CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE – Sean Edwards, ITFA Chairman, July 2024

Dear Members and Friends,

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

As we approach the height of summer and our thoughts turn to holidays and making sandcastles, allow me a few moments to turn your attention to the very successful ITFA Week, held over three consecutive days (July 8th, 9th and 10th). The week was packed with knowledge sharing, networking, crowned by a delightful celebration. We had an excellent turnout, creating the perfect setting for ITFA members, colleagues, and professionals to connect and participate in fruitful discussions. If you attended, I hope it formed the perfect segue way to your summer break. If you didn’t, you know where to be this time next year!

Additionally, in July we also hosted an Americas Webinar – Demystifying Private Credit in Mexico, The Roles of SOFOMs in the Local Markets. (For those members who could not join us, you can click here to access the recording). This webinar featured two segments: an English discussion by three Mexican experts on SOFOMs and private credit, and a Spanish introduction of ITFA to the Mexican audience by Hernan Mayol and Miguel Angel Burelo, detailing its role and benefits.

As always, I must mention our upcoming 50th Annual Conference. With already 250+ plus registrations already, we expect a full house. To secure your spot and avoid disappointment, please register as soon as possible.  More information can be found here.

I would like to once again extend our heartfelt appreciation to this year’s sponsors. We are proud to announce a record number of sponsors this year, showcasing the support and recognition ITFA continuously receives for its significant 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, we invite you to meet the first of two new ITFA Board Members Sian Aspinall and read about her new role, as well as her existing position within ITFA’s Insurance committee and banking regulation sub-committee. You will also find an article about a recent panel discussion on the “Late Payment Directive”. We introduce you to this year’s edition of the ITFA Martin Ashurst Mentoring Programme 2024, which pairs experienced professionals working within a variety of trade finance positions, with aspiring professionals seeking mentorship through the extensive ITFA network. There is a great read about the DNI Initiative Seminar hosted by A&O Shearman during ITFA Week. The seminar dealt with the use of MLETR-compliant laws and technologies. We have an interesting article on the ITFA Podcast “Six Things I learnt from the ITFA Podcast” about ITFA, its mission, membership and work in supporting the global trade finance and forfaiting community. We also have an article on ITFA’s ARC Webinar which was the second in this year’s series of educational webinars.

Finally, we are excited to announce and welcome the following institutions to our ever-growing association – Banco Internacional de Costa Rica SA – PrimaTrade – Simmons & Simmons – TD Securities – Wolf Theiss.

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

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn for instant updates on upcoming events.

Best wishes

Sean Edwards