CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE – Sean Edwards, ITFA Chairman, March 2025

Dear Members and Friends, 

Welcome to this month’s newsletter.

March was an exciting month, packed with a series of engaging events across different regions.

Starting in South Africa, on the fringes of GTR Africa in Cape Town, the ITFA African Regional Committee (ARC) successfully organized a well-attended seminar, focusing on Africa’s trade finance gap and the innovative solutions being implemented to bridge it.

The ITFA Southern European Regional Committee (SERC) once again hosted its annual Trade Finance Networking Cocktail in Paris, which reached maximum capacity—a testament to its growing popularity and the value it offers attendees.

Another standout event was the FFE / ITFA / Standardised Trust Event in Helsinki, where participants delved into real-world business cases, gaining valuable insights from the industry’s ongoing innovation journey.

In Sofia, the ITFA CEE Regional Committee organised an educational and networking event, addressing the latest trends in digital finance. Discussions centred around balancing innovation with risk management, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and operational resilience—critical aspects shaping the industry’s future.

Meanwhile, the ITFA Middle East Regional Committee (MERC) Emerging Leaders hosted a well-attended Ramadan Iftar, fostering an evening of togetherness and reflection.

Across the Atlantic, the newly launched ITFA Latin America Regional Committee (LARC) hosted a cocktail reception in Monterrey, Mexico, bringing together trade finance professionals, industry leaders, and key stakeholders. This gathering not only enabled valuable connections but also celebrated ITFA’s growing presence in Latin America.

We are incredibly proud of the growing engagement across all regions and look forward to many more successful events ahead!

At ITFA, our mission has always been to inform, educate, and connect our members. One of the most exciting opportunities to achieve this is through our flagship annual conference, now in its 51st edition! This year, we are thrilled to welcome you to the stunning 5-star Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, from September 3rd to September 5th, 2025.

Registration is now open, and we encourage you to secure your spot early to take advantage of our exclusive Early Bird rates, available until the end of May. Don’t miss this chance to connect with industry leaders, gain invaluable insights, and experience world-class networking. You can register by clicking here.

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors for their generous support! This year, we are seeing a growing number of sponsors, reflecting the increasing confidence in the ITFA brand. If you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, you can view our latest sponsorship opportunities here or feel free to reach out to us at info@itfa.org for more details.

That’s not all! I’m also delighted to announce that registration for the ITFA Americas’ 28th Annual Conference will open shortly! Taking place in the dynamic city of Miami, from Wednesday, June 4th to Friday, June 6th, 2025, at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel, this event promises a fantastic lineup of industry experts, engaging discussions, and premium networking opportunities.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our confirmed sponsors LiquidX, BPL, TEXEL, Bondaval, FCIA, Swiss Re, Barclays, Mayer Brown for their unwavering support. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available, offering unparalleled exposure and engagement benefits. To secure your sponsorship package and be part of this premier event, please contact us at americas@itfa.org / alexiavella@itfa.org. We look forward to welcoming you to two unmissable conferences in 2025!

Please keep following us on social media or visit our events calendar by clicking here. A good number of events are already lined up for the upcoming months.

This edition of the ITFA Newsletter brings you a selection of insightful articles, including two contributions from Rebecca Spong, Editorial Consultant. We begin with an interview with Hernan Mayol, who shares details on the newly launched ITFA Latin America Regional Committee (LARC), followed by key takeaways from the recent webinar: “ITFA Webinar on CME Term €STR Reference Rates (Beta),” featuring insights from ITFA Board Member Paul Coles.  Another interesting article is the ITFA ARC Educational Workshop and Participation at GTR Africa, contributed by ITFA ARC Secretariat, Tedd George, covering both the workshop as well as how all the participants at the workshop spoke at GTR Africa 2025.

Also included is a compelling piece by Admir Imami, Chairman of newly enrolled ITFA Member, Zvilo, titled “The AI Revolution in the Global Business Lending Landscape.” This article explores the evolution of lending over the past decade, highlighting how digital platforms have streamlined processes, particularly for individual borrowers.

To conclude our ITFA News section, we turn to the ever-popular ‘Voices from Our Regions’, featuring an article contributed by Sarah Mikhail, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. from the ITFA MERC (Middle East Regional Committee) Emerging Leaders Event in Dubai, held on February 20th entitled “A Deep Dive into Trade Finance Distribution”, as well as an article written and contributed by Fatenah El Danab, Vice Chairperson of ITFA MERC, where ITFA MERC partnered with GTR for Mena Conference at the Emirates Towers, Dubai. Enjoy the read!

Lastly, we are proud to welcome the following new members to ITFA: AU Group, BP plc,  Convergence, HDI Golobal, Michel Global Advisory LLC, QUALCO, MNS Credit Management Group (P) Limited, Trademo Techonologies Inc., Zvilo.

We look forward to hearing from you with any feedback you may want to share with us by sending an email to myself, any of the Board Members or to our general email, info@itfa.org.

Kind regards,

Sean Edwards