BIOGRAPHY

Charaf El Hami is a seasoned data management expert leading Amundi Asset Management's global data strategy. With over thirteen years at the company, he brings extensive experience to the role, including a previous stint as Head of Middle Office and Institutional Client Reporting. Prior to working at Amundi, he was an educator and researcher in applied mathematics at the University and INSA of Rouen. Holding a doctorate in the same field from the University of Rouen, he has authored three research articles published in the Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics and Rendiconti di Matematica e delle sue Applicazioni.

BIOGRAPHY

George currently serves as Chief Crypto Officer at Bank of Georgia. He has years of hands-on experience in Crypto & Finance from his previous roles at Deloitte, Galt & Taggart, CryptX Group and Toptal. George is also a Visiting/Adjunct lecturer at several universities in Georgia and France. George was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 – Finance field by Forbes Georgia. George is a CFA Charterholder and ACCA member.

BIOGRAPHY

Stuart Frost, BEM, is head of Enterprise Security and Risk Management within the UK Government. 

A vastly experienced, highly certified Security and Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) professional with extensive sector knowledge and significant experience of delivering successful risk-based security programmes, across large scale, multi-disciplined and geographically dispersed organisations. He is also a leading voice on managing the risks faced by the burgeoning use of interconnected supply chains.

Stuart has won multiple industry global awards for his work in the GRC space and is adept at integrating all security disciplines to enable a holistic approach in support of business objectives.

He was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2017 for his services to the local community. In 2023 he was also the proud recipient of the Coronation medal in recognition of his contribution to the Coronation of King Charles III.

BIOGRAPHY

Wayne Hughes is Head of Digital Assets at the Securities Services business of BNP Paribas. In his role, Wayne works closely with stakeholders from all domains, and with the CIB and Securities Services Digital teams, to collectively drive our strategy and client offering with regards to Digital Assets.

Wayne was previously the Head of Data and Digital for Financial Intermediaries & Corporates of Securities Services, BNP Paribas, defining the short and long term roadmap of the bank's digital strategy. He also managed the bank’s digital initiatives from a product perspective, looking for opportunities to enhance service quality and develop new businesses leveraging digital. Wayne has more than 25 years of experience in the securities post-trade industry.  He joined JP Morgan in 1994 within the IT department of their securities services business, and then transferred with this business to Paribas / BNP Paribas. He has held numerous management roles as Head of Product and Project teams in Spain, Head of Operations and IT in Spain, and Head of Retail Outsourcing. Wayne is a graduate of Asbury University.

BIOGRAPHY

Simone’s expertise in cross-border payments and her focus on adopting industry standards like ISO 20022 have been instrumental in the bank's digital transformation. She led the upgrade of Commerzbank's payment platform to handle high-value transactions and seamlessly process international payments through networks like SWIFT and TARGET2. Simone's strategic oversight of the TRAVIC-Payment Hub integration has significantly enhanced the bank's efficiency in global transactions.

BIOGRAPHY

Mark T. Hofmann is a Crime- & Intelligence Analyst ('Profiler') and Business Psychologist (M.A.). He is a famous Profiling-Expert known through international TV- & streaming series (CNN, CBS, Forbes, 60 Minutes). He focused on Behavioral & Cyber-Profiling. As a Keynote Speaker and Podcaster he inspires people around the world for the Psychology of Cybercrime. Hofmann has met and interviewed hackers and shows how hackers use AI and Deepfakes. Get a rare glimpse into the Dark Side of AI from one of the best known experts in his field and become a "human firewall".

BIOGRAPHY

Dimitri van Zantvliet is the Cybersecurity Director / CISO of Dutch Railways (NS). He’s also co-chair to the Dutch and European Rail ISAC and European Rail CISO Forum, Cyber columnist and Speaker. He is fulfilling his community service as member of the oversight committee of the Dutch Expertise Centre Digital Child Abuse (OFFLimits). Active in the digital realm for 3 decades as CIO, CTO and CISO for a broad range of organizations. Dimitri holds an international master’s degree in business administration and cyber certificates such as CISSP, CRISC, CISA, CISM, CDPSE, CIPP/E, CIPM, FIP.

BIOGRAPHY

Hendrik served as a board member of the European Venture Capital Association for several years. Prior to co-founding Earlybird, Hendrik was a partner at McKinsey. He studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich and holds a PhD in the field of aerospace engineering. His investment focus is on industry 4.0, IoT and Enterprise /Consumer Internet. Some of his more recent investments include Lilium, Isar Aerospace, and Marvel Fusion. Hendrik is board member of several Earlybird portfolio companies including Aiven, B2X Care Solutions GmbH and MyDataModels.

BIOGRAPHY

Stipe is a dynamic leader with expertise in financial management and blockchain technology. Stipe holds dual Master’s Degrees in Financial Management and Markets Valuation. Additionally, he is the President of the StoneBlock Blockchain Association. His leadership has propelled Endemic to prominence in the digital asset space, enhancing connections between artists and collectors through innovative social features.

BIOGRAPHY

Alessandro Menna in an engineer. He began his career in 2003 as a consultant at EricssonLab, where he studied and researched innovative electronic communication solutions for computer networks. In 2004, he joined Leonardo (Formerly Finmeccanica), a global high-tech leader in the aerospace, defense, and security sectors, in the Strategy division. There, he focused primarily on Special Projects, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and alliances, as well as business development and strategic planning for the companies operating in the electronics sector.

In 2012, he assumed the role of Head of Product Management & Partnerships in Cyber Security & Defense, where he supported the post-merger integration process of five legal entities in Italy and the United Kingdom. His work concentrated on cybersecurity services, consulting, and investigative support systems while leading the Project Office and the Operational Transition Team. In 2013, he advanced to Head of Systems Engineering for Cyber Security & Information Assurance at Leonardo, and two years later, he became Vice President of Sales Technical Support, responsible for engineering, pre-sales and tenders related to Cyber Security and ICT solutions. During these years, he contributed to building cyber protection capabilities for the country’s critical infrastructure.

In January 2019, he became Vice President at Capgemini, where he established the Italian branch of the Global Business Line for the French multinational. He managed a portfolio focused on cybersecurity, cloud migration, datacenter transformation, and infrastructure managed services. By January 2020, he was appointed Managing Director of the Italian business. Between 2018 and 2020, he also served as a Member of the Permanent Stakeholders' Group (now the Advisory Group) at the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA), advising the Executive Director on the agency’s annual work program and operations.

In September 2020, he joined Italgas as Chief Security Officer, responsible for protecting the Group's physical and IT assets and coordinating activities with national and international authorities in accident prevention, response, and fraud management. In July 2021, he was assigned additional responsibilities for the Group's Real Estate sector, along with General Services, defining the current scope of the Group Security Unit. In November 2021, he was appointed Executive with Strategic Responsibilities by the Board of Directors.

He is also the Chairman of Enaon EDA, the Greek Gas Distribution System Operator which is re result of the merger of the group of companies acquired by Italgas in 2022.

Since 2023, he has been appointed as a Member of the Board at the European Cybersecurity Organization.

He currently serves as an advisor to the Executive Director of ENISA, the European Cybersecurity Agency.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Joachim Schwerin is a leading economist at the European Commission, focusing on digital transformation and blockchain technology. He plays a key role in shaping EU policies for decentralized technologies and has contributed to regulations like MiCA. He has also contributed to the Digital Finance Strategy, including the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation.

With a PhD from Dresden University and experience in industrial and competition policy, Dr. Schwerin brings a wealth of knowledge to his role.

BIOGRAPHY

Giorgio Andreoli is the Director General of the European Payments Council (EPC) from 1 April 2023. He has extensive professional experience in digital financial solutions and innovative services, spanning multiple industries and executive roles. For over 15 years he has been working in telco sector, eventually serving as Director of Strategic Marketing at Ericsson South-East Europe, where he contributed to starting up the first mobile money program.  Later, for over ten years, he served as a Managing Director at Accenture, working on digital finance, payments and open banking projects for Italian and European clients. Before joining the EPC, Giorgio was working at the European Central Bank (ECB) on the Digital Euro project.

BIOGRAPHY

Alexey is the founder of Evercity, a platform using blockchain for sustainable finance. With experience in impact investing and climate projects, Alexey aims to increase transparency and efficiency in sustainable finance. He's a leader in the field and has spoken at major international events. Alexey has been involved in the impact investment industry since 2011 when he founded the Russian Carbon Fund. It developed climate projects & helped to execute sustainability strategies of Unilever, Alcoa, Pepsico, Bloomberg, Sochi 2014 Olympics, FIFA  2018 Championship etc. The fund is a member of several international organizations: UN Global Compact Network, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, World Bank Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, Foundations 20, Climate Chain Coalition etc.

BIOGRAPHY

An entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, coach, mentor, and public speaker. The founder of G2A.COM, the largest and most dynamically developing global marketplace with vouchers for digital products such as games, gift cards, subscriptions, or software. The marketplace already has had over 25 million users from 180 countries around the world.

A winner of the Forbes magazine’s BrandMe CEO award given to the best CEOs in the country, as well as of the Digital Shaper Award, the Gold Medal of Polish Academy of Success, and the Manager of the Year title awarded by the government of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship where G2A.COM began its journey. He’s also a co-founder and member of many business organizations such as the International Leaders Forum, Google Next Gen CEO Club, Facebook Client Advisory Board, and the Polish Council of Global Businessmen. Speaker for business events such as The Economic Forum, Merchants Payment Ecosystem Conference in Berlin, MIT in Boston, or Gamescom in Cologne.

Graduate of the AGH University of Krakow and the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, as well as Executive Education programs on Harvard (Finance), MIT (IT, Blockchain, Platformization, Productivity), and Oxford (Fintech).

BIOGRAPHY

Co-founder & Managing Partner of IQ Capital, a Cambridge & London based early stage deep-tech venture capital investor. Currently investing from our Flagship Fund IV and our Growth Fund II to back exceptional thought leading founders. Initial investments range from early stage with capacity for follow-on investment up to £30m.

I have 25 years investment experience in early stage Venture Capital both in the UK and Europe. I head up cybersecurity, big data, security & defence-tech, neuro-tech and supervisory & regulatory tech in the IQ Capital portfolio and specialise in Competitive Intelligence, Product Marketing, GTM, ICP evaluation, Strategic Marketing.

Honorary Fellow in Entrepreneurship at Cambridge University, Judge Business School, Council Member and Past Chair of the British Venture Capital and Private Equity Association 2021/22, Chair RemCo, Chair Audit and Risk, Noms, BVCA Venture Capital Committee Member. Independent Investment Committee Member, British Patient Capital - direct investments and Future Fund:breakthrough. Member of the Board of Governors at Plymouth University and University of Plymouth Finance Committee, Steering committee member for the Royal Academy of Engineers Shott Scale-Up. Expert Panel Chair for Venture Capital Compact and Mansion House Compact. Advisor to Governments for R&D, tech ecosystems, inward investment and international key note speaker for Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship.

Winner of the GP Bullhound Allstars European 'Investor of the Year 2023', Financial News Top 100 Most Influential Women in Finance 2022. Judge 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 for :Trinity, Cambridge University Bradfield Prize, GP Bullhound Investor All Stars, Europas, Hello Tomorrow and UK Tech Awards.

I am an advocate for diversity, inclusion, mentoring new joiners to VC and mentoring emerging fund managers. Passionate about promoting the UK’s exceptional science and innovation ecosystem.

BIOGRAPHY

With a strong background in information technology and business solutions, Riaan has held key positions at Standard Bank, Liberty Life, and Arion Bank. He holds a master’s degree in information technology from the University of Pretoria and has completed advanced studies at IESE Business School and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Since joining Íslandsbanki in 2019, Riaan has been instrumental in driving the bank’s digital transformation and enhancing customer experience through innovative solutions.

BIOGRAPHY

Ejona Preçi is a cybersecurity expert with over a decade of experience in the field, demonstrating a profound dedication to promoting diversity within the cybersecurity realm. She holds the position of Global CISO at Lindal Group and serves as the President for WiCyS Germany.

Ejona has earned recognition as a prominent figure in the industry, garnering features in online magazines and social networks for her roles as a mentor, author, podcaster, community builder, and keynote speaker. She is an avid writer, actively crafting articles, and industry news on cybersecurity topics.

Ejona has been recognized as one of the Global 40-under-40 in Cybersecurity for 2024 and was awarded the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year 2024 Trophy in Las Vegas.

BIOGRAPHY

Milena Stoycheva was the Minister of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria from June 2023 to April 2024. She is a venture network builder, a business consultant and the chairperson of the Board of Innovation for the Ministry of Innovation and Growth in Bulgaria. Milena Stoycheva is a long-time CEO of Junior Achievement Bulgaria (JA Bulgaria), part of the global network of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA Worldwide) and a co-founder of its spin-off company The Edge: R&BD. Throughout her career, Milena has worked systematically for digitalization, modernization and development of a high educational and startup culture in Bulgaria.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Christos Syngelakis is Group Chief Information Security Officer and Group Data Protection Officer of Motor Oil since 2016. He is responsible for the IT and OT digital security strategy and for the proper use of personal data. With more than 30 years of experience in the IT field. He has a degree in Informatics, a degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the Athens University of Economics and Business. He has CISSP, CISM and ISO27001: 2013 LA certifications. Awarded Global CISO 100 for 2022 by Cyber Defense Media Group.

BIOGRAPHY

Sacha Michaud is a British-Canadian serial entrepreneur and business executive based in Spain who co-founded Glovo with Oscar Pierre in 2015. Glovo has since become the fastest growing multicategory player in Europe, Central Asia and Africa. After attracting ~1bn EUR of investments, expanding to 25 countries, 1,500+ cities, serving over 170,000 businesses and millions of monthly users, it was acquired by Delivery Hero (ETR: DHER) for 2.3bn EUR in 2022. 

Prior to Glovo, Sacha was an executive at Betfair (now Flutter (LON:FLTR)) for 9 years. Between 1997 and 2005 he founded and grew LatinRed, one of the largest providers of internet services in Spanish, (sold in 1999 to StarMedia (NAS:STRM)). He has also founded successful companies related to data centers (hosting), digital communication and online translations.

BIOGRAPHY

Mike Collett is Founder and Managing Partner of Promus Ventures. Since its inception in 2012,Promus Ventures invests in DeepTech early-stage startups, with offices in Chicago, SanFrancisco and Luxembourg. Mike has been a venture capital investor for over 20 years. Mikehas invested in over 100 startups, including Rocket Lab, AngelList, Whoop, Mapbox, ICEYE,Bellabeat, FLYR, Kensho, Swift Navigation, Spire Global and others.

Prior to Promus Ventures, Mike was Founder and Managing Partner of Masters CapitalNanotechnology Fund, a venture capital firm. While working at Masters Capital, a hedge fund,Mike invested in software and hardware startups. Prior to venture capital, Mike was a VicePresident in Merrill Lynch’s Mergers & Acquisitions group.

Mike holds a BA in Math and BA in English from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a MBA inFinance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mike and his wife Paige have four children and live in Chicago.

BIOGRAPHY

Carsten Höltkemeyer, joined Solaris as Chief Executive Officer in 2023. Carsten has been working in the banking and fintech industry for more than 20 years. He held several leading positions in investment and retail banking, consumer finance and the credit card industry.

Most recently, he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of auxmoney and CFO at Nets Group and Concardis. He also spent ten years at Barclaycard as CEO for the German market. Prior to that, he was Managing Director at Royal Bank of Scotland and COO at Commerzbank AG.

BIOGRAPHY

Christopher Obereder, a celebrated serial entrepreneur and investor with deep roots in Silicon Valley, is widely recognized for his exceptional expertise in emerging technologies and strategic investments. A distinguished member of the Forbes 30 Under 30, Christopher has an impressive track record in driving innovation and business growth. He has successfully exited two companies and played a crucial role in securing over $360 million in funding for various ventures.

Since 2014, Christopher has been at the forefront of supporting groundbreaking startups and integrating advanced technological solutions into business strategies. His approach has consistently enhanced the operational efficiency and market reach of his portfolio companies. Beyond his financial successes, Christopher has also demonstrated his business acumen in the entertainment industry by hosting his own "Shark Tank" show in Germany.

A seasoned speaker, Christopher has captivated audiences at over 200 technology conferences worldwide, sharing his insights on the transformative potential of emerging technologies and their impact on the future of entrepreneurship. His philanthropic efforts are evident in his support of over 100 startups, where he actively fosters innovation and mentors the next generation of entrepreneurs. With his extensive experience, Christopher is a key figure in shaping the future of technology and business through strategic foresight and innovation.

BIOGRAPHY

Bernard-Louis Roques is a Pioneer in European FinTech & Insurtech.

Launched Truffle Capital’s FinTech Incubator in 2015, Early Stage fund in 2018, and Scaleups fund in 2023.Truffle Capital has 1bn€ AUM, 100investments & 14 IPOs, with 22 investments in fintechs and insurtech. Board Member of Finance Innovation (French governmental agency dedicated to Fintech), ACSEL (French digital economy agency).

Repeat entrepreneur, co-founded Truffle Capital after selling his robotics company. Started as bond trader @ HSBC.