Events

Merlin is a Vice Chair on the ICC Banking Commission where he both sponsors and chairs the Commercialisation Working Group. In his capacity as chair of this working group Merlin leads several initiatives primarily focusing on the digitization of trade. As of August 2023, Merlin also became a member of the ICC Digital Standards Initiative Advisory Board. Alongside his role at the ICC, Merlin Dowse is an Executive Director and a Global Product Manager within the Core Trade Product team. In this capacity, Merlin leads a global team responsible for the management of proprietary and 3rd party digital solutions J.P. Morgan offers across the globe to both Corporate and FI clients. Merlin has over 20 years of experience in banking always with a focus on product development and digitalisation. He is an active contributor to both BAFT and ITFA industry associations and a regular industry speaker on the topics of trade digitalisation and innovation.

Normand Girard is Director, Global Trade Operations for BMO Financial Group. He is responsible for the Bank’s processing of all trade finance products in North America as well as process oversight in Europe and Asia. Mr. Girard has over 30 years of experience in Global Trade Operations at BMO Financial Group. During his career with the Bank, he has covered every role in Import, Export, Standby Letters of Credit and Collections as well as integral operations leadership roles throughout the evolution of BMO’s trade finance business. He has been Chair of the BAFT Southeast Committee from 2011 to 2017. He is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist and currently Chair of the BAFT National Commercial Letter of Credit Committee since 2017.

Jeremiah Glock comes to us with over 50 years of experience in Global Trade Operations, with 25 years at Citi in various positions. For the last 14 years he has been one of Citi’s Global Trade Advisors, assisting with providing guidance in all functions of Letters of Credit (Advising Commercial / Standby L/C’s and Examination of Documents), Import and Export Collections, Reimbursements and Compliance and Potential Risk items. Mr. Glock is CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) certified and also represents Citi as the Vice Chair on the Southeast Letter of Credit Committee which includes the Collection Committee.

Michael Grizzanti is a Vice President at Bank of America, N.A. and has over 27 years of experience in Global Trade Operations. He is currently the Senior Operations Consultant for US Standby Operations in Scranton, PA with additional consulting responsibilities for Canada, Mexico and the EMEA regions. Prior to his consulting role, he managed the US Standby unit for 15 years. He is currently an active member of the BAFT National Standby Letter of Credit Committee.

Carter H. Klein concentrates his practice on Uniform Commercial Code work, secured and unsecured lending, asset sales and purchases, trade finance, outsourcing, payments, financial services and regulation and credit enhancements and workouts. Corporations, businesses, banks and other financial institutions seek his counsel on funds transfers, sales and acquisitions, and financial and international transactions work. In particular, he has extensive experience with Article 5 of the Uniform Commercial Code – Letters of Credit.

Melissa Luster is the VP of International Operations at BOKF, NA, Melissa has been a member of the BAFT Southeast LC Subcommittee since 2012 which she currently sits as Secretary. She provides leadership and training to her Trade Operations Team at BOKF, NA working directly with the team members providing services for products such as participations, documentary collections and letters of credit both standby and commercial. Melissa also supports the back office system as well as font end trade platform, onboarding customers and provides training. Her carreer with BOKF,NA began in April of 2007 and she earned her CDCS certificate in 2013.

Fiore (Frank) Petrassi began his career with Harris Bank and Bank of Montreal (US) and is now Vice President, Global Product Manager for Standby Letters of Credit and Letters of Guarantee with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is a long standing member of the BAFT National Standby Letter of Credit and Trade Finance Committees and was BAFT North Central Standby Letter of Credit Committee Chair from 2006-2009 and member of the BAFT Automatic Extension Sub-Committee. He was the Co-chair of the IIBLP Government Mandated Letters of Credit Committee and member of the IIBLP Council on International Standby Practice (CISP).

Lelia Savory is Senior Vice President, Product and Servicing Manager for the International Department at First Horizon Bank. She has performed various roles in trade services for over 25 years and is now responsible for the team that processes trade finance and foreign exchange related transactions. She is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist, outgoing co-chair of the BAFT Regional Bank Council, and past Chair of the BAFT Southeast Letter of Credit Committee.

Rajan Sharma has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delhi, India. He has over 28 years of extensive operational, risk management, and compliance experience relating to trade finance in Asia, Middle East, and North America.

Having started his career as a document examiner under Commercial Letters of Credit with the then ABN Amro, India, he is now heading the Trade Guarantees Expertise Desk with the Trade Finance Competence Centre of BNP Paribas, Brussels, Belgium. With 10+ years of his exciting journey in traditional Trade Finance he has had the opportunity to don several hats. Some of his previous positions include Senior LC Officer, BNP Paribas Montreal, Canada, Trade Finance Trainer for SBLCs and Commercial LCs, Client Service Manager - Trade Finance CIBC, Montreal, Canada. His most recent accomplishment is the title holder of the “ICC Belgium Registered Trainer of the Incoterms® rules 2020.

In his position as Deputy Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Mr. Tobon oversees HSI criminal investigations in eight South Florida counties, including Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. Mr. Tobon is a recognized subject matter expert on issues related to money laundering and financial crime, his analysis of money laundering issues and risks often appear in national and international television and print media. During his more than 20-year law enforcement career he has participated in numerous high-profile money-laundering investigations targeting trans-national criminal organizations as a case agent, undercover operative and supervisor. He has helped shape international anti-money laundering policy as a member of U.S. delegations to inter-governmental policy making bodies, to include the Financial Action Task Force (FATF); he regularly shares his knowledge and expertise at conferences and training sessions attended by public and private industry personnel from around the world.

Michael Evan Avidon is a partner in Moses & Singer LLP, a NYC law firm, where he Co-Chairs its Banking & Finance Practice Group. He is widely recognized for his knowledge of letters of credit (LCs), lending, and secured transactions. Mike’s practice emphasizes: secured and unsecured lending; trade finance; supply chain finance; discounting; LC reimbursement agreements; participation agreements; receivables purchase and payables agreements; electronic contracting; outsourcing and white label agreements; and LC disputes and litigation. His work involves standby, direct pay, and commercial LCs, and demand guarantees. His clients include money center banks and other financial institutions.

Ofer has vast experience in international corporate banking, specializing in leading initiatives and projects, building and restructuring new lines of business, products and strategies. Ein Bar's Experience and persistence enable him to see the big picture, enact the vision of the business. and maintain operations with a keen attention to detail.

Normand Girard is Director, Global Trade Operations for BMO Financial Group. He is responsible for the Bank’s processing of all trade finance products in North America as well as process oversight in Europe and Asia. Mr. Girard has over 30 years of experience in Global Trade Operations at BMO Financial Group. During his career with the Bank, he has covered every role in Import, Export, Standby Letters of Credit and Collections as well as integral operations leadership roles throughout the evolution of BMO’s trade finance business. He has been Chair of the BAFT Southeast Committee from 2011 to 2017. He is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist and currently Chair of the BAFT National Commercial Letter of Credit Committee since 2017.

Jeremiah Glock comes to us with over 50 years of experience in Global Trade Operations, with 25 years at Citi in various positions. For the last 14 years he has been one of Citi’s Global Trade Advisors, assisting with providing guidance in all functions of Letters of Credit (Advising Commercial / Standby L/C’s and Examination of Documents), Import and Export Collections, Reimbursements and Compliance and Potential Risk items. Mr. Glock is CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) certified and also represents Citi as the Vice Chair on the Southeast Letter of Credit Committee which includes the Collection Committee.

David Meynell is the founder of TradeLC Advisory, an advisory and consultancy service, and the co-owner of www.tradefinance.training, an online training platform for all aspects of trade finance. He previously worked for Deutsche Bank for over 30 years in a number of international locations, culminating as Global Head Trade Product Management for Financial Institutions. David is Chief Examiner for the Certificate in International Trade Finance (CITF®) and Senior Technical Advisor for the ICC Banking Commission.

Fiore (Frank) Petrassi began his career with Harris Bank and Bank of Montreal (US) and is now Vice President, Global Product Manager for Standby Letters of Credit and Letters of Guarantee with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is a long standing member of the BAFT National Standby Letter of Credit and Trade Finance Committees and was BAFT North Central Standby Letter of Credit Committee Chair from 2006-2009 and member of the BAFT Automatic Extension Sub-Committee. He was the Co-chair of the IIBLP Government Mandated Letters of Credit Committee and member of the IIBLP Council on International Standby Practice (CISP).

Glenn Ransier is the SVP Head of Documentary Trade and SBLCs with Wells Fargo Bank. He is currently a Technical Advisor assisting the production of official Banking Commission Opinions for the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France. He also has delegation experience at the ICC and at the International Organization for Standardization. Mr. Ransier has been an involved member of BAFT for decades and was most recently the Chair of the Oil and Commodity LC Working Group in 2015.

Lelia Savory is Senior Vice President, Product and Servicing Manager for the International Department at First Horizon Bank. She has performed various roles in trade services for over 25 years and is now responsible for the team that processes trade finance and foreign exchange related transactions. She is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist, outgoing co-chair of the BAFT Regional Bank Council, and past Chair of the BAFT Southeast Letter of Credit Committee.

Kristine Siebel is currently at Societe Generale in their Trade Finance Group, previously she had been a Senior Credit Officer for Royal Bank of Canada responsible for their Captive Reinsurance Business in New York. Prior to joining RBC, Ms. Siebel was Assistant Vice President and Standby Letter of Credit Risk Officer for JPMorgan Chase Bank in New York. Ms. Siebel has been in Trade Services for over 35 years beginning with JPMorgan Chase’s predecessor bank Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. Ms. Siebel has extensive experience in both the issuance and the risk aspects of Standby Letters of Credit. She has been a member of the BAFT National Standby Letter of Credit Committee since its inception in 1994 and is currently the Chair.

Having started his career as a document examiner under Commercial Letters of Credit with the then ABN Amro, India, he is now heading the Trade Guarantees Expertise Desk with the Trade Finance Competence Centre of BNP Paribas, Brussels, Belgium. With 10+ years of his exciting journey in traditional Trade Finance he has had the opportunity to don several hats. Some of his previous positions include Senior LC Officer, BNP Paribas Montreal, Canada, Trade Finance Trainer for SBLCs and Commercial LCs, Client Service Manager - Trade Finance CIBC, Montreal, Canada. His most recent accomplishment is the title holder of the “ICC Belgium Registered Trainer of the Incoterms® rules 2020.

Donald Smith has over 43 years of experience in letters of credit starting with the UCP 222. He is retired from Citibank New York and is currently President of Global Trade Advisory, a Charlotte NC based consulting firm focused on training in the traditional trade products, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution. He has been a member of the US delegation to the ICC Banking Commission since 1998, chaired the ICC’s Uniform Rules for Forfaiting drafting group, co-chaired the International Standard Banking Practices drafting group, was a member of the group which produced the International Standby Practices ISP98. He has been a member of BAFT and its predecessor organizations since 1982, a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and chaired the national Letter of Credit Committee and the Annual Conference several times.

Scott Stevenson is the Senior Vice President of Trade at BAFT. Stevenson leads the association’s trade-focused policy, practices, and education initiatives, and supports its trade-related councils and committees. Prior to joining BAFT, Stevenson was a senior advisor for AF Capital Partners, which provided expertise in emerging market structured and project finance for development banking institutions. For two years, he consulted development banks and export credit agencies following a 17-year career at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and World Bank Group in various trade and investment project leadership roles. Before joining the IFC, Stevenson was the regional head of financial institutions at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, and his MBA from York University.