Member News

BAFT Recognizes 2023 Ambassador of the Year Honorees at Global Annual Meeting

Announced at the 2023 Global Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA on May 1, BAFT is pleased to recognize the following individuals for their tireless commitment and contribution to the success of association and its work.

To publicly acknowledge individuals from member organizations who have volunteered their time and worked tirelessly with the association throughout the prior association calendar year, BAFT annually awards select members with the BAFT Ambassador of the Year Award.

Ambassadors of the Year are individuals representing member organizations recognized by BAFT on an annual basis. Following nomination submissions, annual honorees are chosen following a weighted voting process by BAFT staff.

Officially announced at the 2023 Global Annual Meeting, BAFT is honored to recognize the following individuals for the invaluable assistance they have provided to the association throughout the past year and for helping to continually drive the mission and vision of the organization forward.

·      Baishali (Poppy) Biswal, Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, Key Bank N.A.

·      Okechukwu Ihejirika, Senior Manager, Trade Services, African Export-Import Bank

·      Sabry Salman, Managing Director, Global Head of Financial Institutions & FinTech’s (Non-Bank PSPs) Barclays

We would like to thank each of the awardees for their time and recognize their organization’s commitment to the advancement of transaction banking. Each honoree has been recognized respectively for their contributions to the advancement of sustainability and support of the association’s work in the Middle East; leadership in the LIBOR Transition Working Group and Future Leaders Program; and development of BAFT education and training programs.

Honorees received their official awards at the BAFT Ambassador of the Year awardee ceremony in San Francisco, CA on May 1, 2023.

Maram Al-Jazireh, BAFT Board Chair, Interviewed on the New Global Regional Bank Council

BAFT recently formed the Global Regional Bank Council to bring regional banks – those with total assets of USD$250bn or less, regardless of geographic location – together as a community to discuss issues that matter most to this group and amplify their collective voices. Joy Macknight from The Banker sat down with our very own board chair, Maram Al-Jazireh, SVP and Global Head of Financial Institutions at Arab Bank, for a closer look at the new council, and top-of-mind issues of regional banks today.

Updated Legal Opinions for English & New York Law Versions of the BAFT Master Participation Agreement (MPA)

BAFT (Website) has posted updated Legal Opinions (2022) covering BAFT Master Participation Agreements (MPA) issued in accordance with English Law (2008, amended in 2022) & (2018, amended in 2022) and New York Law (2019, amended in 2021). The Legal Opinions covering the MPA (New York Law Version) have been issued by Sullivan & Worcester, UK LLP London, and Sullivan & Worcester, LLP New York. The Legal Opinions for the MPA (English Law Versions) has been issued by Sullivan & Worcester, UK LLP London.

The BAFT MPAs were updated to accommodate LIBOR-related updates, and these newly issued Legal Opinions complete the documentation for utilization.

These documents are available for free to BAFT members and for a fee to non-members through the BAFT website “Members Tools” section.”

BAFT Recognizes Honorees for Ambassador of the Year at 2022 Global Annual Meeting

Announced at the 2022 Global Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on May 3, BAFT is pleased to recognize the following individuals for their tireless commitment and contribution to the success of association and its work.

To publicly acknowledge individuals from member organizations who have volunteered their time and worked tirelessly with the association throughout the prior association calendar year, BAFT annually awards select members with the BAFT Ambassador of the Year Award.

Ambassadors of the Year are individuals representing member organizations recognized by BAFT on an annual basis. Following nomination submissions, annual honorees are chosen following a weighted voting process by BAFT staff.

Officially announced at the 2022 Global Annual Meeting, BAFT is honored to recognize the following individuals for the invaluable assistance they have provided to the association throughout the past year and for helping to continually drive the mission and vision of the organization forward. 

  • Rana Beydoun, Head of Financial Institutions, BLOM Bank
  • Caryn Pace, Managing Director, Global Trade and Supply Chain Finance, Bank of America
  • Barry Tooker, Chief Product Officer & Global Head of Product Management, iSoftware4Banks

We would like to thank each of the awardees for their time and recognize their organization’s commitment to the advancement of transaction banking. Each honoree has been recognized respectively for their contributions to the advancement of sustainability and support of the association’s work in the Middle East; leadership in the LIBOR Transition Working Group and Future Leaders Program; and development of BAFT education and training programs.

Honorees received their official awards at the BAFT Ambassador of the Year awardee ceremony in Washington, DC on May 3, 2022.

TFG International Trade Awards 2022 Open for Nominations, Steering Committee Announced

Now in its sixth year running, the TFG International Trade Awards 2022, in cooperation with BAFT, recognize those who have provided an outstanding contribution to global trade and finance.

London, UK –  Nominations for the Trade Finance Global International Trade Awards 2022, in cooperation with BAFT, are now open.

Award winners are recognized for their outstanding contributions to global trade and finance. Now in its sixth year running, the annual TFG Awards are presented to businesses and service providers in trade, supply chain, and receivables finance. The TFG Awards logo is used as a badge of excellence in both the intermediary (B2B) and direct (B2C) markets.

This year, Trade Finance Global (TFG) is announcing the winners at the 2022 BAFT Global Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on May 4, 2022.

International Trade Awards 2022 Categories

Global

  • Best Trade Financier
  • Best Receivables Financier
  • Best Supply Chain Financier
  • Best Export Credit Agency
  • Best Multilateral Development Bank
  • Sustainable Trade Finance Award
  • Tradetech Innovator Award
  • Best SME Trade Finance Lender

Regional

  • Best Trade Financier in Western Europe
  • Best Trade Financier in Central and Eastern Europe
  • Best Trade Financier in the Middle East
  • Best Trade Financier in Africa
  • Best Trade Financier in Asia-Pacific
  • Best Trade Financier in North America
  • Best Trade Financier in Latin America

Specialist

  • Trade Finance Deal of the Year
  • Best Trade Finance Education Provider
  • Best Trade Finance Law Firm
  • Best Trade Credit Insurance Provider
  • Best Freight Forwarding & Logistics Company
  • Best Islamic Trade Financier
  • Trade Digitalization Award

Individuals

  • Outstanding Contribution to Trade Finance
  • Rising Trade Finance Star

Steering Committee for 2022 Announced

The TFG Steering Committee is made up of experts and leaders from all areas of trade, including finance, technology, policy, and governance. Members of the steering committee will provide their impartial views to TFG’s leading annual awards campaign that aims to promote inclusive trade as a force for good.

Members

  • Mark Abrams, Trade Finance Global
  • Robert Besseling, Pangea Risk
  • Steven Beck, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  • Noreen Cesaro, OWIT UK
  • Sean Doherty, World Economic Forum
  • Sean Edwards, ITFA
  • Emmanuelle Ganne, World Trade Organisation
  • Angela Koll, Commerzbank
  • Tomasch Kubiak, ICC
  • Maria Mogilnaya, Independent
  • Peter Mulroy, FCI
  • Rudolf Putz, EBRD
  • Harri Rantanen, Standardised Trust
  • Ian Sayers, International Trade Centre
  • Susan Starnes, IFC
  • Scott Stevenson, BAFT
  • NLN Swaroop, HSBC
  • Erik Timmermans, WOA

Find out more about the awards and nominate yourself or a company here.

TFG Media Contact:
Joana Fabiao
Marketing and Editorial Assistant
Trade Finance Global
[email protected]

BAFT Releases 2021 Annual Review (Digest)

Published on September 7, BAFT is pleased to officially announce the release of the BAFT 2021 Annual Review (Digest).

BAFT celebrated its 100th Anniversary in June 2021, giving us an opportunity to appreciate the impact the organization has had on the industry over the past century, and consider how we move forward to the next.

The pandemic continued to impact our daily lives and how we conducted business, with a seemingly permanent impact on how we work, how we connect, and how we prioritize. Digital adoption accelerated in order to keep commerce flowing, and as humans, we adapted. BAFT hosted more than 5,000 people at our virtual programs, greatly increasing the connectivity across the globe. We launched a new website, produced more white papers than ever before, developed new online training programs, and hosted the largest class to date in our Future Leaders Program. Our advocacy has successfully moved forward issues related to the LIBOR transition, supply chain finance and other topics of interest.

As we navigate through the pandemic-triggered transformation, we look forward to developing more educational opportunities, newer ways to connect our global community, and continued advocacy and thought leadership. We appreciate your continued support and engagement.

To read the BAFT 2021 Annual Review (Digest), click here.

BAFT Media Contact:
Blair Bernstein
Director, Public Relations
[email protected]
+ 1 (202) 663-5468