Amira Karim is a global public policy and payments leader at Amazon, where she works at the intersection of emerging technologies, AI, agentic commerce, and next-generation financial infrastructure. Her work focuses on the evolving policy architecture required for trusted digital commerce, including cross-border payments, digital identity, stablecoins, and programmable money, with an emphasis on governance, interoperability, and trust in the digital economy.

Prior to Amazon, Amira held roles across government, international development, and the private sector, including at Stripe, where she worked on global market expansion and international development initiatives focused on digital payments, financial inclusion, and the growth of digital economies across emerging markets. She has also worked alongside institutions including the World Bank. Based in Seattle and originally from Singapore, she engages closely with governments, regulators, multilateral institutions, and industry leaders globally on the future of trusted AI-enabled commerce and digital economic systems.

Andrew McCormack is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of Nexus Global Payments. Andrew brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience across global payments, digital infrastructure, and financial innovation. He most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Etihad Payments, the national payments entity of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he played a key role in modernising the UAE’s domestic payment infrastructure. Prior to that, he was the founding Centre Head of the BIS Innovation Hub in Singapore and Chief Information Officer at Payments Canada, where he led the delivery of the country’s real-time payments platform.

Andréa M Maechler became Deputy General Manager of the BIS on 1 September 2023.

Ms Maechler was a member of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) from 2015 until 2023. At the SNB, she was responsible for the Money Market and Foreign Exchange, Asset Management, Banking Operations and Information Technology portfolios.

Prior to joining the SNB, she was Deputy Division Chief in the Global Markets Analysis Division of the International Monetary Fund. She has worked at other international organisations, including the European Systemic Risk Board and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

She was Chair of the Global Foreign Exchange Committee of central banks from December 2021 to June 2023. Ms Maechler has a PhD and a master's degree in International Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Diploma of Higher Studies (DES) in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Chengyi Ong is Director of Policy and Regulatory Strategy for APAC at Circle, where she focuses on advancing digital assets, payments, and programmable blockchain infrastructure across the region, supporting the development of a more open and global financial system. Previously, she led APAC public policy at Chainalysis and spent over a decade at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, working across financial regulation, supervision, industry development, and central banking.

Ms. Daranee Saeju serves as Deputy Governor for Payment Systems Stability and Financial Services Supervision at the Bank of Thailand, where she oversees payment systems policy and the supervision of non-bank financial institutions, including payment service providers, retail lenders, and asset
management companies.

With more than 25 years of experience at the Bank of Thailand, Ms. Saeju has held senior leadership roles across a wide range of central banking functions. Prior to her current position, she served as Assistant Governor of the Strategy and Special Projects Group, the Payment Systems Policy and Financial Consumer Protection Group, and the Risk Management Group.

Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in payment systems and financial innovation, information technology risk supervision, digital fraud and scam management, market conduct supervision, and enterprise risk management. Her experience also spans monetary policy formulation and implementation, foreign exchange policy, financial market and financial sector development, financial stability, micro- and macroprudential regulation, and international relations strategy.

From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Saeju was seconded to the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she served as an expert on monetary and foreign exchange operations and market developments.

Ms. Saeju holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester in the United States

Jo is a Director and Division Head at the FinTech & Innovation Group (FTIG) at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). She leads the Payments Development and Data Connectivity Office, responsible for shaping Singapore's payments ecosystem and driving payments development initiatives, alongside cross-border data connectivity.

Jo has led Singapore's most consequential payments infrastructure and policy projects, including PayNow Generation 2, the Singapore Payments Network (SPaN), Project Nexus — a multilateral solution connecting fast payment systems across countries — and PayNow's cross-border linkages with Thailand, India, and Malaysia. Other landmark initiatives include SGQR, Direct FAST, the Payments Council, and the digital payments transition from corporate cheques in Singapore. Earlier in FTIG, she served as project director and lead policy architect for the Payment Services Act.

Jo's career began in law, with experience as Assistant General Counsel at MAS and prior private practice at Allen & Gledhill and Amica Law.

Kenneth heads the FinTech and Innovation Group at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The Group is responsible for development strategies for technology and innovation, to strengthen competitiveness, manage risks and enhance the efficiency of the financial sector.

Kenneth’s recent prior experience focused on digital transformation, enterprise GenAI and data governance. He previously headed the Enterprise Knowledge Department at MAS. Besides formulating data and knowledge strategies and governance policies, the department also pursues data transformation by architecting and developing platforms and applications that improve outcomes for financial supervision, central banking and other use cases.

Kenneth also has experience in regulatory policy, having previously headed MAS’ Prudential Policy Department. The department develops capital and liquidity standards, including MAS’ approach on the implementation of Basel III as well as contributions to international policy forums. Prior to this, Kenneth headed the international financial relations and financial stability surveillance functions in MAS, and served in MAS’ reserves management and enforcement functions.

Kenneth holds a BA in Economics and MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago. He enjoys experimenting with technology at work, and as a pastime.

Maha is Chief Executive Officer, GFTN Solutions. GFTN (Global Finance and Technology Network) bridges policy, capital and technology to build resilient, efficient and inclusive ecosystems.

Prior to this Maha served as Centre Head, BIS Innovation Hub Singapore. The centre develops public goods in the technology space to support central banks in how they discharge their roles in a digital economy and improve the financial system using emerging technologies.

In the UK, Maha joined the Financial Conduct Authority to set up the first Payments Department and deliver Open Banking and PSD2.  This followed by setting up Early and High Growth Oversight department, leading the FCA's response to the Kalifa review of Fintech. She served as Chief Payments Officer at Pay.UK on secondment from the FCA, responsible for running the payments operations of the UK’s payment operator.

Maha is the author of Fintech Regulation in Practice. A book that provides a clear, hands on guide to the practical considerations that fintechs, banks adopting fintech and other key players in the fintech ecosystem need to take into account when embedding regulation.

She serves as the independent reviewer of the Australian Regulatory Sandbox, appointed by the Australian Treasury.

Maha has a Degree in Commerce from Macquarie University and a Masters in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Masaki Bessho is Deputy Director-General for Digital Currency in the Payment and Settlement Systems Department at the Bank of Japan. In this role, he oversees portfolios related to digital currencies and international affairs. Since joining the Bank in 1994, Mr. Bessho has built a distinguished career at the intersection of international finance, legal frameworks, and financial technology. Prior to his current appointment, he served as General Manager of the Kobe Branch, Head of the FinTech Center, and Head of the Financial Infrastructure Studies Division at the Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies. His international postings include serving as Deputy Chief Representative for Europe in London and working at the Frankfurt Representative Office. Mr. Bessho has contributed to numerous international forums on digital money, blockchain and fintech, including collaborative projects with the BIS. He holds an LL.B. from Kyoto University and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Morten Bech joined the BIS in mid-2011. Before taking up his current assignment in 2020, he was the head of the secretariat supporting the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures with responsibility for coordinating and contributing to the activities of the Committee and its various working groups. He has also served as Secretary to the Markets Committee. He previously worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Danish central bank. In 2009, he was a visitor at the Monetary Affairs Division of the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has written on various issues relating to monetary policy implementation, money markets, the network topology of financial markets, large-value payment systems and systemic risk.

Mr. Naphongthawat Phothikit currently works as the Senior Director of Payment Systems and Financial Technology Policy Department, Bank of Thailand. With more than twenty-year experience in central banking, Mr.Phothikit has experience in banking supervision, payment systems and FinTech. Mr.Phothikit is currently responsible for the formulation and implementation of national policies regarding payment systems and related financial technologies to ensure efficiency and safety of the economy. His main responsibilities include the national policy for the development of payment systems infrastructure, promotion of the use of electronic payment transactions in public and private sectors, and the oversight of payment systems operators and payment service providers. He also participated in “Your Data” initiative to enable users to securely send their personal data to financial service providers through digital channels.

Ms. Nino Jeladze was appointed Vice Governor and Member of the Board of the National Bank of Georgia in February 2025. She oversees supervisory policy, regulation, and licensing of both banking and non-banking institutions, as well as the supervision of payment service and virtual asset service providers.
Before her appointment, Ms. Jeladze served as Head of the Supervisory Policy Department, leading the modernization of Georgia’s supervisory framework in line with CRR/CRD and Basel III principles. She previously held senior roles at ProCredit Bank Georgia and ProCredit Holding AG in Frankfurt, focusing on compliance and AML, operational risk, and corporate governance.
Ms. Jeladze holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in International Economic Relations, Law and English Language from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

Ms. Pavasant joined the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Thailand in May 2005. She is now an Assistant Secretary-General who is responsible for Financial Innovation. She supervises Digital Financial Innovation Department, Digital Asset Policy Department, and Digital Asset Supervision Department. Ms. Pavasant took part in the 6th reformation of the Securities and Exchange Act B.E. 2535 (1992) in 2019 to pave way for FinTech development in Thai capital market. In addition, there is the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018) as the specific law governing digital asset fund raising and digital asset business operators in Thailand. Ms. Pavasant has been responsible for FinTech and digital asset policy development and digital asset supervision since 2019.

Ms. Pavasant graduated from Chulalongkorn University and earned LL.M. degrees from Chulalongkorn University and the University of Cambridge. She holds Doctor of Legal Science (SJD) from the University of Hong Kong. She is admitted to the Thai Barrister at Law since 2003. She worked as Attorney at Law at PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal & Tax Consultants (Thailand) Ltd. prior joining the SEC Thailand.

Dr. Norhana Endut is the Assistant Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia responsible for the Financial Regulation Sector, which include areas of Financial Surveillance, Prudential Financial Policy, Payment Services Policy and Consumer and Market Conduct. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Governor of the Economics Sector, which involved overseeing matters related to monetary policy, economics, international affairs as well as data management and statistics.

Dr Norhana is an experienced and trained economist, who has been serving the central bank in various capacity. Dr. Norhana is currently a member of the Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Committee. She also oversees the Bank’s Digital Currency Hub.

Dr. Norhana received her PhD in Monetary Economics and Econometrics and MSc. in Economics from the Washington University in St. Louis, USA. She received the BSc. (Hons) in Economics from Warwick University, UK and attended Executive programme at the Harvard Business School, USA.

Mr. Sakkapop Panyanukul currently serves as the Assistant Governor, Payment Systems Policy and Supervision Group, Bank of Thailand. He oversees payment systems policies and regulations, as well as financial market infrastructures and payment service providers. His responsibilities also include fostering innovations in payments and fintech, as well as overseeing market conduct and financial literacy initiatives.

He has extensive experience in key areas at the Bank of Thailand, including monetary policy, macroeconomic affairs, financial markets, financial stability, financial institution supervision policy, and financial risk management for international reserves.

In 2005, he served as a Visiting Economist at the Bank for International
Settlements, Asian Office, Hong Kong. Prior to joining the Bank of Thailand in 2001, Sakkapop worked in the Research Department at Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited.
Mr. Sakkapop holds a bachelor’s degree in economics (First Class Honours) from Thammasat University, a master’s degree in financial economics
from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Warwick Business School. His doctoral dissertation received the Young Scholar Award from the Tinbergen Institute in 2008.

Sally Etherington is the current Minister- Counsellor (Treasury) for South East Asia based in Jakarta. Prior to her posting Sally led the Australian Government’ payment policy strategy and regulatory reforms on digital assets and scam prevention.

Sopnendu Mohanty is the Co-founder and Group CEO of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a global advisory and investment firm. At GFTN, he leads innovative strategies that drive development and transformation in the financial sector through four operating arms: Forums, Advisory, Platform, and Capital.

He served at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as its first Chief Fintech Officer for nearly a decade, establishing Singapore on the global map as a leading center for innovation in the financial sector and a dynamic hub for fintech development. He continues to advise MAS on technology and innovation.

He currently serves on several boards, including the board of A*STAR, Singapore’s leading public sector agency dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and technological innovation. Before his leadership role in the public sector, he spent nearly two decades at Citigroup. He is credited with developing many public goods, including the notable PayNow, Singapore’s digital public infrastructure for payments. He conceptualized the globally well-known Singapore Fintech Festival and its global network of forums; today, the GFTN forum is the world’s largest convenor of tech, policymakers, and the financial sector community. Mr. Mohanty has co-authored several patented works in digital finance and received numerous industry accolades. He advises governments and various institutions on policies and implementation strategies for innovation, infrastructure, and ecosystem development in the financial sector.