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Adrian Stratulat started his journey as a Sales Support Officer at Aviva Romania, where he managed files for individual sales agents. Later, he worked as an intern in the Romanian Senate's Public Relationship Department and the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry. At ING Bank Romania, he served as a Retail Accounts Support Officer, gaining valuable experience in the banking sector.

Moving towards the diplomatic sphere, Stratulat interned at the Eurisc Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Romania, actively involved in hands-on diplomatic work. His passion for international relations led them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he engaged with the MENA and Public Affairs departments. He also had the opportunity to contribute to the Hewlett-Packard team as a Sales Support Specialist. As his expertise expanded, he became Vice-President of ASAGRI Association and Editor at the Geopolitics.ro portal. Furthermore, he organized and moderated the "Geopolitics" Summer School.

In the blockchain industry, he held positions such as Strategic Development Advisor at GRAMPET Group of Companies and Executive Director at Asociatia Blockchain Romania. Stratulat was also involved in various blockchain-related projects, such as being an Advisor for Restart Energy Democracy and a Strategy Director for Romania Blockchain Summit. Recognizing the potential of NFTs, he contributed as an NFT Researcher at LUDO, providing a comprehensive platform for indexing and scoring NFTs. Stratulat also co-founded Izibac, focusing on digitalizing and gamifying high school curricula. His dedication to education and technology extended to his role as Lead Evangelist at WebDollar, promoting a decentralized approach to digital currency.

Alexandru Bita is currently Chief Technology Innovation Officer at LibraBank. His responsibilities include launching new technology led business and digital products (API based) to drive more diverse growth EBITDA ownership. Establishing an integrated operational and technology roadmap and go to market strategies. Building and managing strategic partnerships.

He has more than 17 years of experience at Libra bank. He describes himself as a high impact business delivery leader with extensive experience to shape, structure and execute complex change. Able to align teams and stakeholders on a shared vision tied to larger strategy and to effectively manage cross-functional teams (IT, operations, business) in order to drive new product development from discovery to concept to launch- digital business models, operations and technology architectures, sales, product and marketing.

Alex Cociu is an experienced financial technology entrepreneur, consultant, and investor based in Bucharest, Romania. He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and has a strong background in finance, technology, and business development.

Alex Cociu is the founder and CEO of Smart Fintech, a consulting and investment company that focuses on fintech startups and digital financial services. In this role, he has been instrumental in helping many startups grow and succeed in the highly competitive fintech industry.

Before founding Smart Fintech, Alex Cociu worked as an innovation and Technology Services Executive Partner at IT Smart Systems. He also worked as a Developer Consultant at Endava.

Alex Cociu holds an Engineer’s degree in Information Technology from the Technical University of Moldova is also a certified project manager and a member of several professional associations.

In addition to his work at Smart Fintech, Alex Cociu is also an active angel investor and mentor for early-stage fintech startups. He is passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and using technology to create positive social and economic impact.

After graduating with joint business/engineering degrees in UCL in Belgium and Brandeis University, USA, Didier worked for JP Morgan's Global Custody business in Brussels until he obteined a Fullbright Scholarship from the United Nation's Commission for Educational Exchange and went on to complete an MBA on Management at Cornell University.

After this, he we worked in the investment banking sector at The Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and London, at BZW Ltd, Barclay's Bank corporate broker, where he started JV structured investments products and from 1997 at US investment bank Bear Stearns, structuring and marketing structured transactions and risk management products to institutional investors and large corporations throughout Europe.

In 2003, Didier settled in Romania where he has since been involved in business development, M&A and capital raising, performing business due diligence, business planning, valuation, and financial and transaction advice. Didier Lepoutre is currently Chief Financial Officer at Enfineo.

Anatolie Telchiji has worked for over 5 years as a Sales Executive at UiPath, with a focus on the Eastern Europe region. Prior to that, he held the position of Sales Executive in Russia, where he made significant contributions to business growth. During his tenure as a Consultant and IT Market Analyst at PAC, he gained extensive knowledge of the software and IT services industry, particularly in Russia and Finland. Telchiji’s role as a FastTrack Project Manager at Microsoft involved managing customer onboarding and cultivating strong relationships. Additionally, his time as a Support Sales Representative at Oracle allowed him to refine his skills in customer management and negotiation. As a Customer and Sales Support Manager at Hewlett-Packard, Telchiji played a pivotal role in streamlining order processes. With a diverse range of experiences, he has developed a solid foundation in sales, market analysis, project management, and customer relations.

Telchiji holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing.

Andrei Niculae has an extensive professional background in public relations and digitalization in Romania. Currently, he holds the position of Vice President at The Authority for Digitalization in Romania, where he has been serving for 6 months. Prior to this role, he worked as a Public Relations Specialist at the same organization for almost two years, showcasing his expertise in the field. Additionally, Niculae has valuable experience as a Public Relations Specialist at CNCAV- National Committee for Coordinating COVID-19 Vaccination Activities, where he dedicated 2 years of his career. He also worked as a Public Relations Communication professional at ROVaccinare for 1 year. Throughout his career, Niculae has demonstrated strong skills in public relations, communication, and digitalization, making valuable contributions to the organizations he has worked with.

Agustin Dobre is Currently serving as the CEO of Twispay, an e-money licensed company based in Bucharest, Romania, he is responsible for overseeing the company's operations and leading its growth.

Before becoming CEO, Agustin Dobre held the position of COO at Twispay, where he managed daily operations and supervised various departments, including IT, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Accounting, and Sales.

Prior to his tenure at Twispay, Agustin Dobre served in leadership roles at Alpha Bank for over 10 years. As the Cards Acceptance/Acquiring Division Director, he coordinated and supervised multiple departments, including Acceptance Network Development, Relationship Management and Merchant Support, Technical Support, and Loyalty.

With his extensive experience in the payments industry, Agustin Dobre has also held positions such as Head of Direct Sales Desk, POS Sales Coordinator, and Sales Development Executive at various organizations. He has demonstrated expertise in business development, sales management, relationship building, and strategic planning.

José Manuel Marqués started his career at the Banco de España in 1996 and he held different roles within the International Financial Markets Division until he became Head of the Financial Innovation Division in 2018.

In 2011 he held a Secondment at the Financial Stability Division at the Bank of England.

Currently, he focuses on studying the main trends transforming the financial system and defining the main implications for the central bank: Big tech and Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, CBDC, Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Blockchain and DLT, Sustainable Finance and ESG factors.

Additionally, José Manuel had participated on the G20 on sustainable finance and represents Bank of Spain on the Eurosystem Innovation Forum, the CEMLA Foro Fintech and the secretariat of the CBDC High Level Taskforce.

Cosmin is Co-Founder and CEO of FINQware, a Romanian fintech start-up that develops technologies, digital products and services to provide European consumers and businesses with better ways of managing their finances.

Before founding FINQware, Cosmin had management positions in banking institutions such as ING Bank, GE Capital, Garantibank and Volksbank, in commercial and risk management roles. As serial entrepreneur he has started several companies, including a banking franchisee branch for ING Bank and a re-insurance broker, both of them still active companies, although Cosmin exited several years ago after setting them up for success.

Cosmin has an Executive MBA diploma and is often invited as speaker in business events, where he uses the opportunity to promote Romanian entrepreneurship or the fintech opportunities, being passionate on these matters.

Mutafis is currently an investor in Paysera Bulgaria, a Lithuanian fintech company that focuses on mobile payments and international money transfers at competitive rates.

Since 2008, he has been a board member of BASSCOM.ORG, the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies. Through his involvement, Mutafis actively promotes competitive advantages, best practices, and overall excellence in software development.

Prior to his current role, Mutafis served as a Management Consultant and Director of Customer Solutions at Sirma Business Consulting (SirmaBC). During this time, he played a pivotal role in rethinking marketing and sales strategies to identify new opportunities and drive growth.

One of Mutafis's notable achievements includes co-founding and serving as the Managing Partner of Balkan Services Ltd from April 2006 to May 2014. Balkan Services, a top five business software integrator in Bulgaria, has implemented over 200 projects for leading companies in various industries. With expertise in integrating Atlantis ERP, QlikView BI, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Balkan Services is a market leader in Business Intelligence and ERPs for the banking sector.

Diederik Bruggink holds responsibility at the two savings and retail banking associations for all payments topics from a worldwide perspective. In that role, he analyses the multiple dimensions of the payments market, proposing and assisting in agreeing member positions with respect to their payments’ and related businesses. He is also advocates the associations’ positions on payments with policymakers, regulators, standardisation bodies, industry associations, and enabling a constant member dialogue on developments, with a particular focus on innovation. Prior to joining WSBI-ESBG in 2017, he managed since 2012 his own consultancy practice that provided international expertise in cards, payments and market infrastructures. Before then, he was since 2009 the Vice President of card schemes at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Prior to that, he was appointed in 2005 within ABN AMRO’s market infrastructures department as Vice President of payments and cards. He also worked previously with Mastercard where he was a senior business leader in the global debit team.  He started his career with Capgemini Global Financial Services in 1996.

Elie Beyrouthy has been the Chair of the European Payment Institutions Federation (EPIF) since March 2018. He is the Vice President of European Government Affairs at American Express since June 2017, where he leads the company’s engagement with European Union Institutions and advises senior leaders on EU regulatory and public policy matters. Elie also represents American Express’ interests in several EU trade bodies and professional associations.

Prior to joining American Express, Elie was Director of International Regulatory Affairs at Western Union for 5 years. From 2007 to 2012, Elie held leadership positions at the World Savings Banks Institute and the European Banking Federation.

Elie began his career as an intern at the European Commission and the United States Federal District Court of Minnesota. He holds two Masters Degrees in Law from the University of Minnesota and from the Jean Moulin University in Lyon – France. He is also a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Lyon.

Florin Danescu is a banking and financial services professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He graduated with a degree in Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies and earned an Executive MBA from the Executive Academy of WU. Florin began his career in 1995 at the Ministry of Finance in international financial relations. In 1996, Florin redirected his career towards treasury management and was appointed as the leader of the Financial Markets Department at a significant state-owned bank.

In 2000, Florin joined the team of a small privately-owned bank as the Head of Treasury Department and later became the First Vice President, responsible for managing cash operations, treasury and risk management, and IT activities and initiatives. In 2008, he was elected as the bank's CEO.

Three years later, Florin Danescu was appointed by the banking community as the CEO of the Romanian Banking Association. Since 2011, he has been representing the Romanian Banking Association in the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation.

Florin's extensive experience in treasury management and his leadership in the banking industry make him a valuable asset to the Romanian Banking Association and the European Banking Federation.

Gabriela Nistor is a highly experienced banking professional with almost 30 years of experience in the industry. She is currently the Executive President of IdeaBank, which is part of the Banca Transilvania Group, having previously served as Deputy General Manager there.

During her 27-year career at Banca Transilvania, Gabriela was responsible for coordinating the retail, private banking, and network activities of the bank. She implemented several innovative projects, including starting up the card business in BT, setting up the call center activity, and leading the digitalization of retail in BT. One of the most recent examples of her digital expertise is the BT Pay digital wallet.

Gabriela has contributed significantly to Banca Transilvania's growth and success, making it the leader in the retail, card, and online payments market. She is also involved in the development of the financial and banking market in Romania, serving as President of the Executive Committee of Visa Romanian Member Forum since 2008 and Vice-President of the Romanian Association of Banks since 2021.

Gabriela holds an EMBA degree from the University of Sheffield and was a finalist in the Study UK Alumni Awards for Europe in the Professional Achievements category in 2021. Her extensive experience and leadership in the banking industry make her a valuable asset to IdeaBank and the Banca Transilvania Group.

Konrad is in charge of Government Engagement & Regulatory Affairs team in Central Eastern Europe responsible for advocacy efforts related to policy and regulatory payments landscape in CEE markets (PSD2, IFR, EV and others) and building relations with public administration and supervisory authorities.

He has been working for the payment services industry since 2006, capturing full spectrum of market players both from private (leading Polish acquirer and commercial banks) and public sector throughout the ecosystem. Prior to working for Visa he held an expert positions in Polish Financial Supervision Authority and the National Bank of Poland where he was responsible for systemic oversight of payment schemes and systems.

Leonardo Badea is Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Romania since 2019. He is also Professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies.

He has held several teaching positions from 1997 at University of Târgoviște.

In 2012 he became Secretary of the Committee for Budget and Finance, banking activity and capital market at the Senate of Romania.

In 2015 he was President of the Joint Control Committee of the Court of Account Parliament of Romania.

In 2016 he was President of the Committee for Budget and Finance Chamber of Deputies.

From 2017 to 2019 he was President of the Financial Supervisory Authority.

Madalina brings with her more than 10 years of experience in dealing with Financial Services Digital Transformation. In her Financial Services Industry Director Central and Eastern Europe role Madalina is focusing on: engaging with the biggest banks and insurance companies across CEE in digital transformation conversations and initiatives; driving line of business (LOB) solutions implementations together with local Microsoft teams through knowledge of the Financial Services industry, Microsoft software and independent solution vendor (ISV) solutions.

Madalina graduated from the University of Economic Studies in Bucharest with a degree in management and holds a master’s degree in Communication and Public Relations. She is passionate about personal development literature, hiking and exploring mountains and volunteering on environment, animals and children causes.

 Cosmin Curticapean is the Executive Entrepreneur of iFactor, the first official invoice trading and SME multi financing Platform in Romania with ambitious plans to expand in the CEE region. The company that aims to revolutionize the way businesses access their funds by providing efficient factoring solutions. With a team of experienced professionals in software, deep tech, finance, and legal domains, Curticapean strives to empower businesses and contribute to the overall growth of the economy.

As a Board member and Vice President at TechAngels Romania, he plays a crucial role in supporting and guiding the growth of innovative tech startups. Additionally, as a Board Member of the Romanian Fintech Association, Curticapean actively contributes to the development and advancement of the fintech industry in Romania.

Furthermore, as a Mentor at the Founder Institute, Curticapean shares his knowledge and insights with aspiring entrepreneurs, helping them refine their revenue models, develop growth strategies, and shape their overall business direction.

With over 27 years of experience, Curticapean is also a Co-Founder of Dox Group, a software development company that serves as a strategic offshore partner for global organizations. Dox Group specializes in developing complex applications across various domains, ranging from utilities to enterprise back-end structures.

Dan Costin Nițescu holds the position of Senior Advisor to the Governor of the National Bank of
Romania and acts as a member of the Supervisory Board and chairperson of the Audit Committee
of the Bank Deposit Guarantee Fund.
Dan Costin is Professor in the Department of Money and Banking, within the Faculty of Finance
and Banking, Bucharest University of Economic Studies.
He holds a PhD. in Economics, specialization in Finance, a degree in Financial Management from
Open University Business School, UK, is author of articles and books on finance and banking.
His professional background includes various management positions both in the central bank and
in commercial banks. Throughout his career, he integrated and combined teaching and research
activities with practical banking activity, where he coordinated financing transactions, structured
banking products for a variety of projects and industries.
His research interests include: management, risk management and corporate governance in
banking, digitalization of financial services, Fintech and payment systems, sustainable banking.

Greta Schulte is a prominent figure in the European FinTech industry, serving as both the Secretary General of the European FinTech Association and the Government & Public Affairs Manager at N26, a digital bank based in Germany. As Secretary General of the EFA, she represents the interests of over 35 FinTech companies from across the EU and advocates for a unified market for digital financial services.

Prior to her current roles, Greta worked as a public affairs consultant in Berlin and Brussels, specializing in financial services. She holds a bachelor's degree from Maastricht University and a master's degree from the University of Bristol.

Based in Berlin, Greta is well-positioned to navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the European Union and advocate for policies that promote innovation and growth in the FinTech industry. Her expertise and experience make her a valuable asset to both the EFA and N26.

Currently, he serves as a Project Manager at Transfond, where he leads a working group focused on driving innovation in the payments domain. His primary responsibility involves exploring new avenues to foster the adoption of instant payments in the local market.

Previously, Năstase held the position of Project Manager at Transfond, where he played a pivotal role in delivering value to payments service providers through the Instant Payments project.

Prior to his tenure at Transfond, Năstase served as a Senior Business Analyst at the European Central Bank IntellActSoft. In this role, he was responsible for maintaining relationships with key stakeholders such as Banca d'Italia, Banco de Espana, Banque de France, and Bundesbank. He provided regular reports on system performance and conducted coordination activities to facilitate testing activities.

With over 12 years of experience at Transfond, Năstase also held the position of Advisor to the Deputy CEO. Additionally, he played a crucial role in formulating Transfond's strategic intent, conducting strategic planning, proposing business development strategies, and providing guidance to different departments.

Năstase's career journey also includes positions such as Business Developer, where he was accountable for SEPA Direct Debit development for the Romanian Banking Community.

Ruxandra has a degree in Finance and Accounting from Bucharest University of  Economic Studies. She is a long standing professional with almost three decades in the Central Bank, especially in payments area, currently focusing on a new core function of a modern central bank, namely oversight activity.

For nine years Mrs Avram worked as coordinator of the Division of Regulation, Authorization and Oversight of Payment and Securities Settlement Systems.

At present, Mrs Avram is the Head of Market Infrastructures Oversight Department at National Bank of Romania. In this new role, Mrs Avram is mainly responsible for: Implementation of the relevant European Directives applicable in the payments field ; Regulations on payment instruments; Authorization of payment systems and securities settlement systems; Ongoing oversight of payment systems and securities settlement systems; Collecting information and statistical data regarding payments and payment instruments; Monitoring business continuity planning of payment service providers and payment system operators.

As representative of Central Bank, Mrs Avram is also an active participant/member within some structures developed at European Central Banks (ECB) level relevant for the payments field.

Technology enthusiast and experienced IT business leader.
As an Associate Partner at IBM, Sabin is leading the Hybrid Cloud Services growth platform for the EMEA Client Innovation Centers, with a presence in 24 countries. This organization is covering advisory services, migrations, development, big data, managed application services (with focus on SAP and Oracle), data security and privacy for IBM customers in Europe and North America.
MBA degree from Warwick Business School, UK and Computer Engineering degree from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.

Stefan E. Ionescu is a highly experienced and versatile professional with a strong background in software solutions and integrations. As the co-founder and managing partner of LEW.RO Software Solutions / Leichmann Weifert Group, he has been instrumental in leading the company's success for over 14 years. Stefan's expertise lies in developing online/web projects, mobile apps, and enterprise client/server applications. He has also contributed significantly to research and development in multiple areas, including financial markets, capital markets, data mining, big data analysis, medicine, agriculture, and more. With a keen interest in decentralized and blockchain solutions, Stefan has been involved in ICO/STO launch and development. Additionally, he has co-founded and actively manages LUX INVICTA Association, a non-profit organization focused on education, research, innovation, and supporting disadvantaged groups. Stefan's aptitudes in management consulting, training, coaching, and operations management further highlight his leadership abilities. With a solid foundation in IT, finance, and training, Stefan Ionescu has made significant contributions to the industry and continues to drive innovation and growth in his field.

Raluca Micu has 13 years of experience in the financial-banking field, since January 2010 being part of the BNR team. She currently leads the Payments Oversight Division.

She is also the representative of the National Bank of Romania at the meetings organized at the level of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission regarding European legislative projects in the field of payments (e.g. EU Regulation no. 751/2015 on multilateral interbank commissions applied to card-based payment operations, amending EU Regulation No. 924/2009 on cross-border payments, the Revised Payment Services Directive).