Events

Stephen Alsace has over 20 years’ experience providing advice on financial crime, AML and sanctions issues. He recently assumed the role of Global Head of Sanctions at RBC in May of last year. Prior to joining RBC, Stephen was a Director in the Global Investigations and Compliance practice of Guidehouse consulting since 2018. While at Guidehouse, Stephen led projects relating to AML and sanctions gap assessments for global financial services and digital asset clients, and was embedded as a Senior Leader on the Compliance Team for a global payments service provider. Stephen also spent over 18 years at CIBC, starting in the Legal Department as the lead lawyer on AML and Sanctions, then as the Global Head of Sanctions and Terrorist Financing. Stephen has spoken at numerous conferences in Canada, the US and UK on sanctions matters, provided sanctions and terrorist financing instruction to the RCMP, FBI and MI-5, and has testified as an industry expert on sanctions matters Canadian Parliamentary and Senate Subcommittees in 2017 and 2022. Stephen has law degrees from the University of Windsor and University of Detroit Mercy and a Master’s degree on European Integration from the University of Strasbourg.

Mr. Carl Bastien, Director and Team Lead, Global Trade and Banking, leads a team and is responsible for trade finance sales activities across Canada. He has been working in the trade finance field for nearly 20 years in Montreal first with various international institutions with CIBC since 2012.

Mr. Vincent Barboza is the Head of Trade Finance and Cash Services for client coverage for Banks, Brokers and Exchanges at RBC. In this role, Mr. Barboza leads BB&E strategic approach to Trade Finance products for global banks. He has over 25 years of experience with RBC’s Corporate and commercial clients and has led product and sales roles in Canada at RBC. His team provided business clients with tailored solutions in Treasury Management, International Trade Finance and Foreign Exchange. He was past chair of the ICC Canada chapter through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and is also the country editor for Canada of TSU a Trade Finance Magazine.

Ms. Lina Beltrocco is Group Manager, Global Trade Finance Operations for The Toronto-Dominion Bank, TD Securities. She is responsible to provide guidance on complex trade transactions and oversee exception protocols are in place to ensure that the bank is not exposed to unauthorized risks while delivering trade finance services globally, including compliance with AML regulations and International Chamber of Commerce rules and practices. Ms. Beltrocco has over 25 years' experience in Global Trade Finance Operations at TD Securities. During her career with the Bank, she has covered every role in Import, Export, Standby Letters of Credit and Collections as well as integral operations leadership roles throughout the evolution of TD’s trade finance business. She is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist.

Ms. Lida Bucyk is Senior Counsel at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Toronto. She advises the corporate banking, trade finance, correspondent banking, global banks and cash management businesses within CIBC’s Capital Markets group. Prior to joining CIBC in 2012, she spent ten years in private practice at two prominent law firms in Toronto, most recently at Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP as a transactional lawyer in corporate lending.

Stacey Facter has been Senior Vice President for Trade Products at BAFT for the last six years. Ms. Facter is responsible for managing all the Association’s activities related to trade products and serves as the primary subject matter expert for trade issues, overseeing and managing BAFT’s trade councils, committees and working groups and helps members develop guidance tools for the trade industry. Ms. Facter serves as a public spokesperson for the organization to stakeholders, regulators and policy makers on industry matters affecting the international trade finance community and is BAFT’s primary technical resource for trade related education and training.Ms. Facter has more than twenty-five years of experience in international banking, including over twenty years with JP Morgan Chase Bank, covering emerging markets, international trade finance, cash and risk management, and securities collateral management.

Normand Girard is Director, Global Trade Operations for BMO. He is responsible for the Bank’s processing of all trade finance products in North America and Europe as well as process oversight in Asia. Mr. Girard has 35 years of experience in Global Trade Operations at BMO. 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.

Mr. Sunil Gupta has over 20 years of banking experience spanning various areas of Trade Finance & Financial Institutions. Prior to joining BMO, he spent 15 years at a major Canadian Bank and 2 years overseas with a leading Indian bank. In his current role, Mr. Gupta has global responsibility for leading the development and management of a profitable trade & supply chain finance product/service suite that meets client needs and enhances relationships.

Ms. Paloma Healey is a Director with Global Banking and Markets, Anti Money Laundering Risk at Scotiabank. She has over 25 years’ experience in international finance, including compliance, international marketing and trade finance. Ms. Healey has been involved with both Canadian and foreign private and public institutions. Her public sector experience includes working with the Trade Commissioners’ Service in Caracas, Venezuela and Export Development Canada in Ottawa. For over eight years Ms. Healey was the Chief Representative and Vice President for Grupo Financiero Serfin in Canada, running the Canadian operation and promoting the NAFTA agreement to increase trade between Canada and Mexico.

Mr. Rory Kaplan has more than 30 years of experience in trade and supply chain finance as both a banker and technology solution provider, covering operations, product management, and sales. As Offering Manager for CGI’s Trade and Supply Chain Solutions, Mr. Kaplan is responsible for emerging technology strategy and solutions, marketing, media engagement, partner development, and training. In his role, Mr. Kaplan also engages closely with clients to facilitate collaborative strategic forums, working groups, and product enhancements. As a manager within CGI, Mr. Kaplan has been a critical contributor in the exploration of Intelligent Process Automation and Blockchain solutions, working to integrate these with the Trade360 global platform.

Mr. Kim Manchester brings his extensive background in international banking to the global financial services industry. While based in both Hong Kong and Singapore, Mr. Manchester held senior regional and global positions in corporate banking, institutional banking and capital markets for one of the world’s largest emerging markets financial institutions. Mr. Manchester returned to Canada in 2003 and founded ManchesterCF. Based in Toronto, the practice provides financial crime risk management training programs and advisory services to financial institutions and public-sector agencies. The most successful training programs from ManchesterCF include the Financial Crime Training series for international banking and the FINTEL series for financial intelligence units.

Mr. Robert Marchal is the Facilitator of the Trade Finance Maintenance Working Group, and he is responsible for the evolution of the SWIFT MT messages category 4 (Collections) and 7 (Documentary L/Cs, guarantees and standby L/Cs). Mr. Marchal is also the Facilitator of the Trade Finance MT 798 Working Group, where he is responsible for bank to corporate communication. He is a member of the Legal and Digitization groups in the BPO Project’s International Chamber of Commerce, the Council on International Standby Practices (CISP), the ISO 20022 Trade SEG (Standards Evaluation Group), and the ISO 20022 Payments SEG.

Ms. Rita Ricci is the Executive Global Trade Advisor of BNP Paribas, Trade Filière Competence Centre with 35 years of experience in trade finance operations. She joined BNP Paribas in 2003. Prior to then she worked for CIBC, Montreal with responsibilities for operational delivery of trade products, acting also as Trade Consultant, providing workshops, and advising legal counsel on trade-related matters. She was Chairman of BAFT’s LC Committee and the Bank to Bank Reimbursements Committee, and remains active on several BAFT committees. She was a member of the CDCS Item Writing Committee. Ms. Ricci is the current Chairman of ICC Canada National Committee, and is on several ICC Task Forces, Work Groups and Rules Drafting teams.

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.

Ms. Marilyn Williams is a graduate of Concordia University, Montreal, QC. with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Graduates Studies in Instructional Administration and a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers. She has over 26 years of experience with Trade Finance Operations in a number of Leadership roles. During her tenure with the organization she has worked as a Business Consultant, accountable for business controls and compliance related activities. She has also supported Operational Risk Management for Business Banking. With her passion coupled with her dedication for Trade, she has held the position of Senior Manager Trade Finance Operations; providing leadership for the Division. She is currently working on Special Projects/training supporting Trade Finance. Marilyn is a member of the BAFT South East/West Workshop Planning Group and BAFT South East Letter of Credit Committee.