Finance & Banking

Experienced individuals involved in financial services, including banking, investment, insurance, and real estate

Hernan Huwyler

Hernan Huwyler

Hernan Huwyler is a Global Risk Management Executive and the Academic Director at IE Law and Business School (Executive Education). With a dual background as an MBA and CPA, Hernan specializes in the intersection of Law, Technology, and Quantitative Risk.

He focuses on "translating" complex regulatory frameworks (EU AI Act, GDPR, ISO 42001) into actionable architectures for engineering and business teams. Unlike traditional compliance officers, Hernan advocates for data-driven risk management, moving beyond "heatmaps" to utilize Monte Carlo simulations, convolution models, and Python-based risk quantification.

Hernan has led Risk, Control, and Audit functions for major multinational corporations across Europe and the Americas. He writes and speaks extensively on Adversarial AI, Algorithmic Auditing, and the financial quantification of Cyber Risk. Past keynote venues include Risk Awareness Conferences (>2,000 risk managers), IIA and ISACA Summits, ProcureCom Europe, IKN Madrid, IE University, and closed-door sessions for international organizations and national regulators. Hernan’s talks consistently rank in the top 5% of conference feedback scores because he makes complex security requirements, business needs and regulations feel like a competitive advantage.

Speaking Topics:

AI Governance: Implementing ISO 42001 and navigating the EU AI Act.
Risk Quantification: Why "Impact x Probability" fails and how to use convolution models.
Adversarial AI: Balancing transparency with security to prevent data poisoning.
AI ROI: Risk-adjusted financial modeling for Generative AI deployments.

Ready-to-Submit Talk Proposals:

Session 1: The Technical/Quant Talk

Title: Kill the Heatmap: Quantifying AI Risk with Python & Monte Carlo Simulations
Abstract: Most organizations manage AI risk using colorful 5x5 "heatmaps." This is mathematically flawed and dangerous for high-stakes AI deployment. In this talk, we will ditch the gut-check methodology. I will demonstrate how to use convolution and Monte Carlo simulations to model the "tail risk" of AI hallucinations and regulatory fines. You will leave with a method to calculate the actual financial exposure of your models—no expensive GRC software required, just math and logic.

Session 2: The Governance/Security Talk

Title: The Transparency Trap: How to Audit AI Without Creating Vulnerabilities
Abstract: New standards like ISO/IEC 12792 demand AI transparency, but in the age of Adversarial Machine Learning, "oversharing" is a security vector. If you reveal your full architecture and training sources, you invite data poisoning and model inversion attacks. This session outlines a "Tiered Disclosure Architecture." We will discuss how to route specific data to auditors, regulators, and users differently, ensuring compliance with the EU AI Act without handing the keys to bad actors.

Session 3: The Business/Strategy Talk

Title: The Real Cost of Intelligence: A Risk-Adjusted Framework for AI ROI
Abstract: Companies are deploying Generative AI based on productivity hype, but they are ignoring the "OpEx Iceberg"—model drift, inference costs, and liability reserves. This talk presents a financial framework for calculating the true ROI of AI. We will cover how to factor in the "Risk Delta" (new risks vs. automated risks), calculate the Levelized Cost of AI (LCOAI), and determine when to build vs. buy based on process uniqueness. A session for leaders who need to justify the cloud bill to the CFO.

Hernan Huwyler is a Global Risk Management Executive and the Academic Director at IE Law and Business School (Executive Education). With a dual background as an MBA and CPA, Hernan specializes in the intersection of Law, Technology, and Quantitative ... Show more

Algernae King

Algernae King

Algernae King is a Business Infrastructure & Capital Strategist, Certified AI Consultant, and bestselling author of Multiply Your Business dedicated to teaching service-based entrepreneurs the systems, finance, and operations they need to build businesses that last and grow.
Rooted in her core philosophy "Money Responds to Order," Algernae equips entrepreneurs with the structural foundation required to attract capital, streamline operations, and scale with intention. Her proprietary O.P.E.R.A.T.E. Framework™ gives business owners a repeatable, step-by-step system for moving from overwhelmed and understructured to organized, profitable, and fundable.
As the founder of King Enterprises Unlimited LLC and the creator of multiple brands including She Builds DIFFRNT™, Built DIFFRNT™ Youth Initiative, and Divinity Financial Solutions — Algernae brings the credibility of a Qualified Accountant, funding strategist, and operational architect to every stage she steps on.
Her talks blend practical frameworks, live AI demonstrations, and grounded truth-telling that leave audiences with clarity, a plan, and the confidence to execute. Algernae doesn't just inspire she installs.
She is available for keynotes, panels, workshops, and conference sessions on topics including business systems, AI integration, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and women's economic empowerment.

Algernae King is a Business Infrastructure & Capital Strategist, Certified AI Consultant, and bestselling author of Multiply Your Business dedicated to teaching service-based entrepreneurs the systems, finance, and operations they need to build busin... Show more

Igor Ostaptchenko

Igor Ostaptchenko

Igor builds probabilistic programming and real-time inference systems in Elixir. His current project, eXMC, is an open-source PyMC-style framework running MCMC sampling on Nx/EXLA across 88 cores for live financial signal processing. Before Elixir, three decades of systems architecture across telecom, finance, and manufacturing — from ITMO (St. Petersburg) to Wayne State (Detroit) to production systems that had to work on Monday morning. He believes the best runtime for numerical computing was designed for telephone switches.

Igor builds probabilistic programming and real-time inference systems in Elixir. His current project, eXMC, is an open-source PyMC-style framework running MCMC sampling on Nx/EXLA across 88 cores for live financial signal processing. Before Elixir, ... Show more

Abhinav Bharadwaj R

Abhinav Bharadwaj R

Technology professional with 6+ years of experience spanning enterprise networking and backend engineering across Banking and FinTech ecosystems.

Technology professional with 6+ years of experience spanning enterprise networking and backend engineering across Banking and FinTech ecosystems. Show more

Promise Mmanta

Promise Mmanta

Promise Mmanta is a Product Manager with over 4 years of experience building payment, logistics, and fulfillment systems that power real-world operations. She has led the design of platforms spanning driver apps, partner onboarding and KYC workflows, warehousing and fulfillment systems, and transaction and settlement flows.

Her work centers on translating complex operational and financial processes into structured, scalable systems. She has driven improvements in partner activation, automated key workflows, and contributed to revenue growth through the relaunch of a warehousing and fulfillment business line.

More recently, her focus has expanded into API design, payments infrastructure, and AI-driven systems, with a particular interest in how autonomous agents interact with APIs, exposing hidden assumptions in authorization, data governance, and system control.

Promise Mmanta is a Product Manager with over 4 years of experience building payment, logistics, and fulfillment systems that power real-world operations. She has led the design of platforms spanning driver apps, partner onboarding and KYC workflows,... Show more

Ricardo Maya

Ricardo Maya

Arquitecto de Soluciones con más de 6 años de experiencia impulsando la transformación digital en el sector financiero. Ha participado en iniciativas de alto impacto en organizaciones como Banco Pichincha y en proyectos internacionales con empresas en Miami, aportando en la construcción de soluciones modernas y escalables.

Actualmente colabora con una empresa de software con sede en Panamá, donde continúa desarrollando soluciones innovadoras y explorando el uso de inteligencia artificial en entornos reales. Su enfoque combina experiencia, visión estratégica y pasión por la tecnología para generar impacto a través de la innovación.

Arquitecto de Soluciones con más de 6 años de experiencia impulsando la transformación digital en el sector financiero. Ha participado en iniciativas de alto impacto en organizaciones como Banco Pichincha y en proyectos internacionales con empresas e... Show more

Artur Huk

Artur Huk

Artur is a systems architect and data engineer with over 20 years of experience in building end-to-end data platforms. As a Cloud Data Architect at Future Processing, he focuses on designing robust, scalable data ecosystems. He also engineers complex decision support systems and AI architectures for the London Insurance Market, bridging the gap between high-level business needs and production-grade execution environments.

Independently, he is the author and researcher behind the Decision Intelligence Runtime (DIR) and Responsibility-Oriented Agents (ROA) - architectural patterns that bridge probabilistic LLMs with the strict determinism required by critical business processes. His work on separating AI reasoning from execution has been featured on O'Reilly Radar.

To empirically validate these ideas, he built AIvestor, a research project operating on high-frequency financial data. Rather than just an investment tool, he uses live markets as a uniquely adversarial environment to stress-test real-time autonomy, state management, and decision integrity. Artur advocates for treating AI safety as a rigorous systems engineering challenge, not just a prompting exercise.

Artur is a systems architect and data engineer with over 20 years of experience in building end-to-end data platforms. As a Cloud Data Architect at Future Processing, he focuses on designing robust, scalable data ecosystems. He also engineers complex... Show more

Samuel Adekunle

Samuel Adekunle

Samuel is a Senior Mobile Engineer with 6+ years of experience developing robust and scalable mobile applications for fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS, serving hundreds of thousands of users.

Samuel is a Senior Mobile Engineer with 6+ years of experience developing robust and scalable mobile applications for fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS, serving hundreds of thousands of users. Show more

Anita Squires

Anita Squires

Anita has always been interested in computers from an early age; very early on, her dad gifted her a ZX spectrum. However, it took until she was later in her career to actually move directly into a coding career by becoming an automated tester. Before that, she spent many years working in a support role in various financial technology institutes, working closely with analysts, developers and testers, noticing the lack of young women in the space.
Outside of her day job, she has focused on trying to encourage more young women into technology roles with the Dell Stem Apire Mentoring program.

Anita has always been interested in computers from an early age; very early on, her dad gifted her a ZX spectrum. However, it took until she was later in her career to actually move directly into a coding career by becoming an automated tester. Befo... Show more

Sri Hari Deep Kolagani

Sri Hari Deep Kolagani

Sri Kolagani is a Director of CRM Engineering at Elastic. He leads engineering teams and supports Sales, Service, Marketing, and Partner Operations, focusing on enabling internal stakeholders through the adoption of new technologies, including generative AI. He is responsible for shaping the application ecosystem by introducing innovative capabilities and delivering solutions that advance both productivity and operational effectiveness. Prior to joining Elastic, Kolagani held senior leadership positions across financial services, payments, healthcare, and cloud computing.

Sri Kolagani is a Director of CRM Engineering at Elastic. He leads engineering teams and supports Sales, Service, Marketing, and Partner Operations, focusing on enabling internal stakeholders through the adoption of new technologies, including genera... Show more

Tushar Pal

Tushar Pal

I’m a Senior IT Internal Auditor at American Express Global Business Travel, specializing in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks including ISO 27001, SOX, and PCI DSS. As a cybersecurity professional who began with hands-on skills in penetration testing, exploit development, and digital forensics before choosing a career in governance, risk, and compliance, I bring a hacker’s mindset into the world of audits.

I’m also the author of a top-ranked digital forensics blog on the Autopsy tool, with over 75,000 views and the #1 spot on Google. Today, I lead the integration of Generative AI into internal audit processes, architecting a multi-phase roadmap that transforms legacy governance systems into dynamic, AI-powered frameworks. Alongside strategy, I actively design techniques for generating highly targeted GenAI prompts, enabling audit teams to extract precise, actionable intelligence while reducing noise and false positives.

By combining hacker-style curiosity with AI-driven execution, I offer a unique perspective on the future of IT audits. My talks challenge the perception of audits as checklist exercises and present a vision for Audit 2.0, where passion-driven professionals and AI together redefine assurance as resilience-building rather than compliance alone.

I’m a Senior IT Internal Auditor at American Express Global Business Travel, specializing in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks including ISO 27001, SOX, and PCI DSS. As a cybersecurity professional who began with ha... Show more

Taisia Berg

Taisia Berg

Bringing degrees in Physics & Innovation Management and 15 years of experience in International Banking, IT and Marketing, I create and launch the best market fit digital products highly valued by end-users and business.

Certified in Sustainable Investing by CFA Institute; Azure Fundamentals by Microsoft; SAFe® 5; Scrum PSPO I; Agile PM by IAPM; Google Analytics IQ & all Ads.

Bringing degrees in Physics & Innovation Management and 15 years of experience in International Banking, IT and Marketing, I create and launch the best market fit digital products highly valued by end-users and business. Certified in Sustainable ... Show more

Steve Sklar

Steve Sklar

Steve started his career on Wall Street with degrees in economics and finance. While working on a bond trading desk, he discovered his passion for software development and hasn't looked back since! Over the course of his career, Steve has architected, developed, deployed, and maintained critical software systems for investment banks, hedge funds, ML startups, and most recently QuestDB, a time-series database company. He brings over a decade of experience with Cloud Native technologies and is passionate about writing code that automates the pain out of infrastructure management. His hobbies include playing music and tennis.

Steve started his career on Wall Street with degrees in economics and finance. While working on a bond trading desk, he discovered his passion for software development and hasn't looked back since! Over the course of his career, Steve has architected... Show more

Oleksii Kraievyi

Oleksii Kraievyi

IT-operations specialist with experience in Telco and FinTech software engineering.

IT-operations specialist with experience in Telco and FinTech software engineering. Show more

Deep Patel

Deep Patel

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive metrics, real-time analytics, and AI-driven decision systems, helping leadership teams measure ROI, manage risk, and operate with data they can trust. Deep frequently speaks and writes on modern data infrastructure, AI governance, and translating complex systems into clear business outcomes.

Deep Patel is a senior data engineering and analytics leader with over a decade of experience designing and scaling large-scale data platforms across fintech and technology organizations. He has led enterprise-critical initiatives spanning executive ... Show more

James Birnie

James Birnie

James first worked in software delivery in the 1990s, when agile and lean were words used to describe gymnasts and pipelines were for carrying oil.

After working in a successful startup for 10 years James drifted into being an ex-software developer while learning about people, processes and systems thinking as a consultant at ThoughtWorks. Following a stint as Head of Platform in a Fintech and VP of Engineering in a Proptech startup, James went back to consultancy with Forrow where he is mainly working on Cyber Security and Post Quantum Cryptography while never drifting too far away from people, systems and delivery of useful outcomes.

James first worked in software delivery in the 1990s, when agile and lean were words used to describe gymnasts and pipelines were for carrying oil. After working in a successful startup for 10 years James drifted into being an ex-software develope... Show more

Álvaro Rodríguez

Álvaro Rodríguez

Partner, Trainer Microsoft | Formación y consultoría análisis de datos | Excel, PowerBI, PowerPoint, Python, Azure, Power Platform | Msc Data Science | Financiero | Mercadólogo | CEO Finanzas VLR | Docente universitario.

Partner, Trainer Microsoft | Formación y consultoría análisis de datos | Excel, PowerBI, PowerPoint, Python, Azure, Power Platform | Msc Data Science | Financiero | Mercadólogo | CEO Finanzas VLR | Docente universitario. Show more

Kumar Chinnakali

Kumar Chinnakali

I help Financial Services organizations build trusted AI applications and data platforms that people actually use.
IEEE CertifAIEd™ Assessor and Capgemini's The MCP Forge Community Driver.

I help Financial Services organizations build trusted AI applications and data platforms that people actually use. IEEE CertifAIEd™ Assessor and Capgemini's The MCP Forge Community Driver. Show more

Adelina Stanciu

Adelina Stanciu

Adelina is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience in agile software development across the full life cycle. Leading geographically dispersed teams across finance, e-commerce and cybersecurity, Adelina has successfully designed, developed and deployed complex, scalable applications. As an independent trainer in software architecture, Adelina is passionate about sharing knowledge through articles and thought leadership. With expertise in project planning, release management and stakeholder coordination, Adelina consistently drives high-impact results while ensuring seamless execution across teams and projects.

Adelina is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience in agile software development across the full life cycle. Leading geographically dispersed teams across finance, e-commerce and cybersecurity, Adelina has successfully designed,... Show more

Gabriel Torres

Gabriel Torres

Soy un profesional con más de 10 años de experiencia en el sector financiero, habiendo trabajado en varios bancos en Ecuador y en startups innovadoras como Kushki Pagos. Actualmente, soy Cloud Engineer en Banco Bolivariano. Este año, me he convertido en Community Builder en el área de Serverless, donde me dedico a fomentar la comunidad y compartir conocimientos. Además, soy un activo creador de contenido, publicando regularmente en blogs de Medium y otras plataformas.

Soy un profesional con más de 10 años de experiencia en el sector financiero, habiendo trabajado en varios bancos en Ecuador y en startups innovadoras como Kushki Pagos. Actualmente, soy Cloud Engineer en Banco Bolivariano. Este año, me he convertido... Show more

Henry Keniding Tarazona Lazaro

Henry Keniding Tarazona Lazaro

Bachiller en Sistemas e Informática por la UTP, especializado en desarrollo de sistemas escalables. Actualmente, me desempeño como Software Engineer en Interbank, con experiencia como arquitecto de soluciones y analista de datos utilizando Python.

Bachiller en Sistemas e Informática por la UTP, especializado en desarrollo de sistemas escalables. Actualmente, me desempeño como Software Engineer en Interbank, con experiencia como arquitecto de soluciones y analista de datos utilizando Python. Show more

Leslie Schall

Leslie Schall

Equal parts strategist and storyteller, Leslie Schall brings humor, heart, and hard-earned expertise to every stage. As Director of Channel Partnership, Microsoft at Corpay, she leads the powerhouse alliance connecting fintech innovation with Microsoft’s global ecosystem—helping businesses simplify payments and scale smarter.

Leslie’s sessions blend real-world insights with relatable energy, turning complex financial topics like fraud prevention, cash flow optimization, AP automation, and workflow efficiency into engaging, actionable discussions. Audiences walk away inspired, informed, and ready to rethink what modern financial operations can be.

When she’s not sparking collaboration across the Microsoft ecosystem, you’ll find Leslie in Fort Collins, Colorado, chasing her three kids, mountain views, and the next great cup of coffee.

Equal parts strategist and storyteller, Leslie Schall brings humor, heart, and hard-earned expertise to every stage. As Director of Channel Partnership, Microsoft at Corpay, she leads the powerhouse alliance connecting fintech innovation with Microso... Show more

Pradeep Kalluri

Pradeep Kalluri

Data Engineer with 3+ years of experience building production data platforms at NatWest, Accenture, and Dpoint. Specialized in cloud-native architectures, real-time processing with Kafka and Spark, and data quality frameworks. Published technical writer on Medium, sharing practical lessons from production systems. Passionate about making data platforms reliable and trustworthy.

Data Engineer with 3+ years of experience building production data platforms at NatWest, Accenture, and Dpoint. Specialized in cloud-native architectures, real-time processing with Kafka and Spark, and data quality frameworks. Published technical wri... Show more

Brian Yurachek

Brian Yurachek

Brian R. Yurachek is a former 'Wall Street' asset manager and founder of Parallel Worlds, Inc., where he develops IoT-driven media platforms that connect physical environments with digital assets for next-generation user experiences.

Brian R. Yurachek is a former 'Wall Street' asset manager and founder of Parallel Worlds, Inc., where he develops IoT-driven media platforms that connect physical environments with digital assets for next-generation user experiences. Show more

Curtis Blackthorne

Curtis Blackthorne

When Curtis is not out enjoying the finest BBQ that Kansas City has to offer, he is mentoring others to help them grow into whatever butterfly or moth they want to be.

When Curtis is not out enjoying the finest BBQ that Kansas City has to offer, he is mentoring others to help them grow into whatever butterfly or moth they want to be. Show more

Sharath Thirunagaru

Sharath Thirunagaru

With over 15 years of experience, I have led teams in creating advanced AI systems across various sectors. In the P&C industry, I developed vision-based systems and NLP models to automate property reviews and predict home outcomes. My work in the Automotive, Payroll & HR, Financial, Telecom, Music, and Retail industries includes building predictive models using machine learning, implementing advanced vision modeling, and developing automation solutions to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

With over 15 years of experience, I have led teams in creating advanced AI systems across various sectors. In the P&C industry, I developed vision-based systems and NLP models to automate property reviews and predict home outcomes. My work in the Aut... Show more

Herbert Sianturi

Herbert Sianturi

Herbert Sianturi serves as a Senior DevOps Engineer at Krom Bank Indonesia, where he roles spearheads efforts in enhancing the quality of end-to-end application lifecycle and applying open source platform as a base. With years of expertise in container orchestration and cloud computing, he is responsible for the scalability, reliability and stepping the costs of banking system by using open source platform. When Herbert isn't experimenting, he enjoys penetration testing.

Herbert Sianturi serves as a Senior DevOps Engineer at Krom Bank Indonesia, where he roles spearheads efforts in enhancing the quality of end-to-end application lifecycle and applying open source platform as a base. With years of expertise in contain... Show more

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi is a Vice President and Platform Strategist at BlackRock, leading strategic projects across global teams of 100+ professionals. With 4+ years in asset management and a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Coaching from ELTE University, she combines corporate expertise with coaching principles to drive organizational change and professional development.

Eszter Iványi is a Vice President and Platform Strategist at BlackRock, leading strategic projects across global teams of 100+ professionals. With 4+ years in asset management and a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Coaching from ELTE University, ... Show more

Vishal Sharma

Vishal Sharma

As Software Engineering leader, I bring over 20 years of expertise in enterprise architecture and digital transformation. By leading cross-functional teams, I enable the delivery of secure, scalable solutions that optimize operations and enhance client engagement. My efforts focus on integrating innovative technologies to align with strategic business goals, resulting in measurable outcomes for stakeholders.

With a strong foundation in business architecture and fintech innovation, I excel in modernizing platforms to meet evolving industry demands. Equipped with certifications such as TOGAF, I prioritize seamless system integration, cost efficiency, and regulatory alignment to drive long-term value for organizations. Passionate about solving complex challenges, I work collaboratively to empower teams and achieve sustainable success.

As Software Engineering leader, I bring over 20 years of expertise in enterprise architecture and digital transformation. By leading cross-functional teams, I enable the delivery of secure, scalable solutions that optimize operations and enhance clie... Show more

Jochen Setz

Jochen Setz

2013 - today: Developer and Manager at Solactive AG

2013 - today: Developer and Manager at Solactive AG Show more

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