Finance & Banking

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

Ignacio Lopez

Ignacio Lopez

Ignacio Lopez is a fractional Head of AI based in Miami. He works with family
offices, wealth firms and family-owned businesses across the United States and
Latin America.

He came to AI from the controls side rather than the product side. At KPMG he
audited SOX controls and did data privacy work for public companies. At JP
Morgan he was an information risk manager, including work against Banco Central
de la República Argentina regulation. He then spent three years at Kaseya, in
the MSP and IT channel.

His rule is that anything which has to be numerically correct is written as
deterministic code and never handed to a model. The model reads, flags, and
routes to a named person. It does not calculate. He built a quarterly reporting
engine on that principle for a family-owned real estate portfolio: every figure
is produced twice, once by code and once by a model, and the system refuses to
publish when the two paths disagree. Backtested against eight quarters that had
already been closed and signed off, seven reconciled and one did not. The engine
held it.

He also runs a live poll of family offices across eight countries. Roughly four
in five are already using AI. More than eighty percent have nothing written down
about it.

He presents in English and neutral Latin American Spanish.

Ignacio Lopez is a fractional Head of AI based in Miami. He works with family offices, wealth firms and family-owned businesses across the United States and Latin America. He came to AI from the controls side rather than the product side. At KPM... Show more

Brendon Falconer

Brendon Falconer

Brendon Falconer is a senior financial executive with more than two decades of experience in banking, analytics, treasury, and corporate finance. He has built his professional reputation on a disciplined, data-driven approach and a steady, collaborative executive style. His work centers on transforming complex financial data into practical insights that guide operational execution and long-term strategy.

Over the years, Brendon’s responsibilities have included financial reporting, asset and liability management, analytics, mergers and acquisitions, and enterprise-level performance strategy. He has consistently focused on strengthening institutions through careful planning, strong governance, and measurable outcomes. Alongside institutional results, he has placed importance on mentoring teams and building internal capabilities that support sustainable growth.

Brendon Falconer was raised in York, Pennsylvania, where he developed an early commitment to both academics and athletics. As a competitive track and field athlete, he gained discipline, focus, and resilience. At the same time, he pursued technical and business-centered academics that shaped his interest in finance. He later earned an accounting degree from Kent State University and completed an MBA at Indiana State University. His formal education in management, strategy, and organizational leadership provided a solid base for his advancement in the banking industry.

Technically, Brendon has developed expertise in financial accounting, asset and liability management, management reporting, and data analytics. His analytical background includes econometric modeling, ACL development, and stress testing frameworks. He also has experience in credit analysis, financial modeling, investment portfolio oversight, and the design of hedging and derivatives strategies. His approach emphasizes clarity, consistency, and thoughtful risk assessment.

In February 2014, Brendon became senior vice president at Old National Bank, where he led management reporting and data analytics. In that role, he oversaw enterprise financial, operational, and credit reporting while advancing the bank’s analytical capabilities. He later transitioned to treasurer in September 2016, taking responsibility for liquidity, capital planning, market risk sensitivity, investment portfolio oversight, and treasury operations. During this period, he contributed to the development of centralized pricing frameworks and enhanced market risk analysis.

Since May 2019, he has served as Old National Bank's senior executive vice president and chief financial officer. His leadership responsibilities include financial accounting, reporting, tax, treasury, data analytics, management reporting, facilities, procurement, and oversight of finance teams across the organization. Under his financial leadership, Old National Bank expanded significantly, surpassing $46 billion in combined assets and completing the acquisition of a $20 billion Chicago bank. His role in supporting this growth reflected disciplined planning and strategic coordination.

Beyond his executive work, Brendon Falconer has contributed to industry dialogue as a speaker at the “Acquired or Be Acquired” banking conference in both 2022 and 2023. His discussions addressed core banking system selection after mergers and the growing importance of enhanced credit analytics in performance and risk management.

Outside of finance, athletics remains an important part of his life. He placed third in the decathlon at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and competed in the 2000 Olympic Trials. He also remains active in community initiatives, supporting nonprofit and educational organizations and serving in financial advisory roles.

Brendon Falconer is a senior financial executive with more than two decades of experience in banking, analytics, treasury, and corporate finance. He has built his professional reputation on a disciplined, data-driven approach and a steady, collaborat... Show more

Matt Andelman

Matt Andelman

Matt Andelman is a fintech and real estate executive focused on the intersection of capital formation, private markets, and tokenization.

Matt serves as Head of Business Development at Polymath, where he works with issuers, broker-dealers, financial institutions, asset managers, and technology partners to bring real-world assets and private-market investments on-chain. His work focuses on expanding adoption of Polymath’s institutional tokenization infrastructure and helping organizations navigate the path from traditional capital formation to blockchain-enabled financial markets.

Matt also co-founded ABC FinTech, which operates a tokenized commercial real estate fund focused on acquiring and managing investment properties while leveraging blockchain infrastructure to modernize ownership, investor administration, and the management of private real estate investments. Through ABC FinTech, Matt has gained firsthand experience at the intersection of commercial real estate, capital raising, investor relations, and digital securities.

In addition, Matt has hands-on experience in commercial real estate development and investment, including ground-up development, acquisitions, capital raising, investor relations, asset management, and project execution.

Across these roles, Matt has developed a broad network spanning broker-dealers, family offices, RIAs, investment sponsors, fintech companies, blockchain infrastructure providers, and private-market investors. He is particularly interested in building the infrastructure and partnerships necessary to make tokenized assets a practical part of mainstream capital markets.

Matt is based in the Chicago area and works with companies and investors across the U.S., Canada, and international markets.

Matt Andelman is a fintech and real estate executive focused on the intersection of capital formation, private markets, and tokenization. Matt serves as Head of Business Development at Polymath, where he works with issuers, broker-dealers, financi... Show more

Ayush Agrawal

Ayush Agrawal

Ayush Agrawal is the Founder of Kuberzo, a wealth firm focused on mutual funds and goal-based investing, with a vision to make investing simpler and more accessible for Indian investors.

With experience across banking and asset management, Ayush has developed a practical understanding of how individuals approach money, investing, and long-term financial decisions.

At Kuberzo, he is building a technology-driven wealth platform that combines financial awareness, goal-based planning, and digital investing to help investors make more informed decisions about their money.

Ayush is passionate about personal finance, investing, wealth creation, financial awareness, and the changing investment behaviour of young Indians. As a speaker, he focuses on making financial concepts simple, practical, and relevant to everyday life.

Ayush Agrawal is the Founder of Kuberzo, a wealth firm focused on mutual funds and goal-based investing, with a vision to make investing simpler and more accessible for Indian investors. With experience across banking and asset management, Ayush h... Show more

George Proorocu

George Proorocu

George is a seasoned IT professional with 15+ years of experience, evolving from technical roles to leading engineering teams in security-critical sectors. Passionate about coaching and empowering others, he combines hands-on expertise with strategic leadership.

A former professional chess player, George won the "Romanian Chess Champion" title with his club team in 2004. At 16, he founded and grew an ISP company in Bucharest to 600 clients before selling it at 18. He later pursued an Executive MBA at IMT Paris to strengthen his leadership skills.

Recognized in the Financial Times' "100 Faces of Innovation" in 2016, George is a sought-after Cybersecurity expert specializing in Fraud and Deepfakes. He has spoken at over 20 conferences all around the world, and his beginner’s Cybersecurity course has helped 150,000+ students start their careers in the field.

George is a seasoned IT professional with 15+ years of experience, evolving from technical roles to leading engineering teams in security-critical sectors. Passionate about coaching and empowering others, he combines hands-on expertise with strategic... Show more

Joseph Okei

Joseph Okei

Helping product led companies drive business growth through user experience design and leadership. My philosophy as a product designer is “test and iterate”. This is the fastest way to truly build a user focused product.

Helping product led companies drive business growth through user experience design and leadership. My philosophy as a product designer is “test and iterate”. This is the fastest way to truly build a user focused product. Show more

Harsh Gupta

Harsh Gupta

Harsh Gupta is a Senior Data Scientist at PayPal with more than 10 years of experience in analytics, experimentation, causal inference, A/B testing, and growth measurement across financial services, technology, and consulting.

He is the co-author of the forthcoming Packt book The Agent-Augmented Data Scientist, which focuses on making analytical work with coding agents reliable, reproducible, and trustworthy enough to support real decisions. His work examines how teams can combine the speed of AI agents with explicit business context, verification systems, and human judgment.

Harsh has won multiple AI and data science hackathons and has judged applied AI and data science competitions at Stanford University and California State University, East Bay.

Harsh Gupta is a Senior Data Scientist at PayPal with more than 10 years of experience in analytics, experimentation, causal inference, A/B testing, and growth measurement across financial services, technology, and consulting. He is the co-author ... Show more

Sathpal Singh

Sathpal Singh

Associate Director at UBS, specialising in AI, Multi-Cloud, and Observability Architecture. A Grafana Champion, Grafana & Friends Hyderabad Organizer, and Global AI Hyderabad Chapter Lead, passionate about building AI-powered solutions, cloud-native platforms, and thriving technology communities while helping organizations accelerate their AI transformation journey.

Associate Director at UBS, specialising in AI, Multi-Cloud, and Observability Architecture. A Grafana Champion, Grafana & Friends Hyderabad Organizer, and Global AI Hyderabad Chapter Lead, passionate about building AI-powered solutions, cloud-native ... 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

Hergy Fongue

Hergy Fongue

Hergy Fongue is a backend Developer at Finanz Informatik, the central IT service provider of the German Savings Banks Finance Group. He plays a key role in the transformation of the central data warehouse from mainframe-based infrastructure to a modern, decentralized architecture. His focus lies on building modern cloud-native core components for business-rule-driven data correction. This involves ensuring both the semantic integrity of data and the flexible processing of individual records as well as large files.

Hergy Fongue is a backend Developer at Finanz Informatik, the central IT service provider of the German Savings Banks Finance Group. He plays a key role in the transformation of the central data warehouse from mainframe-based infrastructure to a mode... Show more

Christian Andrade

Christian Andrade

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (American subsidiary), and 4 years as CIO at CdF International(Dutch Company).

Has successfully led 5 cross-border M&A transactions, leveraging Microsoft Business Central (BC) for financial integration, valuation, and post-merger process harmonization. More than 100 ERP implementations in more than 20 countries.

Holds dual Master’s degrees (Management Science – University of Kent, UK, and Accounting – UFBA), an MBA in Corporate Finance (FGV), and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Computer Science (UFBA). Certified PgMP and PMP (PMI). Recognized for natural leadership, mentoring, and coaching abilities, with high commitment, structured thinking, and excellent negotiation skills.

PhD in Accounting and Finance from Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), researching the impact of corporate governance distance on cross-border M&A performance, 11 years as Partner Director at Fênix Consultoria, 7 years as CFO at Fumex Tabacalera (Am... 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

Solomon Olalemi

Solomon Olalemi

Solomon Olalemi is Head of Product at VFD Microfinance Bank, where he leads the team building digital banking and lending products for Nigeria's underserved market. He has over six years of product management experience spanning cryptocurrency infrastructure, cross-border remittance, and digital banking across Africa and the UK.
Before VFD, Solomon led product at Polaris Bank, where the digital banking platform was named Digital Bank of the Year in Nigeria for three consecutive years. Earlier in his career, he helped build a remittance platform serving payment corridors across the continent and contributed to early-stage cryptocurrency infrastructure at Payercoins.
Solomon writes and speaks on product strategy, API-as-a-product thinking, fintech innovation in emerging markets, and building teams that ship in regulated environments. He has spoken at API Conf Lagos and contributes to Nigeria's growing product community.
Outside work, he's a committed reader — he finished 104 books in 2017 — and spends his off-hours with family and friends in Lagos.

Solomon Olalemi is Head of Product at VFD Microfinance Bank, where he leads the team building digital banking and lending products for Nigeria's underserved market. He has over six years of product management experience spanning cryptocurrency infras... Show more

Stefano Amorelli

Stefano Amorelli

Stefano Amorelli is a software engineer and lead with 8+ years of experience in hands-on leadership positions for start-ups and scale-ups across the USA and Europe.

Stefano Amorelli is a software engineer and lead with 8+ years of experience in hands-on leadership positions for start-ups and scale-ups across the USA and Europe. Show more

Ben Lee

Ben Lee

Andersen LLP is an award-winning tax advisory firm with a specialist Web3 tax and accounting team. It offers a range of services, from international token structuring, token incentives, fractional CFO services and back-office financial support for businesses to personal income-tax planning and compliance.

Having advised crypto clients since 2018, Ben is a member of numerous digital asset working groups focussing on tax policy and financial reporting and was awarded Spears' 500 Top Recommended Cryptocurrency Advisor in 2022 & 2024 and City Wealth's Top 50 Professionals in Crypto in 2023.

Ben is a seasoned speaker and contributor for media outlets such as Bloomberg, the FT and Tax Journal, Ben is committed to the furtherance of the UK as a jurisdiction for crypto to thrive.

Andersen LLP is an award-winning tax advisory firm with a specialist Web3 tax and accounting team. It offers a range of services, from international token structuring, token incentives, fractional CFO services and back-office financial support for bu... Show more

Aniket Tendulkar

Aniket Tendulkar

Aniket Tendulkar is an Enterprise Architect Senior Director specializing in enterprise architecture, AI-enabled systems, and large-scale digital transformation. He has successfully worked with Fortune 500 companies in building Enterprise Roadmaps and AI Strategies powered by Salesforce and MuleSoft for global organizations across Insurance, Telecommunications and Financial services. His work focuses on modernizing complex enterprise systems, integrating distributed applications, and building scalable digital infrastructure that supports millions of users. Aniket actively contributes to the technology community through research publications, industry speaking engagements, and mentoring emerging professionals in enterprise architecture and AI-driven platforms.

Aniket Tendulkar is an Enterprise Architect Senior Director specializing in enterprise architecture, AI-enabled systems, and large-scale digital transformation. He has successfully worked with Fortune 500 companies in building Enterprise Roadmaps and... Show more

Diego Rodrigues

Diego Rodrigues

Head de Engenharia de Confiabilidade e Plataforma na Elo, uma das maiores bandeiras de pagamento do Brasil. Lidero a plataforma interna construída sobre o Backstage, unindo developer experience, confiabilidade e governança de engenharia e de IA em um ambiente financeiro regulado.

Head de Engenharia de Confiabilidade e Plataforma na Elo, uma das maiores bandeiras de pagamento do Brasil. Lidero a plataforma interna construída sobre o Backstage, unindo developer experience, confiabilidade e governança de engenharia e de IA em um... Show more

Karin Fürst

Karin Fürst

Karin drives the Observability strategy at SimCorp. She has a strong background in Software & Data Engineering, holding a BSc in Data Engineering & Statistics and an MSc in International Business Leadership & Management, plus years as an implementation consultant and as a Risk Analyst at a financial institution in Austria. This gives her a rare vantage point: connecting deep technical insight with business context to drive meaningful outcomes.

Karin drives the Observability strategy at SimCorp. She has a strong background in Software & Data Engineering, holding a BSc in Data Engineering & Statistics and an MSc in International Business Leadership & Management, plus years as an implementati... Show more

Craig Bonn

Craig Bonn

Over the course of his career, Craig Bonn has dedicated more than thirty years to developing strategies that help investors participate in opportunities outside of traditional markets. He focuses on alternative investments, private equity, and pre-IPO companies. Today, he is the Managing Partner of Harley Capital LLC, an independent broker-dealer, and the Managing Member of Edge Partners LLC, which organizes Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for accredited investors seeking access to late-stage private companies. His professional record includes exposure to various industries—technology, healthcare, energy, and consumer markets—and early involvement in companies such as Facebook, Databricks, and Anthropic.

Craig’s path began in New York, where he was born and raised, before pursuing his undergraduate education at the University of Hartford. Soon after completing his degree, he joined Lehman Brothers. Working at the firm placed him amid global financial activity, where he learned to evaluate risk, manage portfolios, and advise clients across diverse situations. While the environment was demanding and competitive, it also revealed to him the limitations of conventional financial instruments. He observed that not every client’s long-term goals could be met through traditional markets alone, which inspired him to look more closely at alternatives.

Guided by this insight, Craig established Harley Capital LLC. He aimed to create an independent, transparent, and long-term client service firm. Harley Capital grew into a boutique investment company, serving high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and trusts. Clients of Harley Capital benefit from carefully selected opportunities in areas such as private equity and pre-IPO investments, which are often beyond the reach of conventional investors. The firm emphasizes diversification, clear communication, and fiduciary responsibility as central to its mission.

Craig further extended his professional focus through Edge Partners LLC. At Edge Partners, he applies the SPV model to give accredited investors structured participation in pre-IPO and late-stage venture opportunities. Organized under a Delaware Series LLC, the firm is efficient and flexible while maintaining thorough due diligence. Edge Partners has prioritized investments in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, and software, which are industries positioned for long-term growth. He oversees acquiring securities in private companies and holding them until liquidity events such as acquisitions or public offerings occur.

His approach to investing emphasizes three pillars: disciplined risk management, appropriate timing, and a long-term vision. Craig believes that successful outcomes require choosing companies with potential and structuring the investments to safeguard participants. His preference for SPVs reflects this philosophy, providing both access to growth and a framework that manages risk.

Beyond pre-IPO markets, Craig has been active in natural gas mineral funds, venture partnerships, hospitality REITs, and specialized financing. His involvement includes WhiteHawk Energy and investments in Outstanding Foods, Braemar Hotels and Resorts, Prospect Capital, and Urica Therapeutics. Each reflects his practice of assessing industries, market conditions, and company fundamentals before committing capital.

Craig has remained committed to philanthropy and community involvement outside his professional roles. He supports organizations such as Pink Aid and Fred’s Team, which fund cancer research and health initiatives. His contributions include both financial support and participation in awareness-building events.

Craig has lived with his wife in Westport, Connecticut, for over 25 years. He is a runner who has completed five marathons, including the New York Marathon. He also enjoys traveling and gaining perspective by engaging with different cultures and economies.

Balancing his career achievements with philanthropy and personal pursuits, Craig Bonn continues to follow a path that reflects dedication, long-term vision, and community engagement.

Over the course of his career, Craig Bonn has dedicated more than thirty years to developing strategies that help investors participate in opportunities outside of traditional markets. He focuses on alternative investments, private equity, and pre-IP... Show more

Russlan Ramdowar

Russlan Ramdowar

Russlan Ramdowar is the founder of Future Edge Group and iPulse AI, an Open Agentic Investment Research Platform, and the author of Hymn of Modernity. Based in Abu Dhabi, he builds AI-driven research workflows and explores how organisations can evaluate, govern and operate them.

His work focuses on making AI-generated research inspectable through visible reasoning, model disagreement, dated forecasts and evaluation. His executive white paper examines AI adoption versus transformation: how productivity gains change operating dependencies, decision rights and human responsibilities.

Russlan also publishes AI Investment Edge: Stocks, Markets & Money, a podcast exploring AI, markets and investment research. His speaking topics include evaluating agentic AI beyond consensus, testing the resilience of automated workflows, and moving from AI tool adoption to organisational transformation. He brings a founder's perspective grounded in practical implementation, with evidence, limitations and lessons made explicit.

His past appearances include the AI-Driven Economic Transformation in the UAE panel at AINext Awards & Conference Dubai on 22 October 2026, and a separate startup pitch at the Web Summit Startup Showcase.

Russlan Ramdowar is the founder of Future Edge Group and iPulse AI, an Open Agentic Investment Research Platform, and the author of Hymn of Modernity. Based in Abu Dhabi, he builds AI-driven research workflows and explores how organisations can evalu... Show more

Rohith Ashok

Rohith Ashok

Rohith Ashok is an SVP of Architecture at Fidelity Investments and a contributor to the FINOS CALM open-source initiative. Rohith's work focuses on architecture governance, developer tooling, and transforming software architecture with automation. In his spare time Rohith is an avid woodworker and technology enthusiast!

Rohith Ashok is an SVP of Architecture at Fidelity Investments and a contributor to the FINOS CALM open-source initiative. Rohith's work focuses on architecture governance, developer tooling, and transforming software architecture with automation. I... Show more

Akshay Sharma

Akshay Sharma

Akshay Sharma is a Lead Member of Technical Staff at Salesforce, where he works on customer data graphs. He has spent more than 15 years building data and AI platforms for financial services, retail, and healthcare, including principal engineering roles at Capital One and Discover Financial Services, where he designed domain-driven medallion architectures and led legacy ETL modernization.

His recent work asks a practical question: what happens when AI agents and LLMs touch production data? He has built open benchmarks on LLM-driven pipeline repair, legacy ETL translation, bank-statement verification, and governed knowledge-graph retrieval, all released with code. His research is published in IET Software, and he reviews for IEEE Access and IEEE IT Professional.

Akshay has spoken at Dreamforce and The Economist, judged hackathons including LA Hacks and RevolutionUC, and is an invited keynote speaker at TAIMMA 2027. He is an IEEE Senior Member and a Member of the IET.

Akshay Sharma is a Lead Member of Technical Staff at Salesforce, where he works on customer data graphs. He has spent more than 15 years building data and AI platforms for financial services, retail, and healthcare, including principal engineering ro... Show more

Edgar Odey

Edgar Odey

Edgar Odey is an award-winning entrepreneur and thought leader. While studying at Yaba College of Technology, he founded Yabatech Delivery and is now the Founder & CEO of Packet Africa, where he builds payment infrastructure for universities, polytechnics, and student groups across Africa.

Edgar Odey is an award-winning entrepreneur and thought leader. While studying at Yaba College of Technology, he founded Yabatech Delivery and is now the Founder & CEO of Packet Africa, where he builds payment infrastructure for universities, polytec... Show more

Ashutosh Pal

Ashutosh Pal

Ashutosh Pal is an Engineering Manager at Green Dot Corporation in Austin, TX, with over 20 years of experience in banking, fintech, and payment processing. He led the engineering of Samsung Wallet's "Tap to Transfer" P2P payments integration — architecting real-time money-movement infrastructure that serves millions of users at a 99.9% transaction success rate — and builds embedded-finance and Banking-as-a-Service platforms on Green Dot's Arc platform. His current work and research focus on compliance-aware guardrails for AI-assisted software development in regulated codebases, the subject of his recent paper "Governing the Machine in the Loop." He is an IEEE member, holds Microsoft Azure certifications, and has led distributed engineering teams of 35+ across three continents.

Ashutosh Pal is an Engineering Manager at Green Dot Corporation in Austin, TX, with over 20 years of experience in banking, fintech, and payment processing. He led the engineering of Samsung Wallet's "Tap to Transfer" P2P payments integration — archi... Show more

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi

Eszter Iványi, with 5+ 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, with 5+ 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. Show more

Shiva Kalyan Reddy Giri

Shiva Kalyan Reddy Giri

Shiva Kalyan Reddy is a Senior Software Engineer with experience building and modernizing enterprise web and mobile applications, particularly in financial-services environments. His work spans full-stack development, API architecture, cloud platforms, enterprise modernization, and generative AI. He has hands-on experience with LLM APIs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector databases, semantic search, prompt engineering, real-time AI applications, and AI-assisted software development. He is especially interested in production readiness, secure data handling, scalability, maintainability, and ensuring that engineering teams understand and take ownership of the systems they build and operate.

Shiva Kalyan Reddy is a Senior Software Engineer with experience building and modernizing enterprise web and mobile applications, particularly in financial-services environments. His work spans full-stack development, API architecture, cloud platform... Show more

Gurmeet Singh Kalra

Gurmeet Singh Kalra

Gurmeet Singh Kalra is a seasoned technology executive with extensive leadership experience across financial services, fintech, and enterprise technology. Over nearly two decades, he has worked with leading organizations including Green Dot Corporation, SPAN Systems, TietoEVRY, Seasia Consulting (EDS-HP offshore centre), Netsmartz (Sebiz Infotech), and GR Softech. His career reflects a consistent track record of delivering digital transformation, regulatory compliance solutions, and cutting-edge innovations that serve millions of customers worldwide.
At Green Dot Corporation, Gurmeet currently serves as Director of Engineering, where he has led transformative initiatives such as AI/ML-powered fraud prevention, real-time transaction reconciliation platforms, and BSA/AML monitoring systems. His leadership has driven major improvements in transaction origination, industry rankings, and customer approval rates, while enabling partnerships with Apple, Walmart, Intuit, Amazon, and other industry leaders. Previously at Green Dot, he served as Senior Manager of Software Development and Principal Software Engineer/Development Manager, guiding large-scale architecture modernization and delivering resilient, cloud-native platforms on AWS and Azure.
Earlier in his career, Gurmeet contributed to SPAN Systems as a Technical Lead, designing healthcare payment systems and integrating advanced solutions for U.S. banking and pharmacy modules. At TietoEVRY (EVRY India Pvt. Ltd.), he worked as a Project Lead on enterprise web development, mobility solutions, and consulting engagements for international clients in Norway and Canada.
As Senior Consultant at Seasia Consulting (EDS-HP offshore centre), Gurmeet specialized in enterprise solution development, big data processing, and systems optimization for global clients. During his time at Netsmartz (Sebiz Infotech), he delivered full-stack development for web applications in job portals, real estate, and healthcare. His professional journey began at GR Softech, where he laid the foundation of his career in web development and enterprise product support.
Across these roles, Gurmeet has demonstrated expertise in cloud infrastructure, microservices architecture, enterprise-scale integrations, and regulatory technology systems. He has successfully led cross-cultural teams across the United States, Canada, Norway, and India, earning recognition from international clients and receiving multiple industry awards for technical excellence and innovation.
Gurmeet holds a Master of Science in Information Technology from Panjab University and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Guru Nanak Dev University. His strong academic foundation has complemented his hands-on leadership in building transformative platforms and managing global technology teams.

Gurmeet Singh Kalra is a seasoned technology executive with extensive leadership experience across financial services, fintech, and enterprise technology. Over nearly two decades, he has worked with leading organizations including Green Dot Corporati... Show more

Elizabeth Ogunseye

Elizabeth Ogunseye

Elizabeth Ogunseye is Co-founder and CMO of Subify, a subscription-sharing and bill-splitting fintech operating across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Cameroon, and Co-founder of The Fintech Africa, which runs the Launchpad Africa program for early-stage founders. She has nine years of experience leading data-led growth across fintech, healthtech, music streaming, and mobile. At Sterling Bank, her product marketing drove 53% month-on-month revenue growth on Switch and ₦2.09B in deposits for OneBank. She created the Task vs. Touch framework for dividing work between AI and human judgment, and the open-source PMM Toolkit Africa and The African CMO Playbook. An active mentor, she led Launchpad Africa’s second cohort and has trained 260+ African professionals in growth marketing. Elizabeth is President of ADMARP, Nigeria’s association of 2,000+ digital marketing professionals, and a 2025 Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist honouree. A trained journalist and TV presenter, she brings practitioner depth and a broadcaster’s clarity to every stage.

Elizabeth Ogunseye is Co-founder and CMO of Subify, a subscription-sharing and bill-splitting fintech operating across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Cameroon, and Co-founder of The Fintech Africa, which runs the Launchpad Africa program for early-stage ... Show more

Swapna Chimanchodkar

Swapna Chimanchodkar

Swapna Chimanchodkar is an accomplished transformation leader with nearly two decades of experience enabling sustainable business impact for global organizations through process excellence, data-driven decision-making, and digital transformation. She has successfully led strategic initiatives spanning process and IT transformation, enterprise data strategy, and automation integrating technologies such as AI/ML, RPA, Gen AI, and advanced analytics to solve complex business challenges.
In her current role as Director at UBS Financial Services, Swapna drives large-scale transformation and integration programs across various areas of the bank. She oversees strategic integration, data modernization, and digital and process improvement initiatives, collaborating closely with senior leadership and cross-functional global teams.
A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Swapna brings a unique combination of analytical rigor, strategic insight, and change management expertise to every engagement. She has been instrumental in designing target operating models, and implementing automation frameworks that deliver measurable efficiencies.
As a thought leader, Swapna regularly contributes to industry dialogue. She served as a keynote speaker and panelist at the NexGen Banking Summit USA 2024, discussing AI-driven business innovation and data-led digital transformation in the banking sector.

Swapna Chimanchodkar is an accomplished transformation leader with nearly two decades of experience enabling sustainable business impact for global organizations through process excellence, data-driven decision-making, and digital transformation. She... Show more

Maksym Stepanenko

Maksym Stepanenko

Maksym Stepanenko is a business consultant and strategist based in Ottawa, director of INNOVA CONSULT (Innova Consulting Group). He has spent 14 years in business consulting, law, digital marketing and finance, helping thousands of small and medium businesses in more than 50 countries enter new markets, choose a jurisdiction and tax structure, open bank accounts, register trademarks, close legal risks and find customers.

He trained as an economist, ran a legal firm in Kyiv for nine years and worked as a court-appointed insolvency practitioner. In 2013 he founded Marketing Mix, a marketing and web agency for small businesses in Ukraine and Canada.

His work with a client starts where the business loses money and time and ends with a system that runs without daily hands-on control. Work that used to take a team now partly runs on AI agents, which makes it faster and cheaper for clients. In 2026 his team was a top-10 finalist at Build North (Georgian, Toronto).

He co-founded the Ukrainian Community of Lanark County and speaks English, Ukrainian and Russian.

Maksym Stepanenko is a business consultant and strategist based in Ottawa, director of INNOVA CONSULT (Innova Consulting Group). He has spent 14 years in business consulting, law, digital marketing and finance, helping thousands of small and medium b... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Join Speakers Directory

Join our Speakers Directory today and amplify your reach! Showcase your expertise to a global audience hungry for your insights. Let your voice be heard!

Create Profile