ITFA CEERC Educational and Networking Event, Budapest

We are pleased to invite you to the exclusive ITFA CEE Regional Committee Educational and Networking Event “Emerging Flows, Evolving Practices: Advancing Trade Finance in CEE”, taking place on Thursday, 20^th of November 2025 in Budapest, hosted by OTP Bank Plc and sponsored by Intellect Design Arena Ltd.

This seminar aims to strengthen regional trade finance by offering specialised insights and support. Participants can expect engaging conversations on key trade finance topics, meaningful networking with industry peers, and expert insights into the digital evolution of financial services – including the latest regulatory developments and practical innovations. 

Location:    OTP’s M12 office building located at 12 Madarász Viktor street, 1131 Budapest, Hungary

Agenda:

12:00 – 13:00 Registration

13:00 – 13:05 Host welcome note by Mr. Viktor Nagy (ITFA CEE Board member / OTP Bank Plc)

13:05 – 13:15 “ITFA’s mission and strategic vision” keynote by Mr. Sean Edwards (Chairman of ITFA Board)

13:15 – 13:30 Keynote by Mr. Semih Özcan (Chairman of ITFA CEE board)

13:30 – 14:15 “Geopolitics at the Gate: Tariffs, Elections, and the Future of Trade Flows” – presentation by Mr. Gergely Tardos, Head of OTP Bank Plc’s Research Center

14:15 -15:00 Panel discussion “Shifting Flows, Emerging Futures” moderated by Ms. Evgeniya Sharkova (Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Head of Trade Finance Sales) with panellists: Ms. Gentiana Halimi (Banka Kombetare Tregtare, Kosovo), Ms. Maja Setina (OTP Bank Slovenia), Ms. Nelli Kocharyan (Conversebank Armenia) and Mr. Raju Singha (Intellect Design Arena Ltd)

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee break

15:30 – 16:15 Presentation “Building Standards, Shaping Futures: Market Practice Guidance for CEE Practitioners”, followed by a fire side chat between Mr. Paul Coles (Director, Treasury, Orbian / ITFA Board Member and Chair, ITFA’s Market Practice Committee) and Mr. Gergely Szalóki (Counsel and Co-Head, Banking and Finance, Wolf Theiss Hungary)

16:15 – 17:00 “Business Impact of AI in Trade Finance” – presentation by Mr. Raju Singha (Intellect Design Arena Ltd.)

17:00 – 17:15 Closing remarks

17:15 – 18:30 Cocktail reception

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

This event is open exclusively for ITFA members. Please note that registration operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

We kindly invite you to register at your earliest convenience. Should you have any queries or comments, please contact us at sec@itfa.org or at Milan.Markos@otpbank.hu.

We very much look forward to meeting you in Budapest!