Angela is an entrepreneur, PR leader and an influencer in the Fintech sector. Since founding SkyParlour in 2009, she has raised the profile of 100s of brands from dynamic scale-ups to market leaders in the fintech, tech and ecommerce sectors. Listed on the Innovate Finance Stand out 35 Women in Fintech Power list 2020, Angela is a Chartered Institute of Marketing MCIM and Chair of the Statutory Board at European Women Payments Network (EWPN) Angela has sat on various Advisory Boards, past and present, including The Payments Association, Fintech Connect, The Merchant Payment Ecosystem, DIGISEQ’s Non-Executive Board and The Inclusion Foundation Executive Committee.

Angela is an international speaker and presenter with previous engagements at world class events including Money2020, Finnovate, Fintech Connect, Internet Retailing and Pay360.
She believes passionately in citizenship, the power of communities and striving to make the world that little bit better.

Suresh is CEO and founder of B-Certified CLOWD9, the world’s first cloud native, decentralized payments issuer-processing platform. Born in the cloud, the platform delivers uncompromising, limitless payments technology around the globe.

Suresh is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record of leading rapid growth companies. He has expertise in developing products and services on behalf of both, financial technology, as well as FCA regulated companies.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge in global payments with a number of prior senior roles including President & Managing Director of Global Processing Services now known as Thredd, as well as FTSE companies such as Paysafe Group and PXP Financial, Suresh has represented the Fintech sector and the UK Government on a number of trade missions to Mexico, Australia and China

He has a substantial understanding of electronic money, throughout its complete value chain , with strategic knowledge on what works and does not work in various international markets having worked with many unicorns from inception including Monzo and Starling Bank.

In 2011, Suresh launched the first ever contactless wristwatch in the UK. This is in addition to being responsible for launching the first App controlled NFC solution for the iPhone in Europe.

In 2015, Suresh helped Revolut launch its idea to the market by being their first issuer and Bin Sponsor.

In 2017 Suresh became the first non-American in its 11-year history to be awarded the prestigious Industry achievement award by PAY magazine and, In 2018 Suresh was voted #1 in the Payments Power 10, an annual top ten list of key influencers in the payments industry voted by the industry.

Suresh was selected to join the working group for the Payment Strategy Forum which helped shape changes in the payments industry that the FCA implemented through the Payment Systems Regulator.

Aishat Apesin is a payments industry professional specialising in banking operations and financial analytics. With expertise in foreign exchange and international payments, she manages comprehensive trade lifecycle processes across multiple currency pairs and banking interfaces. Her expertise spans process optimisation, treasury management, and cross-functional team collaboration, maintaining exceptional standards in transaction processing and reconciliation.

Alongside her banking role, Aishat aids major project initiatives at the European Women’s Payment Network (EWPN), where she recently co-lead the planning and execution of industry-leading payment conferences. Her project management approach has driven significant improvements in event delivery efficiency and stakeholder engagement.

Pursuing an MSc in Finance Analytics from King’s College London, where she developed expertise in investments, wealth management, and applied risk management using advanced data software, complementing her background in Economics. With an international perspective shaped by experiences across Asia and Europe, Aishat brings a global outlook to her work in financial services and cross-border payments.

Laura is a leader in the fintech industry with over 14 years’ experience. Currently, Director of Partnerships, EMEA at Thunes, she plays a key role in building strategic alliances for some of the world’s fastest growing businesses.

Laura recently co-founded InTech Club, a community which supports startups, SMEs, and innovators by fostering collaboration and unlocking growth opportunities.

She is also a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In her role as EWPN Ambassador for Spain, Laura launched the Barcelona hub last year, a growing network of professionals dedicated to advancing diverse leadership in fintech. A firm believer in the power of mentorship, especially for underrepresented groups, Laura is launching EmpowerMatch, a mentoring platform designed to connect and support diverse talent.

Recently recognised with a global DEI award while also being listed on the Women in FinTech Powerlist, Laura helps to champion inclusivity across the industry.

Nadia Co-Founder of Harrington Starr Group, a leading FinTech recruitment firm. Having recruited in the financial services technology sector for 19 years, Nadia has been responsible for helping companies grow and people grow their careers whilst driving inclusion in the sector. As Chief Customer Officer, she hosts ‘Fintech’s DEI Discussions’ podcast, sharing stories of equitable change in the industry. Nadia authored ‘FinTech Women Walk the Talk,’ featuring 100+ podcast interviewees. Her gender equality campaigns include the award-winning “Talent Equity List.” A recipient of numerous accolades, she’s an Industrial Fellow at the University of East London and a Forbes.com contributor.

Rukayyat is the founder and CEO of PaceUP Invest in Germany and Nigeria; a Wealth Tech empowering women and underrepresented communities financially to build sustainable and generational wealth.

 

Rukayyat has over 16 years of experience in the financial industry: Investment banking, Investment Management, and Capital Markets in Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, Reuters, and BMCE International London. She is a transcultural communicator and leader having worked on international assignments throughout her successful career. She is also the co-founder of Black Professionals Europe.

 

Rukayyat is currently on the board of Kassavex, a social impact agricultural company in Nigeria, a Founding committee board member of 100 Women in Finance Germany, and a mentor at The Migrant Accelerator and &ahead, Germany. She was listed in BWAM 40 under 40, Forbes Inspiring Founders Globally, and Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist. She is a Keynote speaker and regularly partakes in panels globally. PaceUP Invest is listed as one of The Most Influential Financial Technology Firms of 2023 by The Financial Technologist.

 

Rukayyat earned an MSc in Finance and Investment Management with a Distinction. In 2020, she earned a double Diploma Executive MBA at Mannheim Business School, Germany, and ESSEC Business School, France. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

A professional in the banking industry with more than 10 years experience, built through many segments of the banking business, from sales, product and process development to various responsibilities in the functions of supporting business operations. Expert in procurement, cost and investment management, with strong negotiation skills.

A passionate lover of innovation and change management. Interested in digital business transformation and organizational culture change management through agile methodology. Driven by creating a new value in business, self-motivated to achieve own and company’s goals.

Dr. Ekaterina Safonova is a senior international multidisciplinary academic, consultant, and executive leader with over 20 years of experience in technical sciences research, innovation, and executive training. Her expertise spans across digital technology, fintech, AI, sustainability, fraud prevention, etc. She is recognized for ability to engage global audiences, solve complex challenges, and drive innovation by building a golden triangle connecting academia, industry, and business. Her skills in managing cross-cultural teams and orchestrating high-quality learning processes across global locations have led to strong and fruitful international academic, industry, and business partnerships.

As a founder and CEO of CSCA she focuses on training director boards on cyber resilience, digital fraud prevention, cyber hygiene, and behavior management during cyber attacks. Her “30 minutes to comply or die” challenge and attack-defense simulation games prepare decision-makers to prevent, spot, and respond to cyber attacks and digital fraud. Additionally, she leads special cyber awareness courses for investors called “Cyber Smart Investment,” enabling them to minimize investment risks by understanding the vulnerabilities startups face to cyber threats and digital fraud.

As Vice-Provost at BSBI, she created and redesigned professional certificate courses for executives and established numerous strategic partnerships. She is dedicated to promoting diversity and gender equality, empowering women in the financial and payments industries, growing a new generation of female professionals across the globe.

Melanie is Director Channel Partnerships Europe, Entersekt at Entersekt, a South African Fintech delivering mobile-first security and authentication solutions.

Melanie has extensive experience in the digital payments space with strong leadership and business development skills. Before joining Entersekt, Melanie spent more than five years at Wirecard, where she most recently served as Head of Presales Value-Added Services. Her experience in the payment space covers topics like issuing, acquiring, alternative payments (e.g. Alipay) and value-added service. The international client base Melanie has worked with ranges across various industries (e.g. financial institutions, MNOs, retail, travel and transportation).

Alongside her role at Entersekt, Melanie is an active member of the Professional Women’s Network (PWN) Munich, where she serves as a mentor. She has a strong passion for promoting equality in the workplace and for women lifting each other up and working towards a common goal, which is: To bring more female voices and diversity to the payment industry. Therefore, Melanie is very proud to contribute to EWPN as a country ambassador for Germany.

Silvia is a Head of Business Development EMEA Enterprise at Worldpay. She was previously the General Manager Europe Processors & Networks at ACI Worldwide. Silvia is an old veteran in the payments spectrum, having worked within the industry since 2000. She brings on board years of expertise on multiple sub-sectors within the industry. Her knowledge of the industry, trends, issues and challenges faced by financial institutions as well as women working within the industry, will be a huge benefit to WIPN and members in general.