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Evens started his career in banking in 2006, at Société Générale Securities Services, as an accountant in the Institutional Clients’ Middle-office. In 2010, he joined the General Inspection of the bank as a Controller, where he took part on several audit and advisory assignments, abroad and in France. He spent 2 years from 2014, in the Tax department on a project aiming to map the tax burden of the group. In 2016, he integrated the Global Transaction Banking department, where he supported the Relationship Management in Asia & Pacific, UK & Nordics and with Middle East banks. Since 2018, he covers sub-Saharan African banks as a Relationship Manager for Cash Clearing Services. He holds a Bachelor in International Business and Corporate Development from CNAM Paris, a Masters' degree in Marketing and Sales from Paris Sorbonne Business School, and an Executive Certificate in Strategy from HEC Paris.

Tod Burwell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of BAFT. Prior to being promoted to CEO, he served as the Senior Vice President of Trade Products with oversight of all trade-related initiatives including the Global Trade Industry Council, Trade Committees, and other strategic initiatives of the organization. Mr. Burwell has over 25 years of trade, supply chain and cash management experience as a banking practitioner, as well as serving as a consultant to global corporations and suppliers of strategically integrated trade solutions. Prior to joining BAFT, Mr. Burwell was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase and held senior global management roles responsible for trade operations, launching the logistics business and managing global product sales for trade finance and logistics management.

Derryn is a dual qualified English and South African lawyer, having extensive experience as a banking / trade lawyer both in private practice law firms, as well as financial institutions in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Trade finance transactions in emerging markets are Derryn’s key area of expertise. With her in-depth legal knowledge and acute understanding of the nuances of emerging market trade finance, she is skilled at structuring and executing complex trade transactions as well as distributing trade risk.

Charles is a Director of Sales, Visa Direct, Sub-Saharan Africa. He is specifically responsible for B2B Connect, which is an innovative solution offering Correspondent Banking as a Service, enabling cross border business purpose payments supporting over 120 currencies globally, via a private blockchain owned by Visa. A seasoned Transaction Banker and Payments Specialist, Charles has over 25 years’ experience spanning Technology and Operations, Transaction Banking Sales and Product Management, Payments and Correspondent Banking. He has developed and commercialized digital first innovative solutions that have been scaled across client value chains and countries while working for various banks in several countries including Standard Chartered, Citibank NA, Standard Bank Kenya and Standard Bank Group. Charles is a graduate from the University of Nairobi, with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. In the course of his career, he is has also completed many professional courses and is a Certified Design Thinking Practitioner By SolveNext!, SAFe® 4 Certified Practitioner by Scaled Agile, Inc. and a holder of CertICM by Association of Corporate Treasurers.

John is the Head of Supply Chain Finance and Working Capital Management at Standard Bank Group. He is a seasoned corporate banking professional, with years of experience in Transaction Banking spanning several Financial Institutions; across some of the world's leading centres. In his role, John works with Corporations across Africa and internationally to tackle Africa's Trade Finance gap. Among others, he is the Co-Chair of the BAFT Africa Council, is an enthusiast for technology and is passionate about how digitisation is changing lives, particularly in Africa.

Ian is a structured trade and commodity finance banking veteran, having worked for many of the largest banks in the world including Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC where he had global responsibilities for the transaction risk management in their commodity finance businesses. Bringing a unique expertise in structuring and restructuring deals across multiple jurisdictions and multiple product lines including insurance backed facilities, Ian is regularly engaged to speak at industry events, and his skills have been in demand as an advisor and expert witness in many dispute cases. In addition to his global responsibilities at MonetaGo, he also co-chairs the ITFA Fraud Working Group.

With a degree in Business Administration, began her professional journey at BFA in 2010, joining the Marketing Department as a product manager for both individual and corporate clients. Her strategic vision and dedication to delivering value led to her appointment in 2018 as Head of the Medium and Long-Term Projects Unit within the Social Responsibility Department, where she played a key role in structuring and managing initiatives aligned with the bank’s CSR impact agenda. In August 2024, she assumed the position of Lead Officer in the Sustainability Office, where she now oversees the implementation and integration of sustainable practices across the institution, reinforcing BFA’s long-term commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.

Niron Rampersad holds an Executive MBA cum laude from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and is currently the Divisional Executive of Trade at Nedbank CIB. Niron has held key roles in the financial services industry, with over 15 years of experience in Corporate Asset Finance, Coverage and Trade and Working Capital.  He has a proven track record of providing clients trade and supply chain finance solutions to SMMEs, Medium, Large and Global Corporate clients.  He is passionate about growing in inter-Africa Trade as well as expanding trade with our key international trading partners and trade corridors.