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.

With over 20 years of experience in the financial and Insurtech sectors, Csilla Laposa Szabó is a seasoned leader and expert in IT project management, specializing in insurance technologies such as policy management, accounting, claim handling, and pricing. As the Managing Director at SuIT Solutions Ltd., she leads innovative solutions and fosters strong client relationships in the financial sector.

In addition to her role at SuIT Solutions, Csilla has spent over a decade in IT project management, guiding teams through the complexities of large-scale digital transformation. Her expertise lies in blending technology with business strategy to create impactful solutions that drive growth and efficiency.
Csilla holds an MSc in Business Administration and Management from Corvinus University of Budapest, with an Erasmus scholarship experience at the University of Mannheim. Her academic background has provided her with a solid foundation in business and management, which she continues to apply in her leadership roles.

Passionate about supporting the advancement of women in payments and financial services, Csilla is committed to contributing to the European Women Payments Network (EWPN) as the Country Co-Ambassador for Hungary. She seeks to empower women in the industry, promote diversity, and share her knowledge of IT and fintech innovations with the wider community.
Outside of her professional work, Csilla is a passionate amateur triathlete, constantly striving to push her physical and mental limits through the discipline of triathlon. SuIT Solutions Ltd., under her leadership, is also proud to sponsor the triathlete club that supports Hungary’s two-time Olympic female triathlete.

Charlotte is a seasoned Customer Success Manager with a strong background in the fintech and regtech sectors. After honing her skills for several years, she joined Featurespace in 2023 and now works with a range of organisations in the payments space, enabling them to make the world a safer place to transact for their customers while minimising customer friction.

Over the past years, Charlotte has been lucky enough to work with several inspirational women who have helped to accelerate her professional and personal development. She is passionate about fostering increased access to opportunities to enable more people to fulfil their full potential.

On a personal level, Charlotte has a keen interest in learning languages and travel. She holds a BA in Modern Languages and European Studies, and an MA in Translation.

Naida Čustović has a strong focus on financial industry and specializes in banking law, financial institutions and markets, corporate/M&A and corporate finance law, distressed assets, including NPL, corporate and financial restructurings, payment services, regulatory compliance, AML/CTF compliance, as well as dispute resolution and regulatory investigations and proceedings in those areas. Naida has a keen interest in dynamic field of financial technology (FinTech) and advises clients – regulated and non-regulated entities – on adopting new technologies, digital transformation, launching and structuring financial products and services on the BiH market. Renowned in the market, Naida is highly ranked in banking and finance, as well as corporate/M&A categories by multiple international legal directories.
Naida studied at the University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Law and at the Institute for Law and Finance at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Naida is an attorney-at-law admitted to the bar associations in BiH.

As a Sales Manager at Ecommpay, Lanre provides tailor-made data-driven payment solutions for e-commerce clients to make online payments worldwide. He has 10+ years of commercial experience in the retail, productivity, travel, fintech, hospitality, and mobility industries, where he has developed and executed sales strategies that generate revenue and grow market share.

Agnes Szogi brings almost two decades of experience in digital banking, adept in agile transformation and building agile-driven operation models. With a proven track record in both managerial and expert roles, she has spent over a decade designing critical banking customer journeys and customer-facing applications.
Having worked extensively on both the vendor and banking sides, Agnes has cultivated a nuanced understanding of the industry landscape. She was leading the digital department at two major Hungarian retail banks, covering the entire retail digital landscape from payments solutions to digital sales processes.
Currently serving as a Managing Partner at Intuitech, Agnes plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and growth for banks across the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region.
Recognizing the importance of diversity and women’s leadership in the sector, Agnes has actively supported initiatives aimed at fostering inclusivity and empowering underrepresented groups. She firmly believes that diverse perspectives enhance decision-making processes and contribute to the overall success of organizations within the industry.

Barbara Sessa is the Senior Vice President – Head of Consumer Products Europe at Mastercard.
With extensive international experience in business development and ecosystem transformation within the payments sector, she currently oversees the development of innovative products that cater to the evolving consumer payment landscape in Europe.
She manages a team of product managers at the regional level and is responsible for the strategy and go to market of several products such as Debit/Credit, Digital First, Wallet and Wearables.
In her current role a key focus of Barbara’s work is to promote the digitization of the payment experience, collaborating with her teams to develop secure, convenient, and digitally adapted payment methods for consumers. She ensures that these solutions incorporate cutting-edge technologies to deliver optimal user experiences.
Barbara is also in charge of the ESG Products strategy and go to market for Europe.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Barbara is deeply committed to advocating for gender equality. She leads the Women Leadership Network at Mastercard France and collaborates closely with several organizations to promote female representation in the tech sector and female entrepreneurship. Recently, Barbara was honored with the European Women Payments – Positive Troublemaker Award at the annual EWPN conference for her pioneering efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion within the payments industry, especially where women and minority groups have been underrepresented.
Additionally, Barbara serves as a mentor to several female employees in France and Italy, as well as female entrepreneurs, providing guidance in areas such as digital business transformation and marketing innovation.
Through these efforts, she aims to foster an inclusive environment where women can thrive professionally and contribute to the success of the ecosystem.

Susan is a Director at EY in Milan, Italy and a strategic leader with a deep understanding of the Italian financial services market. With over 15 years of experience, she works with financial services clients to keep them on the forefront of what is happening in the market.

Susan is passionate about payments and works with banks and payments companies in Italy and across Europe. Susan has worked in a South African instant payment Fintech in 2016. Susan regularly speaks about payments at events and contributes to payments publications. Susan is a mentor and sponsor of RiseUp at Money2020 enhancing leadership skills for women in the industry.

Susan was born in the United States and has lived in Italy since 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Juris Doctor – and is a licensed American attorney.

Tea earned her Master in Law degree in 2013 and delved into the world of legal practice, specializing in international commercial and finance matters. After honing her skills for several years, she made a pivotal career move in 2021 by joining Aircash, an EU EMI (Electronic Money Institution) operating across all EU Member States, Switzerland, and the UK, with plans to expand further into the Southeast European region.
Taking on the role of Compliance Director, Tea is responsible for overseeing the compliance and legal department. Her duties encompass managing regulatory affairs, anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, and legal matters within the organization.