Louise Hogan is a lawyer at A&L Goodbody LLP focused on providing regulatory advice to banks, payments and e-money firms. Louise assists both established players and challengers in the FinTech market, including providing advice on new product launches, authorisations, regulatory engagements and navigating PSD2, the E-Money Directive, Instant Payments and the EU SEPA Regulation. As the crypto sector has grown in Ireland, Louise also provides advice to cryptoasset service providers and potential issuers on MiCA-compliance, tokenisations and the expansion of services into Europe.

Louise regularly engages with industry groups in Ireland including the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland, Blockchain Ireland and the Irish Compliance Institute and is excited to be an ambassador for the EWPN in Ireland.

Louise has a degree in Law and German from Trinity College Dublin and an LLM in European Law, focussing on regulation from the Europa-Institut at Universität des Saarlandes. Prior to working at A&L Goodbody LLP, Louiseworked at the Central Bank of Ireland.

In her spare time Louise is interested in EU politics – having previously worked in Brussels for a short time – and loves dogs, green tea and discovering new places.

Elaine is Head of Marketing at fscom. A professional services marketing specialist, Elaine has led initiatives that have positioned fscom as a Financial Times leading consultancy.

An advocate for European Women Payments Network (EWPN) since 2019, Elaine has played a key role in organising conferences, leading the Ireland hub of the EWPN conference and awards in 2024. Passionate about diversity, inclusion, and empowering women in financial services, she believes deeply in the importance of lifting each other up through networking and mentoring.

In her spare time, Elaine enjoys gaelic football and has recently taken up learning to play the bodhrán.

Linda is a director with Innopay, a business of Oliver Wyman, supporting clients with their payment strategy and projects. Prior to joining Innopay, she was Head of Payments Strategy at ING and part of the management team of EPI during the start phase.

Linda has more than 25 years’ experience managing strategy projects across Europe and Asia, both as external consultant and internal strategist. The last 15 years, she has been specializing in financial services, banking, and payments. She has a master’s degree in both Applied Physics from Delft University and Business Economics from Erasmus University
In her spare time, Linda is a tea sommelier and yoga teacher. She loves spending time outdoors, hiking, cycling or diving and has travelled extensively – preferably by train

Catherine is a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) with a Higher Diploma in Taxation, known for her analytical prowess and strategic reporting expertise. Her career began with completing articles at a big four firm in Johannesburg. She then moved into Investment Banking in London, later working on financial due diligence, including leveraged buyouts and private equity transactions at another big four firm in Hong Kong.

For a decade, Catherine worked for a major South African bank, focusing on Board reporting for the Retail segment. She supported the Chief Risk Officer by delving into risk concerns, conducting industry analysis, and contributing to thought leadership.

Since June 2020, Catherine has been based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she continues to consult in the South Eastern European region. She co-founded TribeL Consulting, aimed at advancing women in leadership roles. Her notable projects include co-developing a “Program by Women for Women” in collaboration with women content creators, which has run for four years through StartIt@KBC for Women in Tech entrepreneurs.

Building on this success, Catherine recently co-created the Thrive Project, an online program for Women Leaders and business founders. This initiative focuses on enhancing leadership skills, boosting confidence, fostering strategic thinking and the creation of strong networks for women.

Outside of her professional life, Catherine is a mother of three and two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys long runs and traveling!

Christiane empowers clients to transform their payment experience with innovative and accessible products and services. Christiane is an active LinkedIn Creator and a marketing guru. She has a passion in accessibility, sustainability and the new development of technologies.

Elisabetta works as a product specialist at Mastercard in Frankfurt, in a team focused on the go-to-market and commercialisation of Mastercard’s identity and post-transaction services in Europe. Prior to Mastercard, she worked in the business development team of finleap connect, a fintech start-up based in Milan.
Elisabetta holds a masters degree in management and computer science from IE university in Madrid.

Elisabetta loves traveling, discovering new cultures, and languages, in particular Arabic – a passion which was born from her upbringing in Cairo.

Based in Vienna, Magda Schmid-Debska brings a wealth of expertise in B2B payments to her role as VP Growth & Marketing at PXP Financial. With a proven track record across multiple geographies and markets, Magda is a driving force behind PXP Financial’s marketing strategies, blending her extensive industry knowledge with a data-driven mindset to achieve outstanding results.

Over her dynamic career, Magda has taken on various exciting roles, each marked by significant achievements. Among her most notable contributions was her involvement in launching a pioneering new bank, where she was instrumental in developing a robust product offering. Magda’s dedication to financial education was also evident in her collaboration with major media outlets on educational initiatives for the National Bank of Poland.

In her current role at PXP Financial, Magda seamlessly combines her deep expertise in the payments industry with a data-centric approach, positioning her as a thought leader in marketing and communications. Her journey reflects a commitment to driving strategic initiatives, measurable impact, and navigating complex markets with precision and insight. As an experienced moderator and communicator, Magda brings a unique perspective to discussions on payment trends, data-driven strategies, and the future of financial technology.

“Experienced professional specializing in commercial sales within the dynamic crypto payments industry. Passionate about driving innovation and embracing the rapid evolution of finance, I focus on delivering impactful solutions that enhance transaction speed, efficiency, and customer value. Always eager to connect and collaborate on transformative projects shaping the future of payments.”

Maria Insua is an economist specialized in International Management and Analytics, having studied at prestigious universities in Spain, Italy, the United States, and Belgium. She has experience in sales, business development, product management, and go-to-market strategies across Europe and Latin America.

Currently, Maria works for Mastercard as an account manager within the Market Development Europe department, based at the European headquarters in Belgium. She is part of Mastercard Direct Services, a team renowned for their proven track record of success in bringing new opportunities and accelerating business from small to large.

Her focus is on supporting clients in driving growth and implementing cutting-edge solutions, with a particular emphasis on markets in Italy and San Marino. Additionally, Maria is part of the Mastercard Women Leadership Network and contributes to developing new segments and verticals within the company.

Originally from a rural area in Galicia, Spain, and raised by a single mother with a disability, Maria values inclusion, sustainability, personal development, and meaningful impact as core business principles. In her free time, Maria enjoys experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, hiking, discovering new cultures and learning about different ways of life.

Liesl is business development and innovation professional. As director of BBD Software she assists clients in achieving their business goals through smart software solutions.Her passion for building business & creating sustainable change inspired her to create TribeL, a niche leadership consultancy aimed at bringing women leaders a platform for growth. As a Board member and start-up mentor, she is able to deliver on her passion for innovation as a driver for success. Prior to moving to Belgium , she was the Head of Rand Merchant Bank’s FOUNDeRY – the Investment Bank’s disruptive technology initiative focusing on cutting edge innovation.