CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE – Sean Edwards, ITFA Chairman / Head of Legal and Special Adviser to the Global Trade Finance Department at SMBC, July 2023

Dear Members and Friends,

Welcome to this month’s edition of the ITFA newsletter!

As we gear up for the peak summer month, I am thrilled to share some wonderful moments from our successful ITFA week, which spanned three consecutive days (July 10th, 11th, and 12th). The week was filled with knowledge sharing, networking, and delightful summer celebrations. The turnout was fantastic, and it provided a perfect opportunity for ITFA members, colleagues, professionals, to catch up while engaging in insightful business discussions.

Additionally, July featured two more webinars from our esteemed African Regional Committee’s series. For those who missed them, worry not! Both webinar recordings are now available in the member area on our website, ensuring you don’t miss out on the valuable insights shared.

Our emerging leaders, in collaboration with Future of Export Finance (FEX), were also in action, organizing another highly successful networking event in the city. It’s heartening to witness the passion and dedication of our young talents as they continue to foster meaningful connections within the trade finance community.

As you may also be aware, we have just announced the ITFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for the 14th of September 2023. This year, we have made the decision to host the AGM virtually, departing from its usual inclusion in the conference program. The primary objective behind this change is to encourage higher attendance, facilitating more time for knowledge sharing and networking during the annual conference.  We eagerly anticipate the participation of numerous esteemed main delegates. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to send us an email on info@itfa.org

As now customary in my newsletter messages, I cannot but mention (again ) our 49th Annual Conference. With already 250+ plus registrations, we anticipate the event to be hugely attended, hence I urge you to save your spot and register at your earliest to avoid disappointment.  May I kindly point out that early bird prices expiry on 31 July.  Furthermore, rooms in the conference hotel are selling our fast, hence I cannot but urge you enough to register at our earliest.  More can be found here

I would like to once again extend our appreciation to this year’s sponsors. We are proud to announce that we have achieved a record number of sponsors, which is a testament to the support and recognition ITFA consistently receives for its meaningful contributions to the market. If you or your organisation are interested in sponsoring our event, please click here for more information or contact us via email at info@itfa.org.

In this month’s newsletter, you can read more about the DNI Initiative workshop hosted at SMBC. The event aimed to emphasise the importance of interoperability in the development and adoption of negotiable instruments that are compliant with the UN’s Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR). You will also find an article by TFG who interviewed Sean Edwards, ITFA Chairman. A review on trade finance predictions in 2023 was discussed. We also have an article about the latest ARC webinars which where held on July 5th, aimed at financial professionals working in Africa. Moreover, we also take you back to the ITFA Insurance Day. This event provided a platform for industry experts to share their insights and explore emerging trends, fostering collaboration and innovation within the sector. Furthermore, you’ll find an interesting read about the ITFA GTC workshop which was held on May 11th and hosted by Berliner Sparkasse in their Berlin head-office. 

Lastly we are thrilled to announce that the following institutions have joined our ever-growing association – Axendo, Canopius, Pernix, S-International Baden-Württemberg Nord  and Surecomp. We extend a warm welcome to these new members and look forward to their valuable contributions.

Wishing you all a fantastic summer filled with positive vibes and continued success.

Best wishes

Sean Edwards