The Malta Financial Services Authority will host a high-level conference bringing together international regulators, policymakers, and market leaders to discuss the evolving dynamics of global finance, capital markets, and technological innovation shaping the future of the financial ecosystem. This event precedes the IOSCO Growth & Emerging Markets (GEM) and European Regional Committee meetings taking place in Malta from 19 - 21 November.
The full-day programme will feature keynote addresses and panel discussions by distinguished speakers from leading financial institutions, international organisations, and academia. Topics will include emerging market opportunities, the global economic outlook, capital market development, payment services, regulatory innovation in crypto-assets, the growing impact of quantum computing and artificial intelligence on financial supervision.
Agenda
| 08:30H | Registration & Welcome Coffee | |
| 09:00H | Welcome Address
Hon. Dr Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism |
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| 09:10H | Key Developments with Respect to Malta’s Economy
Hon. Clyde Caruana - Minister for Finance |
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| 09:15H | Emerging Markets: Opportunities, Threats and New Trends in a Challenging Global Landscape
Mohamed Farid Saleh - Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt and Chair of the Growth and Emerging Markets Committee of IOSCO |
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| 09:30H | Navigating the Global Economic Landscape
David Wright - President, EUROFI |
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| 09:45H | Panel Discussion: How Should Financial Institutions and Regulators Navigate a Fragmented World?
Ryan Borg - Deputy Counsel, EU & International Affairs, MFSA (Moderator) Rodrigo Buenaventura - IOSCO Secretary General |
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| 10:45H | Coffee Break | |
| 11:15H | Strengthening Capital Markets Across the Globe
Nandini Sukumar - CEO, World Federation of Exchanges |
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| 11:30H | Panel Discussion: Navigating in an Evolving Capital Market
Fabio Axisa - Partner, PWC (Moderator) Michele Siri - Professor of Corporate Law and Financial Markets Regulation, University of Genoa |
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| 12:30H | The Path Towards a Pragmatic Capital Market and Resilient Economy
Carsten Offermann - Co-Director General, International Policy, Sustainability, Risk, Innovation, BaFin |
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| 12:45H | Lunch | |
| 14:00H | Malta's Journey in Crypto-Asset Regulation
Christopher P Buttigieg - Chief Officer Supervision, MFSA |
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| 14:15H | Quantum Computing and It’s Potential Impact on Security
Andre Xuereb - Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Malta and Malta's Ambassador for Digital Affairs |
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| 14:30H | Panel Session: Building a Compliant Crypto Future and Regulating the Financial Sector in the Context of AI
Ian Gauci - Managing Partner at GTG and Chairperson, AI Working Group, MFSAC (Moderator) Camille Pepos - Head of FinTech Supervision, MFSA |
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| 15:30H | Coffee Break | |
| 15:45H | Building an Efficient and Integrated Market for Payment Services
Mette Grolleman - Senior Vice President, Government Engagement Europe, Visa |
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| 16:00H | Panel Discussion: Cross-Border Payments and Making Retail Payments Faster and Safer
Fiorentina D'Amore - Chairperson, Financial Institutions Malta Association (FIMA) Malta (Moderator) Mathilde Clauser - Head of Government Affairs Southern Europe, Revolut |
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| 17:00H | Closing Remarks
Kenneth Farrugia - Chief Executive Officer, MFSA |
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| 17:15H | Networking | |
Registrations
The Authority encourages interested participants to register here by not later than Friday 14 November 2025. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Photos and videos will be taken during the event with the intent to publish this material on social media channels and website.
By registering, one would be granting consent to the data being used.
Speakers
Minister for Finance
Clyde Caruana
The Minister for Finance, Clyde Caruana, was appointed Minister in November 2020, an Economist by training, has held the position of Executive Chairman at the State employment agency, Jobsplus, since 2014, more recently had taken up office as Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff. During his tenure at Jobsplus, as Chairperson, he authored several position documents and policy papers, which have been central to the government’s labour force policy. Additionally, he was the main driver to implement these policies and reforms, most notably, related to free childcare, in-work benefits and others. He had previously worked at the National Statistics Office between 2007 and 2012. Caruana also lectures in Economics at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta. He has written papers and articles in the welfare state and the labour market, as well as related research and consultancy work.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism
Ian Borg
Dr Ian Borg is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Malta. He is actively engaged in political and diplomatic efforts to consolidate Malta’s standing at various bilateral and multilateral levels, forging effective relationships with other countries and with international organisations in pursuit of global peace and security. Deputy Prime Minister Borg is currently serving as the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as Malta assumes the Presidency of this Organisation between May and November 2025. Dr Borg is also chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Asian Partners for Cooperation Group, as well as the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. He chaired the United Nations Security Council in February 2023 and April 2024 and served as the 2024 Chair-in-Office of the OSCE. A young and dynamic leader, Deputy Prime Minister Borg was included in the “Top 40 Under 40” by the European Voice in 2017, as well as the 2013 Forbes list of 30 under 30 policy makers. He previously served as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects (2013-2017) and as parliamentary Secretary for the 2017 EU Presidency and EU Funds (2013-2017). Dr Borg graduated as a Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta in 2012. In 2005, aged 19, Borg was elected mayor of his hometown, Dingli, a position which he held until 2013, following re-elections in 2008 and 2012.
Chief Executive Officer, MFSA
Kenneth Farrugia
Kenneth Farrugia, CEO of the MFSA, holds a Bachelor of Accountancy (Hons), an MA in Business Ethics, and is a Certified Public Accountant and a fellow member of the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA). Throughout his career, Mr Farrugia held audit positions both within private audit firms and the public sector. Prior to joining the MFSA, Mr Farrugia was the Director of the FIAU, Malta’s financial intelligence and single AML/CFT Supervisor and Enforcement Unit in Malta, for six years until April 2023. During his tenure he implemented major policy, system and procedural reforms within the various sections of the FIAU, including intelligence analysis, AML/CFT supervisory and enforcement initiatives, and legal and international relation areas. Additionally, Mr Farrugia spearheaded the setting up of new teams within the Unit such as the cash limitation supervisory team, the central bank account registry and data analytics team, as well as the strategy, policy and quality assurance teams to cater for new responsibilities assigned to the FIAU by law, and also to enhance the overall governance structure of the Unit. He represented the FIAU in international fora, including the EBA AMLC, FIU Platform and EGMONT, amongst others, and participated in various AML/CFT high-level committees. For nine years up to 2017, he was engaged within the Government of Malta’s Internal Audit and Investigations Department (IAID) where he held various roles, including that of Director General. Mr Farrugia provided support to the Internal Audit & Investigations Board (IAIB) in drafting policies and procedures, implementing and managing the necessary change programmes and served as Secretary to that Board. He also participated in various meetings, seminars and conferences organised by the European Commission in the fields of auditing and financial investigations. Mr Farrugia is currently also the Chairman of the FIAU.
Chief Officer Supervision
Christopher Buttigieg
Dr Buttigieg has twenty-two years of experience in financial regulation and supervision. He is the Chief Officer – Supervision, responsible for the Supervision Directorate, the Chair of the MFSA’s Regulatory Committee and the AMLCFT Committee and a member of the Authority’s Executive Committee and Risk Committee. He is responsible for the co-ordination and implementation of the supervisory and regulatory strategy across all the sectors under the MFSA’s remit. Between October 2020 and September 2021, Dr Buttigieg fulfilled the role Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Financial Services Authority. Throughout his career at the MFSA, Dr Buttigieg was responsible for managing various functions and teams. He was also responsible for the implementation of several European Directives and Regulations and the development of new regulatory frameworks at national level. Dr Buttigieg is a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority and European Banking Authority. He was the Chair of the ESMA Data Standing Committee (until December 2022) and is now the Chair of the ESMA Proportionality and Coordination Committee (PCC). Dr Buttigieg has a commerce degree (B.Com 1998), an accountancy degree (B.Accty. Hons. 2000) and a financial services law degree (M.A. Fin. Ser. 2003) from the University of Malta, as well as a European Union Law degree (M.A. EU Law and Soc 2005) and a doctoral degree in law (PhD 2014) from the University of Sussex (UK). His Doctoral thesis deals with the governance of EU securities regulation and supervision. Dr Buttigieg is an Associate Professor in the Banking, Finance and Investments Department of the University of Malta. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of European Law (ERA) in Trier, Germany, and a visiting lecturer at the same institution. He is an active researcher and has published various papers in reputable journals, including the Columbia Journal of European Law, the ERA Forum, the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, the Journal of Business Law and the Law and Financial Markets Review. His latest publication deals with the institutional architecture for financial supervision of a small jurisdiction and proposes reforms with a view of achieving more efficient and cost-effective financial supervision.
Head, FinTech Supervision
Camille Pepos
Camille Pepos was appointed as Head of FinTech Supervision in March 2024 after joining the MFSA in 2020 following the creation of this same function within the Authority. Since joining, he has developed and implemented authorisation and supervisory practices in the field of crypto assets and actively contributed to positioning MFSA as a pioneer in FinTech supervision. Camille represents the MFSA within various Committees of the European Supervisory Authorities and is currently involved in a number of European network groups related to crypto assets. In his capacity as Secretary of the MFSA’s Authorisation Forum and Chair of the MFSA’s Supervisory Forum he has gained extensive knowledge in regulation, supervision and enforcement through his contribution to the implementation of a number of strategic projects within the organisation. Camille has both public and private sector experience in Europe and in the Middle East supporting companies interlinking financial services and technology. At the start of his career he held various roles in private banking, fundraising, fintech advisory and corporate services. An economist by academic background, Camille also possesses two Master degrees in Finance and Wealth Management from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and IAE Graduate School of Management.
Head, Capital Markets Supervision
Lorraine Vella
Lorraine Vella was appointed Head of the newly established Capital Markets Supervision function on 1 May 2022. Lorraine, a certified public accountant, joined the MFSA in 2000 and has worked in a number of areas within the organisation, gaining extensive knowledge in regulation, supervision and enforcement in the financial markets sphere. Having more than 15 years of experience in capital markets, throughout her career she was also directly involved in the transposition and implementation of various EU legislation, including the Prospectus Directive, Transparency Directive, Shareholders Rights Directive and Takeover Bids Directive. Lorraine has represented the MFSA within various Committees of the European Supervisory Authorities and is currently actively involved in European Network Groups related to supervision in financial services. She is also an alternate member on the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority.
Deputy Counsel, EU and International Affairs, MFSA
Ryan Borg
Ryan Borg was appointed Deputy Counsel – EU and International Affairs within the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) in May 2019. In his role, he is responsible for the coordination of relations with international organizations and foreign regulators. He is also responsible for the formulation of financial services policy, mainly issued by the European Commission and is actively engaged in policy dialogue, negotiations and follow up of EU institutional affairs and dossiers in the area of Financial Services. Prior to that, Ryan Borg spent ten years as a diplomat at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU in Brussels as Financial Counsellor. He had the privilege to deal with a number of financial services legislations and represented Malta in various EU fora. During his posting in Brussels, he participated in Ministerial Councils and various bilateral meetings with EU institutions. Throughout the Maltese Presidency in 2017, he had the opportunity to Chair the Financial Counsellors working group and led trialogues negotiations with the European Parliament on a number of legislative files. Ryan Borg holds a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce in economics and management, both from the University of Malta.
Deputy Head, FinTech Supervision, MFSA
Joann Mifsud
Joann’s career spans over 30 years within financial services making her way up to COO with a financial institution in Malta. She is currently working with MFSA as a Deputy Head within the Fintech Function supervising Financial Institutions in Malta. She holds an MBA from Reading University and an MSc in Lean Systems from Cardiff University.
Director, Helsinki Geoeconomics School
Jens Hillebrand Pohl
Jens Hillebrand Pohl is a legal practitioner-scholar and geoeconomist whose ideas on economic lawfare, geolegal power, and the power–utility synthesis have helped catalyze a new discourse on global economic governance. His work examines how legal and regulatory architectures are deployed not only to manage economic flows, but to assert strategic control and reconfigure the distribution of global power. He is the founding Secretary-General of the Helsinki Geoeconomics Society and Director of the Helsinki Geoeconomics School. Together, these institutions comprise the Helsinki Geoeconomics consortium, dedicated to advancing education, research, and convening at the intersection of law, capital, and strategy. He also holds several editorial leadership roles, including as Editor-in-Chief of the Helsinki Geoeconomics Monitor and Springer Studies in Law & Geoeconomics. Prior to founding the Helsinki Geoeconomics consortium, Dr. Pohl served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, where he contributed to national-level research on geoeconomic investment risk, economic security, and international governance. He taught international economic law and supervised graduate research at Maastricht University, lectured on global governance at United Nations University–MERIT, and held visiting research appointments at the World Trade Institute, the Max Planck Institute for Procedural Law, and other leading institutions. Earlier in his career, he practiced law before U.S. federal courts and the European Court of Justice, advising on cross-border restructuring, institutional design, and regulatory strategy. His legal work included roles at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York and the European Stability Mechanism in Luxembourg. Dr. Pohl is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, reflecting his commitment to spatially grounded power analysis, and is affiliated with a number of leading legal and international economic associations. He holds degrees from Harvard Law School, Maastricht University, and the Stockholm School of Economics, and as a legal practitioner he is admitted to practice in New York, England and Wales, and Ireland.
Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Malta and Malta's Ambassador for Digital Affairs
André Xuereb
André Xuereb is founder of Merqury Cybersecurity, an innovative company that operates in between quantum technologies and cybersecurity; a full professor and researcher of quantum physics at the University of Malta; and Malta’s Ambassador for Digital Affairs. He holds degrees from the University of Malta and the University of Southampton.
Chairperson, Financial Institutions Malta Association (FIMA) Malta
Fiorentina D'Amore
Fiorentina is a seasoned fintech leader with over 25 years’ experience spanning Malta’s largest banks, top fintech startups, and global crypto businesses. She has held senior roles at industry leaders including eToro and Bitpanda, and today serves as CEO of Blockchain. com in Malta, leading their European operations. Fiorentina also chairs FIMA (the Financial Institutions Malta Association). Specializing in innovation, operational risk, compliance, and strategy, she combines regulatory expertise with a drive for growth. A frequent speaker, she champions best practices in fintech and the role of governance in scaling the industry. Fiorentina holds a Master’s in Technology and Innovation Management, with published research on knowledge dissemination in digital industries.
Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Malta
Alexander Demarco
Alexander Demarco occupies the role of Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Malta since 1 January 2014, initially responsible for Financial Stability and since August 2017 responsible for Monetary Policy. He was appointed Acting Governor between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025. Mr Demarco was a member on the Board of Supervisors of the European Banking Authority and Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank until July 2017. Prior to his appointment of Deputy Governor, he held the post of Head, Financial Stability Department of the Bank. He joined the Bank in 1984 and for most of his career worked in the Bank's Economic Research Department as a senior economist and subsequently was appointed Head of the EU and International Relations Department. He graduated B.A. (Hons) in Economics from the University of Malta and read his MSc in Economics at the University of Warwick, UK.
Managing Partner at GTG and Chairperson, AI Working Group, MFSAC
Ian Gauci
Dr Ian Gauci is the Managing Partner at GTG and a technology and commercial lawyer with over 25 years of experience in advising governments, authorities, and private clients in the evolving technology and cybersecurity landscape. In addition to the legal practice, Dr Gauci actively contributes to the sector as an academic, director, author, lecturer, and international speaker. This allows him to bring both depth and perspective to the intersection of law, innovation, and digital transformation. Dr Gauci is also contributing to the MFSAC Strategy for Financial Services, where he chairs the AI in Fintech working group.
Head of Unit, Regulation, Enforcement, International UCI department, CSSF Luxembourg, and Chair of the IOSCO Assessment Committee
Laurent van Burik
Laurent van Burik is head of unit legal/international/enforcement and ESG of the CSSF Collective Investment Schemes division. He is with the CSSF since 2010. Prior to that, Laurent had spent 15 years as legal counsel with asset service providers (ICSD/global custodian/Big Four) in Luxembourg, London and Frankfurt. He represents the CSSF in various committees, including at international level the ESMA Investment Management Standing Committee and is currently the Chair of the IOSCO Assessment Committee. Laurent holds a Master II Degree in International Tax Law from University Paris XI-HEC Paris and was admitted to bar in 2001. He is a native German and French speaker and is fluent in English.
Chairman, Bank of Valletta, Malta
Gordon Cordina
Dr Gordon Cordina is a leading economist in the Maltese islands. He has professional experience spanning 25 years, covering banking, policy-making, academia and private sector consultancy. Dr Cordina is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and the University of Malta. His main area of academic interest is the growth and macroeconomic dynamics facing economies that are prone to heightened risks. Dr Cordina has several years of Board and Risk Committee experience in major financial institutions in Malta, amongst which at Bank of Valletta p.l.c., served as Manager of the Research Department of the Central Bank of Malta, Director General of the National Statistics Office of Malta, Head of the Economics Department of the University of Malta and Economic Advisor to the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. Through the private consultancy firm he co-founded in 2006, he is involved in a number of local and international research projects and consultancy assignments with institutions including the EU Commission, NGOs and private sector entities. Dr Cordina is also a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta. Dr Cordina was appointed Chairman of the Bank of Valletta p.l.c. in October 2020, of MAPFRE MSV Life in September 2021 and director of MAPFRE Middlesea in September 2022.
Senior Vice President, Head of Europe Government Affairs, Visa Inc.
Mette Toftdal Grolleman
Mette is responsible for Visa’s Government Affairs strategy in 37 countries in Europe. Before joining Visa, she was the General Manager of Fleishman Hillard’s Brussels office. Before joining the private sector, Mette was in the European Commission, including as an advisor on financial services to Vice-President Dombrovskis and as an advisor to the Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Jonathan Hill. Prior to joining the Commission, Mette worked as a Financial Counsellor at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EU, responsible for financial services. She holds a Master of Law from the University of Copenhagen. Mette lives in Brussels with her husband and two daughters.
Head of Government Affairs Europe - Revolut
Mathilde Clauser
Mathilde Clauser joined Revolut in 2024. She leads the company’s government affairs across the European region, with a mission to strengthen Revolut’s engagement with institutional decision-makers and regulatory authorities. Prior to her current role, Mathilde held several positions in government and public affairs with leading organizations. From 2022 to 2023, she led Government Affairs for the Turkish technology company Getir in France, where she managed engagement with policymakers and local authorities. Between 2017 and 2022, she headed Public Affairs at the American Chamber of Commerce in France (AmCham France), overseeing advocacy initiatives on digital policy, sustainability, and economic competitiveness. Earlier, she worked at Philip Morris International as a Public Affairs and Communications Specialist. Mathilde began her career at the French Embassy in the United Kingdom, before joining the French National Assembly as a parliamentary assistant. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication from Columbia University, a Master’s in Public Policy from King’s College London, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations.
President, EUROFI
David Wright
David Wright worked for 34 years in the European Commission in Brussels. He was a member of President Delors' advisory group and a member of both Lord Brittans' and President Santers' cabinets in the 1990s covering financial services, industry, energy and sustainable development issues. From 2000 he played a major role in integrating European capital markets becoming Deputy-Director General for financial policy and markets and acting as rapporteur on both the Lamfalussy and De LaRosière Committees. From 2012-March 2016 he was the Secretary General of IOSCO based in Madrid. David worked to make IOSCO stronger and more influential globally. He launched a number of important initiatives on global financial policy, training and education for securities regulators as well as deepening work with emerging market countries. He represented IOSCO in the Financial Stability Board. He is currently a senior adviser to Flint-Global, former Board member of the Bombay Stock Exchange and is the current Chairman of EUROFI. David is a graduate of Worcester College, Oxford and he has lectured on financial services policy all over the world including at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Sciences-Po, ESADE and Bocconi.
Co-Director General, International Policy, Sustainability, Risk, Innovation, BaFin
Carsten Offermann
Carsten Offermann is a financial markets specialist with almost 20 years' experience as consultant and bank executive in the financial industry. Having worked for Boston Consulting Group and several international banking groups such as Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas and UniCredit as financial institutions (FI) expert he has an in-depth understanding of the regulatory framework, accounting and operating models for all kinds of FI’s and a profound knowledge of risk and crisis management. In 2022, he joined the banking supervision unit at the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), where he is currently Co-Director General for International Policy, Sustainability, Risk and Innovation. He holds a PhD and a diploma in Business Administration from the University of Cologne.
Head of Investment Services and Undertakings Supervision Division, Financial Market Supervision Department, Bank of Lithuania
Dalia Juškevičienė
Dalia Juskeviciene, Deputy Head of the Financial Markets Supervision Department at the Bank of Lithuania and Head of Unit overseeing supervision of financial services under MiFID II, AIFMD, UCITS, the EU Crowdfunding Regulation, and MiCAR. An ESMA Board of Supervisors high-level alternate. Total 15 years of experience in financial supervision, 5 years as CRO at Lithuania’s national promotional institution.
Professor of Corporate Law and Financial Markets Regulation, University of Genoa
Michele Siri
Michele Siri is Professor of Corporate Law and Financial Regulation at the University of Genoa and Director of the Centre for Law and Finance. He has held a Jean Monnet Chair on the EU regulation of financial and insurance markets. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Joint Board of Appeal of the European Supervisory Authorities, which he has been appointed to chair in 2021. Michele Siri is a regular lecturer at the LLM program of Luigi Bocconi University and at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. He is an academic member of the Advisory Committee of the Italian Financial Markets Authority.
Managing Director (Europe), IDT Finance
Luciano Brincat
Luciano Brincat is Managing Director (Europe) at IDT Finance, a financial institution licensed in Malta. He has 15 years of experience in financial services, covering strategy, regulation, and supervision. His work has focused on payments, investment services, crypto-assets, and FinTech, both locally and at the European level. Before joining IDT Finance, Luciano worked at Ernst & Young (‘EY’), advising clients on regulatory compliance matters, including Investment Firm Prudential Regulation (‘IFR/IFD’), the Virtual Financial Assets (‘VFA’) Framework, and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (‘MiCA’) Regulation. Earlier in his career, he spent eight years at the Malta Financial Services Authority (‘MFSA’), where he also served as Deputy Head of FinTech Supervision. During his time there, he contributed to the development of the VFA Framework, engaged with European authorities on policy discussions across various areas, and led initiatives such as the MFSA’s FinTech Strategy, including the establishment of the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Office. Prior to joining the MFSA, Luciano worked within the Ministry for Finance, focusing on financial-services policy dossiers and contributing to national and EU-level policy development. Luciano is a member of various professional associations, including the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners (‘IFSP’) and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree in Economics and a Master of Science in Banking and Finance from the University of Malta.
Senior Financial Sector Expert, IMF
Cristina Cuervo
Cristina Cuervo is a Senior Financial Sector Expert at the IMF, specialized in securities regulation and supervision, as well as fintech. During her twelve years at the IMF, she has designed and run multiple technical assistance projects and led the securities and fintech work in several Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs), including most recently the Euro Area, Japan, Hong Kong, and Colombia. She is currently Deputy Mission Chief for the Austria FSAP. She has published several papers on securities regulation matters and crypto assets and represents the IMF at the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Before joining the IMF, she worked for the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) and was the CNMV’s representative to IOSCO’s Committee on Enforcement and Cooperation and IOSCO’s Screening Group for the MMoU. During her time at the CNMV, she was seconded to the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she worked on international enforcement, policy and technical assistance projects. Cristina started her career as an attorney at the Madrid office of the UK law firm Linklaters, where she dealt mostly with financial regulation and corporate issues. Cristina has a Law Degree from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) and a Masters in Corporate Law from the Instituto de Empresa, both in Madrid.
IOSCO Secretary General
Rodrigo Buenaventura
Rodrigo Buenaventura became Secretary General of IOSCO in January 2025. Previously, he served four years as Chair of the Spanish financial markets regulator, CNMV, until December 2024, and as such was a member of the ESMA and IOSCO boards. Rodrigo chaired several policy committees within ESMA (Investor Protection, Market Integrity and Markets) and IOSCO (Sustainable Finance Tark Force). Previously, he developed a career in financial markets regulation and supervision, starting at CNMV in 2005 as Head of International and then Secondary Markets, joining the then newly created ESMA as its first Head of Markets (2011 to 2017) and then back at CNMV as Director General for Markets until 2020. He specialized in post-trading, market abuse supervision, corporate reporting, market structure and corporate governance. After graduating in Economics in Madrid, he spent the first eleven years of his career (1993-2004) in the private sector at a leading Spanish financial consulting company (AFI), focusing on asset and liability management, securities issuance, debt management, rating advice and public finance.
Senior Fellow, Bruegel
Rebecca Christie
Rebecca Christie is a senior fellow at Bruegel, the Brussels-based economic think tank. She hosts The Sound of Economics podcast and does research on EU finance and capital markets. In 2024 she was in residence for five months at the European Central Bank as a senior economist, and she was lead author on the official history of the European Stability Mechanism. Before her research career, Rebecca was a journalist for more than 20 years, mainly in Washington and Brussels.
Chief Executive Dubai Financial Services Authority
Mark Steward
Mark Steward was appointed Chief Executive in May 2025. Mr Steward served as the Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from 2015. He was also the Chair of the FCA's Market Policy Committee, and from December 2021, he was Executive Director of the FCA's International Division. Prior to joining the FCA, Mr Steward served at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) as an Executive Director with responsibility for the Enforcement Division. Before joining the SFC, Mr Steward held several senior positions with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and was most recently Deputy Executive Director, Enforcement at ASIC. Formerly, Mr Steward was Chair of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) Multi-lateral Memorandum of Understanding Monitoring Group.
Director of the Capital Market Supervision Department, National Bank of Slovakia
Peter Tkáč
Peter Tkáč serves as the Director of the Capital Market Supervision Department at the National Bank of Slovakia. In this capacity, he is responsible for the oversight of the Slovak capital market, where he supervises a diverse range of entities, including investment firms, asset management companies, the stock exchange, the central depository, issuers, and distribution channels represented by financial intermediaries and financial advisors, among other related matters. Previously, he also held responsibilities for the oversight of the pensions sector and the insurance industry. Mr. Tkáč is a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and represents the National Bank of Slovakia on various international committees. He graduated from Comenius University in Bratislava, where he studied law. He has remained actively engaged in the academic community and is the author of numerous papers primarily focused on issues related to financial law. He was awarded a doctorate for his research on the causes and implications of the 2009 financial crisis, particularly its impact on financial market regulation.
Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, Egypt and Chair of the Growth and Emerging Markets Committee of IOSCO
Mohamed Farid Saleh
Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh serves as the Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) of Egypt since August 2022. He is also a Board Member at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Since September 2022, Dr. Farid was elected as the Chair of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) Growth and Emerging Markets Committee (GEMC) and the Vice Chair of IOSCO Board. Dr Farid is currently the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for GFANZ Africa Network. Since June 2024, he was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Africa Reinsurance Corporation. Throughout his professional career, Dr. Farid held a number of leading positions, among them the Executive Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) from August 2017 till August 2022. During this chairmanship, Dr. Farid held many significant international positions; the Chairman of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) 2017-2019 and from 2021 to August 2022; the Chairman of the Arab Federation of Capital Markets (AFCM) 2019-2021, the Chairman of the Emerging Markets Working Group at the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) 2017-2021 and Board Member of the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) from 2017 till August 2022. Between 2013 and 2016, he served as an External Consultant on Venture Capital (VC) and Financial Leasing for the World Bank Group in Egypt, and was a Member of the Capital Market Advisory Committee formed by the FRA. Additionally, he served as the Vice Chairman of EGX 2010-2011. He also served as a visiting lecturer for Financial Markets, International Finance, and Financial Derivatives at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT). Dr. Farid holds a PhD in Financial Economics from Cardiff Metropolitan University - UK, a Masters in Law in International Financial & Commercial Law from King's Collage London (KCL) – UK, an MSc in Quantitative Finance from Bayes Business School - City, University of London - UK, an MSc in Economics (Project Analysis, Finance & Investment) from York University - UK, and an MBA from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT) - Egypt. He also holds a certificate in Venture Capital from UC Berkley - USA, a certificate in Time-Series Analysis from Timberlakes, Cambridge University - UK, and a BSc in Foreign Trade and Economics from Helwan University - Egypt.
Chief Executive Officer, The World Federation of Exchanges
Nandini Sukumar
Nandini Sukumar is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation of Exchanges, the global association for exchanges and CCPs. The WFE represents more than 250 exchanges and clearing houses globally, educating stakeholders on the vital role played by market infrastructures in the real economy and as a standard setter, finding the consensus on issues among the global membership. Of our members, 37% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 20% in the Americas. WFE’s 87 member CCPs and clearing services collectively ensure that risk takers post some $1.1 trillion (equivalent) of resources to back their positions, in the form of initial margin and default fund requirements. WFE exchanges, together with other exchanges feeding into our database, are home to over 49,054 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is $116.58 trillion; around $155 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through WFE members (at end 2024). Ms. Sukumar is Vice Chair of IOSCO’s Affiliate Members Consultative Committee and Chair of the AMCC’s Sustainability Taskforce.
Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission, Cyprus
George Theocharides
Dr George Theocharides is the Chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). He is also the Chairman of the Risk Standing Committee (RSC). The RSC is part of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the successor of the Committee for Economic and Markets Analysis (CEMA), for which Dr. Theocharides served also as Chairman, between March and December 2022. He served as CySEC’s Vice Chairman from July 2020 to September 2021 and was previously a CySEC Board member. He has extensive experience working in the wider financial sector.
Head of International Affairs, Financial Services Regulatory Authority, Abu Dhabi
Philippe Richard
Philippe Richard joined the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market in September 2015 as International Affairs Executive Director. He previously was Director of the International Affairs Department at the French Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR). Philippe was Secretary general of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) for 6 years (2001-2007). His previous job positions were at the French Central Bank in Paris and New York and then at the EBRD in London (Senior banker). He graduated from the EDHEC business school in Lille and Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. He holds a Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies in International Economics from PARIS IX University (Dauphine).
