World Trade Webinar
WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2021
1PM BST
Programmed by
Hosted by
From Surviving to Thriving: Access to Trade Finance for SMEs in the digital era
The pandemic has proved to be a cataclysmic force in global trade innovation – in response to the disruption wrought over the last 18 months, a proliferation of digital solutions and tools have emerged. However, there has been a lack of coherence in some of these initiatives, which risks creating a further siloed and disjointed industry. A more holistic approach is required, especially when considering the complexities faced by SMEs.
This session will explore how we can best harness the potential of digital technologies to narrow the expanding trade finance gap, solve the liquidity crisis facing SMEs and drive global economic equality.
Our renown panel of experts will discuss:
- What has been the true impact of disruption caused by Covid-19 on the SME trade financing landscape? Mapping key challenges and assessing their extent
- Leveraging networks and orchestrating an open ecosystem to reduce friction, lower costs and increase efficiency using blockchain technology
- How machine learning and AI can offer empowered, predictive analytical techniques for businesses to extract value from their data
- The role of NFTs, digital currencies and other bleeding edge technologies
Speakers
Dr. Rebecca Harding
Independant Economist & CEO of Coriolis Technologies
Dr. Rebecca Harding
Independant Economist & CEO of Coriolis Technologies
Dr. Rebecca Harding is an independent economist specialising in trade and trade finance and is CEO of Coriolis Technologies, providing data as a service to the trade finance and banking sectors.
She is the co-author of the acclaimed “The Weaponization of Trade: the Great Unbalancing of Policy and Economics.” She frequently appears on The Ian King Show, Sky News, BBC World and BBC Radio 5 live, Newsnight and Radio 4. She is frequently cited in the Broadsheet press, including recent articles in the Financial Times, Telegraph and CityAM. She advises the Council of the Society of Professional Economists and until February 2017 was the Chief Economist of the British Bankers’ Association.
Her senior roles in business an academic institutions include Founder and CEO of Delta Economics, CEO of Equant Analytics, Senior Fellow at London Business School, Global CEO of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Head of Corporate Research at Deloitte, Chief Economist at the Work Foundation, Senior Lecturer at the Science Policy Research Unit and currently a Fellow at Offenburg Institute for Trade and Innovation. She was a Specialist Advisor to the Treasury Select Committee and Chief Economic Advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship.
Matt Gamser
CEO, SME Finance Forum
Matt Gamser
CEO, SME Finance Forum
Matthew Gamser is CEO of the SME Finance Forum, the world’s leading center for knowledge exchange, good practice promotion and networking for the finance industry in this field. The SME Finance Forum is managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, for the G-20 countries’ Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion. The SME Finance Forum includes over 200 banks, fintech companies and development banks, operating in over 190 countries, as its members and industry partners and serves as a key partner for the G20, APEC, OECD and other multilateral institutions in small business financing. Dr. Gamser has over 40 years’ experience in private enterprise and financial sector development. He has worked for IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, for 16 years in various positions from Washington, DC, and Hong Kong, where he has focused on SME finance and on financial sector development. Prior to that he spent 25 years in management consulting and in senior leadership in an international NGO. He holds A.B. and A.M. degrees from Harvard University, and M.Sc. and D.Phil degrees from Sussex University (UK), where his work focused on the management of technological change.
Raja Al Mazrouei
Executive Vice President, Fintech Hive, DIFC
Raja Al Mazrouei
Executive Vice President, Fintech Hive, DIFC
As Executive Vice President of FinTech Hive at DIFC, Raja Al Mazrouei oversees the region’s first FinTech accelerator, which brings together Financial Institutions, Government entities, technology partners and entrepreneurs to develop technologies that benefit the financial industry. Ms. Al Mazrouei plays an integral role in building awareness, increasing media outreach and facilitating partnerships in emerging FinTech markets, such as China, India, the UK, the US and Africa, with the aim of positioning DIFC as the region’s leading innovation destination for FinTech.
John Carroll
Head of International and Transactional Banking, Santander UK
John Carroll
Head of International and Transactional Banking, Santander UK
With over 20 years experience spent in Santander Group across different divisions and geographies, John has a unique set of experiences and skills on International Business, providing clear insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by international trading companies, both SMEs and large corporates.
John also chairs the International Chambers of Commerce’s new UK Trade and Investment Policy Committee, which aims to facilitate International Trade policy and support the voice of UK businesses at both on an international and UK government level.