Transaction Finance Reinvented Conference

Navigating the financial digital revolution

Transaction Finance Reinvented 2024 stands as a beacon of innovation amid global economic shifts and technological breakthroughs. Building on the 2023 summit, where we addressed challenges like inflation, economic downturns, and the digital revolution, the 2024 event arrives at a pivotal moment.

In 2024, traditional norms continue evolving, and emerging concerns such as monetary tightening, global inflation, unsustainable debt, and geopolitical tensions loom large. Digitalisation is reshaping finance at an unprecedented pace, demanding institutions to provide effective cash management, liquidity solutions, treasury services, and supply chain financing. Instant cross-border payments alone are insufficient; today’s consumers seek transparency, traceability, and trust.

ISO 20022 adoption promises enhanced payment chain interoperability but presents unique challenges. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have the potential to simplify business models, while ISO 20022 boosts financial system efficiency. This fosters investment in sustainable financial products and services, promoting ESG integration in finance.

Transaction Finance Reinvented is a dialogue platform for banking experts, alternative players, regulators, and technology providers. It explores trends, offers best practices, and addresses global trade dynamics, correspondent banking, cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and liquidity management.

Past event highlight video

Key issues to be covered

Global Transaction Banking – A knight in a shining armour for banking?

Transformation of cross-border payments and liquidity management

Global supply chain finance for a disrupted world

The role of digital assets in transaction and corporate banking

Insights from significant wholesale CBDC projects

Shaping the future of finance: Sustainability, digitalisation, connectivity, and more

Who will attend?

  • Chairmen, CEOs, board members, and senior management of leading traditional financial institutions, including banks and financial market players
  • Transaction banking professionals in cash, payment, trade, and FX from traditional and emerging institutions
  • Heads of operations, technology, channels, and payments
  • Senior executives in logistics and supply chain finance
  • Financial technology start-ups, blockchain companies, internet finance firms, and other non-bank players in transaction services
  • Regulators, government officials, and policymakers who seek to be part of the conversation

Transaction Finance Reinvented Conference

Thursday, 23 May 2024 | Granvile, Lower Lobby, Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong
08:30 – 09:00

Registration and Morning Networking

09:00 – 11:00

Welcome Note

Daniel Drew, Alternate Chairperson, The Hong Kong Association of Banks; MD, Chief of Staff, Hong Kong HSBC

Opening Keynote

Arthur Yuen, Deputy Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority

International Keynote

Lord Chris Holmes, Member of the House of Lords; Former Member, Science and Technology Select Committee, UK.

Leadership Dialogue

Harnessing technology and sustainability in finance

Exploring the intersection of technology, finance, and resilience, delving into strategic innovation investments, the emergence of green banking, economic indicators, interest rates, and the disruptive potential of DeFi and tokenization.

  • Exploring economic indicators' impact on interest rates
  • Embracing green banking: aligning incumbents with changing business demands
  • Investing in technology for resilience and crisis management
  • Impact of DeFi and tokenisation on global finance
Session co-hosted by
  • Emmanuel Daniel

    Founder, TAB Global

  • Gordian Gaeta

    International Resource Director
    The Asian Banker

11:00 – 11:30

Tea / Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:00

Global Transaction Banking – A knight in a shining armour for banking?

The 2024 global transaction finance landscape presents challenges and opportunities shaped by macroeconomic and geopolitical factors. Amidst these events, businesses and financial institutions expect renewed growth bolstered by new emerging business models, evolving corporate and SME customer needs, and from complex interplay of trends in technology, risk, and sustainability.

  • Balancing short-term profitability with long-term sustainability
  • Managing corporate credit risk in a rising interest rate environment
  • Investing in technology for resilience and crisis management
  • Embracing sustainability in global transaction banking : Aligning traditional banking with changing business demands
Panellists include:
  • Ashutosh Kumar

    MD, Head of Global Transaction Banking, APAC, Mizuho

  • Anthony Lin

    Head of Transaction Banking Asia; Global Head Market Management, Standard Chartered

  • Shekhar Bhandari

    President - Small and Medium Enterprises, Kotak Mahindra

Chaired by
  • Mathew Welch

    International Resource Director,
    The Asian Banker

12:00 – 12:30

Advancing cross-border payments and liquidity management

Cross-border payments play a crucial role in global flow exchange, yet they still suffer from relatively slow processing, high fees, and limited transparency when compared to domestic payments. However, recent years have seen significant improvements driven by payments innovation, upgrades to payment market infrastructure, market leading transformational initiatives among others.

  • Cross-border payment evolution: Challenges and opportunities
  • Leveraging platforms for efficient cross-border transactions
  • Implications of ISO 20022 for banks and their customers
  • Wholesale CBDCs' role in future cross-border payments and the role of correspondent banks
Panellists include
  • Terence Tan

    Head of Growth and Sales Strategy, Treasury Services APAC, BNY Mellon

  • Jody Aldridge

    Head, Installed Base, Solutioning and Customer Success, APAC Visa Cross-Border Solutions

  • Kaiwan Turel

    Director, Treasury Solutions Group and Receivables Product - Asia Pacific, Global Payments Solutions, HSBC

Chaired by
  • Bill Chua

    International Resource Director,
    The Asian Banker

12:30– 14:00

Networking Luncheon

14:00 – 14:45

Deep Tier Supply Chain Finance – Opportunities and challenges

For many SMEs, particularly those deeper in the supply chain, accessing finance remains a significant challenge. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) identifies a financing shortfall exceeding $2.5 trillion that affects these SMEs' ability to scale operations, increasing costs and causing supply chain disruptions. Deep tier supply chain finance addresses this by having anchor buyers support suppliers beyond the first level.

  • Could deep tier supply chain finance be a solution for SMEs seeking more accessible and affordable trade finance?
  • Can this approach effectively bridge the trade finance gap?
  • What are the cross-border legal challenges associated with deep tier supply chain finance, and how can they be resolved?
  • Who are the key players, and how can they collaborate to enhance the system?
Panelists include
  • Kelvin Teo

    Co-Founder and Group CEO,
    Funding Societies

  • Angelia Chia

    Partner, Simmons and Simmons Singapore

  • Sunil Mascarenhas

    Senior Investment Specialist, Trade & Supply Chain Finance Program,
    Asian Development Bank

Chaired by
  • TS Shankar

    Asia Representative, BAFT

14:45 – 15:05

ESG challenges and opportunities in transaction and corporate banking on the path to net zero

Banks play a pivotal role in assisting clients to achieve net-zero emissions by prioritizing ESG factors in transaction and corporate banking, including risk identification, sustainable trade financing, and ESG-aligned working capital solutions.

  • Exploring partnerships across sectors to embed sustainability. How standardisation and collaboration can support goals
  • Addressing the challenges in transparency and implementation
  • What available resources and tools contribute to achieving ESG targets and projects
  • Measuring ESG performance: starting points - Identifying key metrics and benchmarks.
  • Government and regulator’s roles in advancing ESG adoption- Understanding policy impacts and regulatory expectations.
Panellist include
  • Ronald Young

    Head of Sustainable Finance Asia, Global Banking and Advisory, Societe Generale

  • Serena Mak

    Executive Director, Sustainable Finance, Institutional Banking Group,
    DBS (Hong Kong)

Chaired by
  • Sandeep Sethi

    Co-chair, Greentech and ESG Committee, Fintech Association of Hong Kong

15:05 – 15:30

Networking Tea Break

15:30 – 16:30

Closing Keynote Session

From virtual to real: Exploring the evolving landscape of virtual economies and digital assets

This session delves into the evolving landscape of virtual economies and digital assets, including NFTs, DAOs, stablecoins, CBDCs, and metaverses. It explores real-world implications, opportunities, and challenges, considering underlying technologies and regulatory frameworks.

  • Examining potentials and risks of tokenising traditional assets
  • Exploring DeFi for financial inclusion and banking solutions
  • Navigating CBDCs' impact on monetary policies and global currencies
  • Identifying regulatory frameworks for virtual economies and digital assets
Panellists include
  • Hakan Eroglu

    Advisor, Innovation Hub, Bank for International Settlements

  • Gerald Goh

    Co-Founder and CEO, Sygnum Singapore

  • Anthony Ng

    Co-Founder & CEO, Hong Kong Virtual Asset Exchange

  • Kevin Loo

    CEO (HK), DigiFT

Session co-hosted by
  • Emmanuel Daniel

    Founder, TAB Global

  • Gordian Gaeta

    International Resource Director,
    The Asian Banker

16:30

Closing Remarks and End of Summit

08:30 – 09:00

Registration and Morning Networking

09:30 – 10:15

Transaction finance in the digital age— Embracing disruption

Transaction finance is experiencing a whirlwind of digital disruption, driven by innovative newcomers offering more efficient, cost-effective, and user-centric solutions. This session unpacks the central challenges and opportunities posed by digital disruption, as both incumbents and disruptors explore strategies to adapt.

Talking Points

  • Charting the future of transaction banking: How can collaboration and partnerships reshape the industry?
  • Fostering collaboration between incumbents and disruptors to create a seamless transaction finance experience for customers
  • Assessing the current status of blockchain and its utilization in transaction finance.
  • How can the evolution of Generative AI drive unprecedented change in the world of transaction finance?
10:15 – 10:30

Customised Speaking Opportunity

10:30 – 11:00

Tea/ Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:45

Steering through supply chain realignment in 2024—Lessons in resilience

Global supply chains are undergoing a substantial recalibration, propelled by various factors such as rising inflation, geopolitical fluctuations, and the ongoing shift towards sustainability. This transformative process presents businesses with both challenges and opportunities as they strive to maintain operational continuity and secure vital supplies

Talking Points

  • A spotlight on the different shoring trends regionally and globally
  • Leveraging working capital financing to bolster supply chain resilience and foster growth in the context of realignment
  • The evolving landscape of supply chain financing in the wake of the supply chain crisis
  • Strategies for businesses, suppliers, and financiers to collaboratively establish a more efficient and inclusive working capital financing ecosystem
  • Exploring the evolving role of platforms and fintechs in supply hains: What's on the Horizon?
11:45 – 12:30

Panel Discussion

ESG challenges and opportunities in transaction and corporate banking on the path to net zero

In the pursuit of net-zero emissions, ESG considerations in transaction and corporate banking assume paramount importance. Banks are poised to assist clients in identifying and mitigating ESG risks, financing sustainable trade transactions, and offering working capital financing solutions that align with ESG objectives.

Talking Points

  • The imperative of collaboration among banks, businesses, and stakeholders to accelerate the integration of ESG principles into the financial sector
  • Exploring the contributions of fintechs and service providers in advancing sustainability
  • Overcoming the hurdles posed by the absence of standardised ESG reporting and disclosure frameworks in the finance sector
  • The reason behind the rise of ESG in transaction and corporate Banking, and what comes next?
  • Measuring ESG performance through KPIs and other metrics - Where to begin?
  • Exploring the roles of governments and regulators in championing the adoption of ESG practices in transaction and corporate banking

Invited panellists include:

12:30 – 14:00

Networking Luncheon

14:00 – 14:30

Digital assets in banking—Catalysts for transformation in transaction and corporate banking

Digital assets are ushering in a transformative wave within financial services, with their most promising applications found in cross-border payments, settlements, and trade finance. This panel will explore the importance of standardising definitions and regulatory frameworks, challenges, as well as the collaboration needed among regulators, central banks, traditional banks, and the private sector.

  • Exploring how tokenization revolutionizes trade finance instruments, enables fractional asset ownership and fosters a seamless trade ecosystem.
  • Evaluating both the advantages and obstacles in incorporating stablecoins or tokenized assets to improve liquidity management.
  • Discussing how tokenization expands access to trade finance opportunities by enabling fractional ownership of assets.
  • Examining the pivotal role of infrastructure development, such as blockchain platforms and custody solutions, in facilitating the adoption of tokenization
14:30 – 15:00

Treasury transformation in a real-time world: Navigating instant cash management and technological advancements

In the ever-evolving financial realm, the significance of instant treasury and cash management has reached an all-time high. This panel discussion will delve into the transformative tools and solutions that are driving this shift towards real-time financial visibility and control. Addressing the growing demand for immediate access to information, we will discuss critical role of technology in mitigating risks and enhancing efficiency, particularly in a high-interest-rate environment.

  • What factors are driving the demand for instant treasury and cash management solutions
  • How can these technologies streamline cash management and enhance decision-making?
  • In a 'higher for longer' interest rate environment, how can technology be employed to mitigate the associated risks and enhance cash management efficiency?
15:00 – 15:30

Safeguarding fintech frontiers—Strategies for mitigating financial and cybersecurity risks in an interconnected era

In an age where cyberthreats are growing increasingly sophisticated and elusive, organisations face the challenge of staying ahead of these adversaries. Two prominent emerging trends that hold the potential to provide an advantage against cyber attackers are predictive AI and data. However, the conundrum lies in achieving a delicate balance between offering a seamless customer experience and effectively detecting and preventing fraud.

  • Harnessing the power of predictive AI as a pivotal technology to counter the rising complexity of cyber threats
  • Recognising the central role of data in enhancing Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF), and fraud detection efforts
  • Exploring strategies to harmonise the seamless customer experience with robust fraud detection mechanisms
  • Drawing insights from past experiences to shape future strategies, dissecting what has worked, what hasn’t, and how these lessons inform our technology, security, and risk management practices
15:30 – 16:00

Networking Tea Break

16:00 – 17:00

Closing Keynote

Beyond buzzwords: Unleashing the power of GenAI and LLMs in finance

The financial industry stands at the forefront of a profound transformation fuelled by advanced technologies such as generative AI (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs). The potential revolution in various aspects of finance, from customer service to fraud detection and financial advice, is palpable. These technologies are reshaping traditional practices to revolutionise risk assessment, refine decision-making accuracy, and create personalised customer experiences.

  • How GenAI and LLMs streamline and automate financial analysis processes, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in decision-making
  • How can businesses prepare for the coming changes?
  • How these technologies create highly personalised and responsive customer experiences, fostering improved engagement and satisfaction
  • Explore the role of AI in bolstering risk management, ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks and optimising operations
  • Use AI-driven models to develop innovative investment strategies, leveraging vast datasets to identify trends and opportunities in real-time
  • How to leverage GenAI and LLMs to gain a competitive edge and prepare for the AI-powered future of finance.
16:30

Closing Remarks and End of Summit

*Please note that this is a working agenda and topics and speakers are subject to change.

Agenda & Speaking Opportunities:

Exhibition & Sponsorship Opportunities:

Delegate Registration: