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.

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.