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

Dear Members and Friends,

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

Were you there?  Did you hear about it?  I mean, of course, our spectacular 50th Conference birthday – What an incredible week!

With nearly 400 delegates from all sectors, 45 generous sponsors, and the contributions of exceptional speakers and panellists, the ITFA 50th Annual Conference exceeded all expectations. Held at a superb venue, the event was truly remarkable!

We spent three enriching days in Limassol, Cyprus, united by common goals: learning, networking, and, of course, building connections with both long-standing and new friends.

On behalf of the ITFA Board, I would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended, even if only for one of the three days.

I would like to once again extend appreciation and a special note of gratitude goes to our record number of sponsors, showcasing the support and recognition ITFA continuously receives for its significant contributions to the market and whose support made this event possible.

Exclusive Diamond – J.P.Morgan

Exclusive Platinum – Deutsche Bank

Exclusive Global – WTW

Exclusive Titanium – Mashreq

Gold – TWC; Tamwuil Capital, Afreximbank

Premium Silver Sponsors: SAP Taulia, Mercore, Texel, RMB

Silver Sponsors: Swiss Re, BPL, Orbian, Codix, Allianz, SMBC, Bank of America, Arqit, Demica, BACB, LBBW, Finastra, Marsh, Bank ABC, Crown Agents Bank, HSBC, CargoX, Anadolubank, Lloyds Bank, Santander, Howden, Enigio, Recovery Advisers, Finverity

Bronze: Sullivan & Worcester UK LLP, ODDO BHF, eFcom, London Forfaiting Co. Ltd, A&O Shearman, Zurcher Kantonalbank, AGTF, Liberty, ATF, Tech Cargo, Qualco

Thank you for your invaluable support! Hosting an event of this magnitude would have been incredibly challenging, if not impossible, without your contribution.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my fellow board members and our dedicated secretariat, whose hard work and commitment made this event a success. It has been a true privilege to serve ITFA’s members and collaborate with such an outstanding team—a clear reflection of the remarkable teamwork we share.

As we bid farewell to Cyprus, our sights are already set on the future. Preparations for our 51st Annual Conference are well underway, and we’re excited to announce that we will be heading to the metropolis City of Singapore! Stay tuned for more!

The sweltering month of August gave us the perfect opportunity for us to take a short newsletter break.  Shifting from the heat of summer, to the cosiness of Autumn, allow me to bring to your attention the ITFA Canada Networking Event that took place on 24th July, the ITFA Middle East Regional Committee (MERC) Networking reception held in Dubai on the 7th August and the VEFI Summer Cocktail Party held in Zurich on the 28th August, which were all a success, providing the opportunity to connect, collaborate and expand professional networks.

Additionally, in the September issue of our Newsletter, through Dujgu Karakuzu (Trade Finance Global/TFG), we introduce you to our two new ITFA Board Members N L N Swaroop (HSBC) and Sian Aspinall (BPL) with their take on ITFA’s role in the evolving environment of Trade Finance. 

Our Cyprus Conference provided an extensive array of insightful discussions and panels, all of which are available for further exploration in Cyprus 2024: Leading Voices in Trade Highlight Top Market Trends. This piece, written by Rebecca Spong, an experienced Editorial Consultant, captures key takeaways from the panel discussion “Leaders in Trade”. Another highlight is the contribution by Hesham Zakai, Managing Director at Exile Group/ TXF, who authored “SCF (Supply Chain Finance) Primed for Growth”, which delves into the exciting opportunities within supply chain finance, stemming from the panel discussion “SCF – Digitisation”. Additionally, Michael Bickers, Managing Director of BCR Publications Ltd, provided a compelling analysis in his piece “Can the Receivables Market Overcome the Obstacles to Faster Growth”, which offers an in-depth look at the challenges and potential growth avenues in the receivables market, based on insights from the panel “Barriers to Success – What’s Stopping Us from Growing the Receivables Market Faster?”.

To conclude the ITFA News section, we turn to the ever-popular ‘Voices from our Regions’, which this time covers the “ITFA Americas Regional Committee (AMRC), Canada Networking Event” that took place in July, offering a great opportunity for connection and collaboration. The festivities continued with the VEFI and ITFA Summer Cocktail Party, held by a stunning lakeside in Zurich, where members gathered to celebrate the summer in a picturesque and lively setting.

Finally, we are excited to announce and welcome the following institutions to our ever-growing association – Deanna Reitman, D2 Legal Technology (D2LT), FGI, Red Sky, TradeQraft, VENZO Technologies, Zurich Insurance Europe AG.

Our message continues to resonate, and we eagerly anticipate your feedback. Feel free to reach out to me directly, any of the Board Members, or our general email at info@itfa.org.

Best wishes,

Sean Edwards