive roles at G42 and Abu Dhabi Investment Office. He led award-winning strategy and customer experience teams in Emirates NBD’s Private Banking, Asset Management and Retail Banking verticals.
He started his career in restructuring and turnaround consulting, corporate development and M&A.

Sanjeeb Chaudhuri

Sanjeeb Chaudhuri is a Board member and Advisor to various organisations across Europe, the US and Asia. He is currently Chairman of IDFC First Bank, one of India's fastest growing banks. He is Global Advisor to Intellect Design Arena, a global technology company which provides the world's largest Open Finance Platform for the financial services industry.

He has over four decades of senior multinational business experience across global banks and consumer companies. Sanjeeb has developed products and created numerous iconic, Global brands like Unilever's Taj Mahal Tea and Citibank Cards. He has deep knowledge and operating experience of consumer and commercial markets for products and services across developed and emerging markets in Europe, India, rest of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

He has been Regional Business Head for India and South Asia and Global Head of Brand and Chief Marketing Officer at Standard Chartered Bank. Prior to that, Sanjeeb was CEO of Retail and Commercial Banking for Citigroup Europe, Middle East and Africa. Before entering the financial services space, Sanjeeb held senior roles at Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble.

His operating experience includes driving digital transformation at global organisations across Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Most recently, he has been intimately involved in IDFC First Bank's digital transformation and created innovative approaches driving Customer Engagement and Delight.

Sanjeeb is a very passionate about ESG and its positive impact on society and business. He was a key driver of Standard Chartered Bank's sponsorship of the United Nations Global Goals in 2015 which reached 3 billion people globally with the UN's Sustainability Goals message in 3 weeks. This was achieved through an innovative mix of online media and partnerships across sports, culture, non-profit and commercial organisations. As Chief Marketing Officer, Sanjeeb was a key driver of the Standard Chartered Marathon across multiple markets in Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Sanjeeb's current portfolio includes Retail, FinTech and Marketing Tech businesses. His consulting roles cover Corporate Strategy, ESG, Risk, Big Data, IT Strategy and Customer Experience.

Sanjeeb has been Director of Citigroup Europe plc, Bank Handlowy, Poland and Standard Chartered Securities Ltd, India. Sanjeeb is Global Mentor at Columbia Business School's Center for Technology Management and Northeastern Business School Center for Digital Leadership.

He is International Advisory Board member at The Open University School of Business and Law, UK. He is a visiting faculty on Business Strategy, Financial Services and New Age Marketing at Wharton School of Business and Judge Business School, Cambridge.

Sanjeeb has an MBA in Marketing and has completed an Advanced Management Program. He is a featured speaker at premier global fintech, marketing and media events in Europe and Asia. He has been listed among the Top 25 Media Visionaries in Asia Pacific.

Parag Bhise

Parag Bhise epitomizes transformational leadership at Nucleus Software, where his three-decades tenure has been marked by exceptional contributions to business development and relationship-building. With a diverse background encompassing product development, delivery, IT infrastructure management, and quality assurance, Parag's steadfast commitment to execute excellence has been a cornerstone of his career.
Throughout his journey at Nucleus Software, Parag has played a pivotal role in shaping the company's product narrative, directly contributing to the creation and evolution of key offerings such as LeaseWare and FinnOneTM. His leadership in product engineering of FinnAxia ® and FinnOne Neo ® has been instrumental in driving the company's evolution towards the Nucleus 2.0 mindset to deliver robust solutions that stand the test of time.
A natural at leveraging technology to solve complex problems, Parag's ability to forge strategic partnerships across diverse industries and geographies is unparalleled. His groundbreaking collaboration with Shinsei Bank of Japan stands as a testament of his visionary leadership, driving significant revenue and profitability for Nucleus Software through innovative technology solutions.
Parag's leadership journey began early in his career when he led teams to deliver cutting-edge lending platforms for global giants such as Citibank and SAMBA. His innate ability to inspire and motivate teams, coupled with his unwavering commitment to integrity, parity, and quality, has earned him respect and admiration of Nucleites across the organization.
In his current new role in overseeing Nucleus Software's global footprints, Parag remains steadfast in his commitment to driving change and innovation. A lifelong learner, he holds a Professional Certificate in Innovation & Technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, complementing his academic credentials in Master's in Computer Applications from BIT Mesra and an MBA from the Management Development Institute, Gurgaon.

Anand Krishnan

Anand Krishnan brings with him 25 years of IT experience, almost all of it in Banking and Financial Services. His experience include product development, software consultancy services and as a technology provider in financial institutions. His forte has been Private Wealth Management and Treasury though he has worked and led Retail and International banking technology units. From building ground up platforms in-house, to integrating and consolidating technology landscape across organizations, to helping businesses re-engineer and optimize processes through process automation and impactful analytics, Anand has facilitated wealth management transformation in banks in the middle east and southeast Asia across front, middle and back office.

Competencies include:

• Expertise in delivering large scale, transformation programs across multiple platforms and spanning geographies for leading banks.
• Treasury , Private and Wealth Management business and operational process in the Middle East and Asia Pacific covering order management, trade management, settlement, cash management, payments and messaging and reconciliation
• Core Banking implementations
• Lean and Agile practitioner
• Technology driven process re-engineering to drive operational efficiencies through robotic process automation
• Programs spanning geographies, large teams and multi-cultural environments.
• Strong technical and communication skills that foster positive and effective working relationships with the team, peers and stakeholders
• Right sourcing and right shoring

Mohamed ElSabban

Mohamed Elsabban is a seasoned executive with over 31 years of experience driving innovation and growth in the financial services industry. Throughout his distinguished career, he has held leadership positions across the entire digital value chain, spearheading ground-breaking digital transformation initiatives.
Currently, Mohamed serves as the Chief Innovation and Strategic Ventures Officer at Banque Misr, where he architects the bank's digital future and positions it as a regional leader in
innovation. Prior to this role, Mohamed's leadership extended to other prominent institutions:
● Group Head - Digital Banking & Digital Innovation at Commercial International Bank (CIB) in Egypt (2012-2018), where he established a thriving FinTech Collaboration Hub and led the
creation of the digital banking division from the ground up.
● Executive Manager - Alternative Channels at Boubyan Bank in Kuwait (2011-2012), where he significantly expanded the bank's reach through virtual, digital, and social media presence.
● Director - E-Channels & Payments at National Bank of Egypt (NBE) (2010-2011), where he
designed a comprehensive multi-channel transformation strategy.
● VP, Alternative Channels Strategic Development at National Commercial Bank in Saudi
Arabia (2007-2010), where he led strategic planning for retail banking e-channels.
● Solutions & Services Business Unit Head at Raya e-Finance in Egypt (2005-2007), where he
played a key role in establishing Egypt's first national payment gateway.
● Business Unit Head at Raya Integration in Egypt (2000-2005), where he led a team delivering systems integration and project management services.
Mohamed's expertise encompasses:
● End-to-End Digital Transformation: He possesses a comprehensive understanding of
digitalization, guiding organizations through strategic planning, infrastructure development,
and user-centric implementation.

Sriranga Sampathkumar

Sriranga is the VP and General Manager – Middle East and Africa for Infosys Ltd., which is among the largest IT companies in the world. He has been residing in Dubai for 12+ years now. Sri is the Regional Head of Business for the industry leading banking product – ‘Infosys Finacle’, which is powering banks across 45 countries in the Middle East and Africa region, including banks like Emirates NBD, RAKBANK, Zand Bank, Bank Muscat, Standard Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, ABK, Bank Dhofar and Sohar International, among others. Sriranga comes with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, spanning various roles from strategy to sales. He is also a passionate mountaineer and has scaled some of the highest peaks across continents.

Ali Hassan Moosa

Highly motivated and talented leader with 30 years of experience in banking, technology & innovation, and real-estate & hospitality development. A speaker at several local and international events and a lecturer at the College of Banking & Financial Studies. Member of the Finance & Insurance committee at the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Member of the CBO-Omantel Fintech Accelerator Program. A Gold member of the Global Young Presidents’ Organization.

Reece Merrick

Reece Merrick is the Managing Director of Middle East and Africa at Ripple where he leads the company’s business operations and strategic initiatives from Ripple’s MEA headquarters in Dubai. Prior to his current role, Reece was Senior Director of Global Strategic Partners at Ripple where he led relationships with key financial institutions and crypto partners adopting blockchain-based payments and crypto liquidity solutions to enable cross-border payments. He has spent over half a decade working on Ripple’s payments products across Dubai and London. Reece has over 15 years of experience working within the fintech and payments industry, with expertise focused on foreign exchange risk management and building best-in-class payment solutions for large financial institutions and corporations. Prior to Ripple, Reece spent 10+ years working within the fintech and payments space, focusing on FX risk management and building out cross-border payment solutions for large FIs & corporations.

Prag Jaodekar

Prag Jaodekar is Technology Director at CTO Office of Synechron, based in the UK. He supports Synechron’s business units and clients with strategy, architecture and engineering expertise that spans Synechron’s business and technology capabilities. Prag has more than 18 years of experience as a consultant of technology and application architect specialist creating IT strategies and delivering solutions for many top tier banks across the financial services industry.

Ramkumar Balasubramaniam

Ram is an International Banking CFO with over 23 years of Finance experience working in Retail, Corporate and Investment Banks. He has led several Finance transformation projects and has leveraged the unique position of the CFO at the intersection of finance, technology and strategy to drive digitalization and inspiring a data-driven decision making culture. He is also engaged with the wider Finance community, often speaking at events on the challenges facing the function and how to be ready for the future or making the function future proof. He is on the board of advisors of the MEA CFO Group.

“CFOs are the go-to experts in the finance domain, but need to escape from the ‘curse of expertise’ that could make them over estimate their own knowledge and become closed-minded.

They would do well to cultivate a ‘beginner’s mind’ and approach the new technologies with openness, curiosity, flexibility and a desire to learn thereby unlocking many possibilities to become a value-adding finance function and the ultimately the custodian of performance for the firm.”

Satya Mishra

Satya Mishra is the Vice President and Business Unit Head at Tata Consultancy Services. He heads Banking and Financial Services Unit in the Middle East & the UK. Satya has extensive experience in business consulting and his passion for customer success has led to several strategic Growth & Transformation initiatives. He has a keen interest in technology and innovation leading to greater future.
Satya is passionate about Corporate Social Responsibility and is a strong advocate of Diversity & Inclusion at the workplace – he is involved with various partner & TCS initiatives to drive this.

Vikas Sethi

Vikas is a technology and business transformation leader with over 20 years of global experience in leveraging technology to deliver outstanding business outcomes & customer experience in Banking and Financial Services across geographies and at scale. He has a proven track record of driving and executing large programs in the US, Canada, India, Africa and Middle East. His current role involves working with the Wholesale and Transaction banking business on leveraging Digital and Technology solutions across Client Channels, Payments & Open APIs.

Riccardo Moretti

Riccardo has over a decade of experience working with financial institutions and technology, including roles at the Italian Central Bank, leading complex engagements in the Capital Markets and Risk Management space, and enabling hyper-growth for fintech companies at Oracle. In Salesforce he led the engagement with one of the largest financial institutions in the world from a solution engineering perspective and he is now spearheading the adoption of Financial Services Cloud in the Middle East region.

Pedro Sousa Cardoso

Pedro Sousa Cardoso is the Chief Digital Officer - Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking groups in MENAT.
He drives the bank’s digital transformation agenda, leading all the cross-functional business and engineering teams that bring to life the digital experiences that enable the bank to realize its vision of becoming the most innovative financial institution for its customers, people, and communities. He is also the Head of Liv, Emirates NBD’s digital bank—a global fintech case study and one of the fastest-growing digital ventures in the region.
In his 25+ years of experience spanning strategy, products, digital technologies, and marketing and data across financial institutions in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Pedro has pioneered several digital banking initiatives and collaborated with both emerging large fintechs as well as the biggest legacy banks. In his previous role as Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Digital Commerce at Standard Chartered’s Singapore headquarters, he was responsible for the group’s digital platforms, digital acquisitions, customer experience, and the global design function across retail and wealth.
Pedro holds executive accreditations from the University of Berkeley, MIT, Harvard, and the Wharton School, an MBA in economics, and a bachelor’s in marketing management. He works and lives in Dubai.

George William Faraj​​​​

George Faraj is a highly experienced information technology expert and speaker, with over 19 years of experience in the field. He leads IT Strategy and PMO within NBB Group and previously held multiple positions within Ahli United Bank Group. His focus is banking digital transformation, Fintech Innovation, Al, PMO and IT strategic leadership.
During his career he has delivered and governed programs worth $100M+ across the MEA region enabling business growth and empowering teams through tech.
He holds a BSc degree from Arab Academy for Science, Tech & Maritime transport in Computer engineering and Carleton University in IT System Engineering and a Diploma in Fintech from Georgetown University US.

Deepak Dastrala

Deepak Dastrala, the CTO of IntellectAI, is a seasoned technology executive with 23 years of experience in the financial and insurance industries. He leads the technology vision, engineering, and delivery of all platforms and products at IntellecAI. Deepak's expertise spans product design, development, delivery, strategy, and innovation.

Previously, he served as Head of Strategy & Innovation at IntellectAI, where he focused on ideation, innovation, and execution of use cases involving frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Mixed Reality, and Quantum Computing. Prior to IntellectAI, Deepak was a Senior Manager at Ebix, responsible for product development and internationalization of their CRM product for financial advisors. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Deepak is committed to fostering technology innovation and unlocking human potential, driving IntellecAI's vision in Data, AI, and Cloud Computing.

Adel Alrajhi

Mr. Adel Alrajhi, General Manager of Cards & Payments at Alinma Bank, is a dynamic leader with over 18 years of expertise in banking, fintech, and e-commerce. He holds advanced degrees from King Saud University and Hochschule Furtwangen University, driving innovation and growth in the financial sector.

Mohamed Hicham Chraibi

I am currently serving as a Senior Vice President at Riyad Bank, spearheading the Banking as a Service and Metaverse strategies and directing the design and implementation of cutting-edge digital solutions to shape the bank’s future. I am also an adviser to the CEO of Jeel, the digital innovation arm of Riyad Bank.

Thiruvilasen Pillay

Thiru Pillay is a South African retail banking professional with the last seven years at Qatar National Bank. He is a champion of financial services sustainability projects, including green loans, customer service charter, and personal financial management. His career milestones include pioneering data-driven credit scorecards and digital banking in the Middle East. He holds degrees in Computer Science and business management, with professional designations in marketing, banking, and project management. Thiru is an active conference speaker in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

Andrea Cianchetti

Andrea Cianchetti currently serves as the Head of Products at Al Etihad Payments, where he oversees the product management of AEP's flagship offerings: the Aani instant payments platform and the Jaywan card scheme. He is responsible for guiding the product vision, defining key features, and leading product development and market rollout to ensure their success.
Prior to joining AEP, Andrea was a Principal at Kearney, specializing in financial services consulting. His expertise spans digital payments strategy, post-merger integration, technology-driven operational transformations, customer experience improvements, and business process re-engineering.
Andrea began his career as a payments strategy consultant in Italy before transitioning to the Middle East as part of a mobility program for top performers. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Bologna, with international experience at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Known for his analytical mindset and strong problem-solving abilities, Andrea is a Six Sigma Green Belt certified professional with a passion for travel and an open-minded approach to business and life.

Mohammad Helal

Results-driven Technical Architect with 18 years of extensive experience in spearheading the design, implementation, and testing of IT solutions. Specializing in Enterprise, Solutions, and Technology Architecture, with a strong focus on Digital Transformation. Proven expertise in IT Infrastructure, including servers, storage, and network infrastructure, particularly within the banking sector. Contributed to establishing Enterprise Architecture in multiple reputable banks.
Mohammad also has a solid background in IT project management and client relations. Experienced across various industries, including TV broadcasting, manufacturing and banking. A recognized leader, known for applying high-impact technical solutions to achieve major business objectives, with capabilities that transcend traditional IT operation boundaries. Committed to helping organizations maximize their IT investments through the optimal utilization of resources.
Mohammad holds MBA degree along with many other professional certifications.
Profoundly interested in staying abreast of the latest tech trends, with a particular focus on Quantum Computing and AI.

Ramy Yassa

With extensive experience in the financial sector, Ramy partners with major banks in the Middle East to drive digital transformation and enhance customer engagement. He specializes in leveraging technology, particularly Salesforce’s Financial Services Cloud, to solve complex challenges. Ramy’s deep industry knowledge and client-focused approach help financial institutions in the region achieve growth and innovation.

Shorouk Abdelfattah

A passionate researcher and CX professional with 14 years hands-on experience in Market Research, Customer Insights, Consumer Behavior Analytics, and Customer Experience Management in various domains (Banking, F&B, Real Estate, Consulting and Healthcare). Being a CX professional enabled Shorouk to create wow customer moments through embedding the customer centric culture projects among organizations along with operationalizing the CX programs efficiently. Shorouk has a non-stop curiosity about consumer behavior, attitude and purchasing patterns which enabled her to design experiences effectively based on a solid consumer behavior knowledge and research ground. Her passion for CX pushed her to work as a freelancer trainer and CX Speaker. She trained more than 750 professionals within CX field and consumer behavior. She works also as a Regional Council Member in Customer Experience Professionals Association to enhance the awareness of CX domain.

Ritesh Varma

In the last two decades of his stay, Ritesh has been instrumental in expanding Newgen’s presence from being a local Indian player to the globally recognized product organization it is today. Ritesh is an SME in BFSI and Shared Services (BPO/BPM) industries, Workflow Management, Information Management, and Digital Automation tools. His core forte is in the domain of Retail and Corporate Banking in process revamping using BPM, RPA, and Analytics to achieve operational efficiencies.
An avid writer, his articles on technology and banking are published regularly in renowned magazines. He is also - Result-oriented, Customer-focused, Globally Experienced, Digital Transformation and Disruption Leader, delivering Business Value as a habit.
Often associated with challenging the normal and Transforming Experiences in Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance with a commitment to drive numbers.  
A strong believer in business transformation using Digital Transformation through influencing CXOs and technology roadmap.
Exposure to the global marketplace to identify and gel into the Cultural Business Environment to Lead and Mentor cross border, multi-ethnicity teams. Well-versed with Cloud, Blockchain, ML, AI, Cognitive, and Augmented Technologies, Market Penetration and Growth Strategist for expansion into “Difficult Turf.”

Abhishek Pratap Singh

Abhishek Pratap Singh, an alumnus of King's college London, is a seasoned Information Security leader with proven track record. With approximately one and a half decade of work experience with one of the biggest names in  Banking, Finance and Insurance sector such as RBS group, Bank Muscat, MetLife he  evolved as a professional with in-depth business acumen. He is CISO of National Bank of Oman, founder and president of Oman 'Cloud Security Alliance Chapter' and Deputy Chairman of Oman Bank Association - Cyber council.

Linoy Kidd

Linoy Kidd is an accomplished and award-winning technologist with extensive experience spanning five countries. With over 18 years at HSBC, she has made significant contributions across the globe, starting her journey in the UK before moving on to roles in Hong Kong, China, Mexico, and currently serving as the MSS CIO of MENAT in the UAE. Renowned for her proactive leadership approach, Linoy excels in cultivating teams in diverse locations.  Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Linoy is deeply committed to philanthropy, dedicating her time to building schools in underserved regions. To date, she has established eight schools in Africa, Haiti, Nicaragua, and a house for the homeless in Mexico, demonstrating her passion for making a tangible difference in communities worldwide. Linoy Kidd continues to inspire through her technological expertise, philanthropic endeavours, and commitment to driving positive change on both local and global scales.

Manal Meshal

Manal has been spearheading retail banking strategies, innovation, and transformation for over 16 years. She currently leads Customer Excellence and Change Management at Ahli United Bank. As a Lean Six Sigma enthusiast, she firmly believes that the customer must always come first

Vishal Soni

With over ten years of experience in data, analytics and AI, I specialise in developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies and integrating AI-driven solutions to enhance product functionality and customer experience.
I have a proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, influence product roadmaps, and drive product adoption and customer engagement.

Shakeel Shaikh

Shakeel Shaikh is a passionate cybersecurity leader with over 25 years of experience in information and cyber security.  He has 20 years of experience in banking and finance industry with leading banks, which include Citibank, Riyad Bank, and Ahli United Bank.  He is the Head of Information Security of Ahli United Bank, Bahrain.  He is known and recognized for exceptional leadership skills and team management.  Shakeel, a management graduate from Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, holds several industry leading information security certifications.  His interests and expertise include cybersecurity risk management, governance, cybersecurity program management, and board reporting.

Ankur Singh

As the Product Head of Intellect’s Digital Engagement Platform, Ankur Singh plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and transformation within the banking and financial services industry. Under his leadership, the platform has
made considerable progress, assisting financial institutions worldwide in embracing a customer-centric approach powered by AI, data analytics, and seamless integrations. Drawing on his extensive experience in banking and IT,

Ankur spearheads the development and strategic planning of advanced solutions that improve customer experiences, optimize operations, and enable banks to excel in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Islam Nabil Awad

Islam is a seasoned Digital Solutions Architect at Banque Saudi Fransi, with over 20 years of expertise in Full Stack Software Development, Digital Transformation, and Cloud Technologies. He holds multiple certifications and advanced degrees in computer science and software engineering.

Nagui BEN LEMRID

Nagui is an experienced Data Science Manager currently working at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, with a particular focus to leverage on the latest technological advancements in Generative AI and MLOps for the Retail Banking Group.
He has an end-to-end expertise in building and deploying analytics solutions across businesses especially in the banking and fintech industries.

In the past, he has worked with multinational companies like Deloitte Consulting, the French bank BNP Paribas and the scaled African startup Jumia.

Nagui holds a Master’s degree in Data Science. His core expertise in the Artificial Intelligence field includes scoring, fraud & risk detection, customer segmentation, marketing conversion, cost optimization and business process automation.

Ahmed ElHennawy

Senior Project Manager & Programme Manager with over 14 years of experience managing multi-million dollar projects, coordinating workforce team, and performing budget allocation and analysis. PMP & PRINCE2 Agile® Practitioner Certified aiming to leverage considerable experience and efficiency expertise into the Project Management. along track record of ensuring projects are delivered to the highest quality, within budget by effectively organizing, managing and utilizing all resources, Always wanting to be actively involved in all aspects of the project life-cycle he can deliver high-value projects in matrixed organizations and across different geographies. And takes direction well and works hard to manage stakeholder expectations.

Saket Newaskar

Saket is responsible for designing and driving the delivery of digital and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and services to support Expleo's clients across business lines globally. With a robust entrepreneurial background and formidable Tech and Business leadership capabilities, Saket has not only built successful digital products and businesses but also nurtured highly skilled talents and contributed to the transformation of global Fintechs, Automotive, OTAs, Hospitality, and E-Commerce Businesses.

Saket specialises in launching technology incubation centres to breed innovation that has the potential to challenge the status quo and is highly passionate about solving business and tech problems and building and delivering digital products and solutions at scale.

Life beyond a digital enthusiast:

• Saket has actively participated in Paani Foundation efforts for groundwater conservation during 2019.
• In 2018, he raised funds for JCB drilling in Beed District to facilitate villagers and achieve water conservation targets.
• Another passionate undertaking was working as a history tutor for visually impaired undergraduate girls at Samarthanam, Bangalore. By providing continuous mentoring for two (2) years, he helped eight (8) girls pursue a BA degree from Bangalore University.

Dr. Jihad Rashid Al Wahshi

Dr. Jihad Rashid Al Wahshi is the Head of Data Management at the Central Bank of Oman, where he leads initiatives in data governance and science. With 14 years of experience in the banking industry, Dr. Al Wahshi has established himself as an expert in data management and analytics. He holds a Master’s degree in Data Science and recently earned a PhD in Information Governance, both from the University of Sheffield in the UK. His research interests encompass information governance, data management, big data analytics, and business intelligence. Dr. Al Wahshi has contributed to the academic community with several publications in esteemed global conferences and journals, including the Journal of Information Management.

Abdulla Mashaal

Abdulla Mashaal is a seasoned leader in open banking and payments. He has over 15 years’ experience in shaping and delivering innovative payments and open banking experiences that meet cutting-edge customer needs. His career highlights have spanned major global banks, fintech collaborations, payment service companies and working in a tech startup.
At Emirates NBD, Abdulla is Head of Open Banking within Retail, Business Banking and Wealth Management (RBWM). He is at the heart of setting a global vision for open finance both strategically and in compliance with regulations and standards. In addition, Abdulla is an active participant in the UK and UAE industry’s dialogue on standards, supporting the evolution of best practice and ecosystem development.
Prior to Emirates NBD, he worked as Strategy & Consulting Director at Accenture and BCS Consulting, leading the UK payments and open banking practice, and driving leading banks to deliver the world’s first major open banking implementation.

Charlie McIver

Charlie McIver serves as nCino’s Managing Director - EMEA. In this role, Charlie oversees all of nCino’s customer acquisition, success, and product functions. A qualified engineer, Charlie has more than 20 years of experience in financial technology. Prior to joining nCino in 2017, Charlie was the European Managing Director for Stanchion Payment Systems and a Board Director of data analytics startup, Brytlyt. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Communication from the University of Wales, Swansea.

Kamran Khan

As the Executive Director of Product Innovation & Implementations at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Kamran Khan is responsible for delivering transaction banking products across the EMEA and international regions. With well over a decade of experience in transaction banking, Kamran has a strong track record of launching innovative solutions that improve financial lives and deliver best-in-class customer experiences.

Kamran is currently leading the implementation of the CB UAE Open Finance framework and UAE central bank digital currencies (CBDC) initiative, ensuring FAB Payments achieves market-leading capabilities. He is also a member of the MENA FinTech Association and The Berlin Group openFinance Advisory Board, actively engaging with startups and enterprises.

A proven digital product leader and strategic thinker with a broad range experience in working with Engineering, Design, and GTM teams, passionate about launching new businesses and deliver best-in-class customer experiences.

Varun Jain

Varun Jain, Head of Banking & Financial Services at Xebia, is a seasoned leader with 16 years of experience in the BFSI sector. Specializing in intelligent automation and digital transformation, Varun has held pivotal roles at Tata Digital, YES Bank, Mastercard, Fiserv & CapGemini. He has successfully launched multiple products, demonstrating expertise in market research, product development & cross-functional execution.
Varun’s strategic and process-oriented approach ensures alignment with business goals, driving growth and innovation. Passionate about leveraging technology to deliver superior customer experiences and operational excellence, he aims to lead industry advancements in the BFSI sector.

Rahul Otawat

Top 100 AI Influencer ’23

Established professional with 15 years of diversified global banking experience in Retail, Wealth, Transactional and Challenger Bank. Covering Marketing, Risk, Collection, Wealth, FX, CRM, Investment, Leverage Product, Credit Cards & Credit Bureau, Digital Analytics, Social Media.

Presently I am spearheading analytics for 6 banking verticals includes Private, Wealth, Priority, Commercial, Emirati, and Digital Bank, covering Strategy, AI, Modeling, Digital Engagement, Analytics, Performance Deck, Reporting & Data Architect at Mashreq Bank (UAE).

New team setup for Private, Commercial, Wealth Analytics, Investment, and Insurance Product Analytics, Customer Analytics, Campaign Analytics, CLV, Loss Forecasting, Mortgage Analytics, Risk and Collection Analytics, Credit Cards Analytics, Bureau Analytics, Digital Analytics, Agile, Digital Banking and Project Management.

Moreover, I am tech-savvy with proven excellence in SAS, E-miner, Hadoop, MS, Power BI, Python & Big Data

Dr. Yousef Padganeh

Dr. Yousef is a seasoned risk management professional with over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, currently serving as the Group Chief Risk Officer at Bank of Khartoum. He is renowned for his expertise in corporate governance, enterprise risk management (ERM), operational risk management, Basel II & III compliance, and strategist. His professional qualifications include a PhD in Business Science Risk Management from Miskolc University, Hungary, a Certified Global Business Analyst (CGBA), a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) from ICMA Australia, and a Post-Doctorate Certificate in Business Management from Walden University, USA.
Dr. Yousef has been actively involved in various professional bodies, including the Board Education Committee of PRMIA and the UAE Banks Federation Risk Management Committee, contributing to the development of risk management standards and guidelines. He has successfully led significant banking projects, including the implementation of COSO-ERM frameworks and the re-design of risk management frameworks, empowering CEOs and Boards with strategic risk advice.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Yousef has held academic positions as Vice Chancellor in Finance and Administration and Dean of Business School and has authored a book on operational risk management along with several papers in reputable journals. He is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and seminars, sharing his extensive knowledge on topics such as enterprise risk management, credit stress testing, and the impact of Basel III on banking technologies.

Mai Momani

Mai is an experienced CX leader & enthusiast responsible for designing & implementing cross-channel customer engagement strategies, launching relationship deepening programs and improving retention levels who has been at the forefront of helping organizations accelerate their transformation to a “customer obsessed” culture. Her forte lies in driving CX transformational change through human-centric delivery models, innovation and process re-engineering programmes.
She is currently the Head of Client Experience at Invest Bank, where she oversees the development & implementation of the bank’s enterprise wide CX strategy & framework across channels. She has also worked with organizations like United Arab Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank & Arab Bank. She also has a demonstrated history of building and managing highly engaged customer facing teams

Haroon Durrani

I am a versatile financial services leader with a track record of building highly engaged teams and developing new organizational capabilities. Executive management and governance experience gained via representation on C-Suite Committees. Bringing a leadership disposition, a clear strategic thinker who knows how to frame complex problems, apply business analytics and develop workable solutions. Senior management experience in banking and tech start up under the Agile framework with geographic coverage across Australia, UAE, Asia Pacific and the UK.

Zainual Bashar Bhutto

Zainual Bashar Bhutto is a dynamic business leader with over 14 years of experience in driving growth and transformation across the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors. As the Director of Business Growth at Nagarro, Zain is a key figure in crafting and implementing cutting-edge digital transformation strategies that deliver seamless, customer-centric digital experiences, while accelerating business development and fostering long-term partnerships.
Zain’s extensive experience across the Middle East and Asia equips him with a unique perspective, blending deep cultural insights with world-class business standards and advanced technological expertise. His leadership has been instrumental in guiding organizations through the complexities of global markets, consistently driving innovative solutions that enhance revenue and operational efficiency.
A recognized expert in the banking sector, Zain is at the forefront of adopting the latest technological advancements, including Generative AI, Data Engineering, and Digital Experiences. His contributions have been pivotal in reshaping traditional banking models by leveraging emerging technologies like New age lending platforms, Low Code platforms, ON-boarding solutions, IoT, Cloud Solutions, Open banking and RPA to create more agile and responsive banking environments.

Charles Fakhry

IT Sales leader with 22 years of experience in Banking and Telecommunications, currently responsible for the sales of Onespan solutions in the GCC market, served as CTO for Societe Generale in Lebanon, worked with top banks in France like Societe Generale and BNP Paribas.
Ex Oracle France Alumni with expertise in IT Infrastructure and Data.

Ghaus Bin Ikram

Ghaus Bin Ikram is the Head of Financial Crimes Compliance(FCC) & Money Laundering Reporting Officer at United Arab Bank(UAB) PJSC since 2023. He is currently managing Client Acceptance & Advisory, AML/CFT and Sanctions team. With over 19 years of experience within the domain of Compliance at Global and regional banks in the Middle east, his core area of expertise is within FCC comprising KYC/Client on boarding, AML/CFT, Sanctions ,Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Assessments, Internal Controls , FATCA & CRS, Investigations, AML/CFT Applications Optimization, technology and AI tools etc. Led various Compliance project implementations and automations including AI. Prior to working for UAB, he held  Head of AML/CFT and Acting Chief Compliance Officer positions at one of the largest banks in Qatar. Ghaus is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist , ICA certified Diploma in International Financial Crime Prevention, Certified Internal Controls Auditor and Certified Fraud Specialist.

Flo Akinbiyi

Flo Akinbiyi is a presenter and public speaker. With 19 years of experience in experiential marketing and event management, he has worked with many of the world's most well-known brands. His professional knowledge and experience allow him to build an emotional connection between brands and their customers.

His German and Nigerian roots have given him the knowledge and first-hand experience of different cultures. Since 2010, he has called the buzzing hub of Dubai home. His curated experience has provided the opportunity to work internationally and create business relationships throughout the globe.

Flo has a unique ability to captivate an audience and build longlasting, interpersonal relationships that make a memorable impact. He offers premium services to professionals looking to host an unforgettable event with a renowned presenter.

He has spent the last decade deep-diving into the art of public speaking, learning and harnessing the tools and methodologies of some of the world's most talented communicators, such as Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Winston Churchill.

His philosophy in life and the professional world is: "Each one teach one - the wisdom is all around you - you just have to find it."

Zaheer Mubarak Shaikh

Zaheer Shaikh is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Al Maryah Community Bank LLC, with 22 years of experience as an Information Technology (IT) professional with strong expertise in IT management, Information, Cyber Security, and IT enterprise architecture.
Being a founding team member of the bank Mr. Shaikh has been demonstrating expertise in establishing and implementing large information security and cybersecurity programs. Has designed and implemented an automated tool-based vulnerability management framework that continuously monitors and detects Cyber threats and vulnerabilities. He has also performed evaluations and selection of IT security tools and successfully implemented IT security systems to protect the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of critical business information and assets.
Mr. Shaikh is a multi-certified C-suite IT security and operations leader and is an alumnus of the Great Lakes Institute of Management and Harvard University. In past, he has worked with multinational banks like Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and Mashreq and has successfully delivered critical digital transformation and security programs.

Ahmed Nabil Mahmoud

Ahmed Nabil has more than 20 years of experience in the field of Information Security, Technology/Systems, Infrastructure, Project Management, Cyber Defense, Application Automation, Cloud Architecture, IT management and holds several professional certifications from Microsoft, CISCO, ISACA, ISC2, PMI, IAPP, CWNP, PECB, CSA and EC- Council.
Ahmed is an industry expert in Information Security and Digital Transformation, public speaker at several international conferences (Microsoft Ignite the Tour, ITCamp Cluj, CISO Africa Summit, GISEC UAE, Egypt CSCAMP, Cyber in Africa, Arab Security Camp, SAYA, SharePoint Saturdays, CloudWeekend, Credence, Global CISO Forum…..etc.) and author of several international published articles and a book on M365 Security technologies co-authored with other fellow MVPs.
Ahmed Nabil has a BS in Electrical and Control Engineering, MSc in Business Information Technology and Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Ahmed is currently the Head of Cyber Defense and Security Operations in a Leading bank. Prior to this Ahmed was the Corporate Chief Information Security Officer, Regional Security Manager and Chief Security Architect in multiple Organizations in Egypt, UAE and Middle East across different segments as Banks, Payment services, utilities, Oil and Gas organizations.
Ahmed was awarded the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Award in Enterprise security/Cloud and Data Center Management for 11 years in row from 2013 to 2023 for his exceptional knowledge sharing and community leadership in Egypt and Middle East Region.
Recently in July 2020 Ahmed was awarded the Microsoft Regional Director (RD) award as well.
Ahmed recently received the MESA CISO 100 Award from the MESA conference held in Dubai for the top CISO executives in the Middle East, CISO 50 Award, CISO 100 award, EGYPT CISO of the Year Award 2018, Arab CISO of the year 2021, 2022 and was finalist in EC-COUNCIL CISO awards 2018 (Atlanta, US).

Soheyl Kadjani

Soheyl is an all-round Strategic and Entrepreneurial Senior IT Leader with 29 years of Executive.

He is a Seasoned Technology Leader with extensive experience in Technology, Digital and Operating Model Transformations and is awarded for achievements in great Innovation and Technology Transformation programs and accomplishments in most challenging contexts. In addition he is experienced in shaping and executing Long-term technology strategies and Road maps aligning and enabling key initiatives of Business Strategy. Demonstrated the ability of building and leading high performing teams in Complex Matrix Organizations.

In his most recent experiences, he has worked on enabling the Technology and Digital Transformations to serve the organisations’ goals. This was achieved mostly through his former positions at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) where he was responsible for IT Strategy , Agile Transformation and Digital Capabilities; and at Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the Middle East, as Head of IT Retail Banking /Head of Agile Transformation. He has also worked in Emirates Airline as Head of DevOps Transformation / Head of Digital Transformation Cabin Crew. He brings also relevant value from his time at ING Bank (2001 – 2013), where he had various roles; in his last role he was responsible for all global finance reporting systems. Currently, he is working is Chief Digital Officer at Rabo Bank, which is one the largest banks in BeNeLux, operating globally. His mission is to enable and expedite digitization throughout the group.

Soheyl has also won Multiple CIO / CDO awards.