Authors Page - Trade Finance Global

Gabrielle Ann Vilda is an author at Trade Finance Global

Eugenio is a cross cultural professional with background working experience in corporate development, legal and strategy-consulting advisory for investments in EU and Apac. In my career I dealt with developing and managing international partnerships projects for investments from Europe, Africa, South America and China. He is passionate for technology and how it can be implemented into life and society for creating new processes. Since the beginning of my career he developed a specific education plan in order to join my passion for technologies (AI – Blockchain overall) and interests like for neuroscience and economics with my working activity related to investments and corporate advisory. Today he freelanced helping FIs, Tech providers and corporations along their digital transformation journey and achieving short, medium and long business objectives. He is an active member in DLT communities and involved in projects related to Consortium corporate formation, product business development mainly in finance operations with a focus in Apac, EU and Latam markets. He is currently  the Head of Growth for the European Blockchain Association, also sitting in other fast forward thinking bodies as Expert Member of European Blockchain Observatory & Forum as well as part of Swiss Crypto and Digital Euro Association. Personally, he is curious about life, I learned to move my mind outside the box and got used analyzing myself on a critical thinking for personal growth and development. He is the sports practitioner and I firmly believe that sport can be seen as a life metaphor. The recipe for doing your best is loving what you do.

Fin Kavanagh is an Editorial Assistant at Trade Finance Global. He studied a Masters in Journalism at City, University of London where he specialised in financial journalism, as well as completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford. He has previously worked for The Times, covering the 2019 UK General Election, and wrote for The Telegraph while he was studying. Fin follows stories relating to supply chain finance, and has a particular interest in vaccines supply chains. In his free time he is a keen runner and loves hiking. He has completed several marathons for a number of mental health charities.

Jesse Chenard is a co-founder and the chief executive officer of MonetaGo. Prior to that, he was a consultant at Jesse Chenard Consulting. Before joining Jesse Chenard Consulting, Chenard founded and served as the chief executive officer of Yodilly. He has also provided his services at Image Space Media, Tremor Media, Syoni Communications, Dynadco, and Speedera Networks. Chenard has studied information technology at British Columbia Institute of Technology. He lives in New York, United States.

Philip Bowkley is Managing Director and Head of International Corporate Banking at Barclays, he has responsibility for the Corporate Banking client franchise for International Corporate clients, Financial Institutions clients and the international Corporate Bank teams across the UK, Europe, APAC, Middle East and the Americas. Philip joined Barclays in 2002 and prior to working in International Banking he was Head of Strategy and Transformation for Business Banking in the UK and also spent two years running a large scale transformation programme in Barclays Africa. He started his career as a Graduate at Unilever and then spent several years working as a consultant at PwC and CapGemini.

Lauren Smith is the Head of Global Practices at Lex Mundi based in Houston, Texas. Previously, Lauren was the Director, Marketing at Winstead and also held positions at Locke Lord. She is a Professional Services Business Development and Marketing Leader with over 20 years of experience in the legal and finance industries. She works with lawyers and corporate clients globally to develop legal resources, solutions, and connections.

Pamela Coke-Hamilton has served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre since 1 October 2020. She joined ITC from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she was Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities. Ms. Coke-Hamilton has a breadth of experience and expertise in trade-related capacity-building and sustainable development. She served with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean Forum in trade negotiations, and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and InterAmerican Development Bank. She previously served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises through investment promotion. She has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable economies such as the small island developing States and least developed countries. Ms. Coke-Hamilton has worked extensively with the private sector across African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and academia to build trade-related institutional strength within member States. She also established the Women Empowered through Export (WeXport) platform to address the disadvantages that women-owned firms experience in accessing markets. Ms. Coke-Hamilton holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, DC, and a BSc in International Relations and Economics from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Lisa has worked in international trade for over 15 years, most recently as CEO of the ECA has seen the organisation focus on ground-breaking research and advocacy projects that promote and enhance the global competitiveness of SMEs. Lisa lends her passion for international trade and her respected voice in the industry to various initiatives, from an advisory role on the AmCham Trade Advisory Group, to the board of CargoHound and the Executive Director of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance (GTPA). She has extensive experience across Asia, Europe, and North America, and in several multilateral forums. A champion of international trade, Lisa travels around the world to both promote and consult on issues affecting the international competitiveness of SMEs and supporting initiatives that promote women in trade and global supply chains.

Craig Weeks consults for organizations needing Trade Finance, Supply Chain and other Transaction Banking expertise, including sustainable finance and sustainable supply chains. Craig serves as an advisor to the Global Trade Professionals Alliance; an Executive Practicum Adviser and member of the Advisory Board of the North Carolina State University Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. Craig serves as a member of the Trade Finance Advisory Council (TFAC) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, an Advisory Board member of the Falcon Group and an advisor to Capital and Credit Risk Manager (CCRM), a Singapore-based FinTech. Previously Craig served as SVP and Manager of the International Banking Group of US Bank where his responsibilities included managing the Trade Finance, International Financial Institutions, and Supply Chain Finance teams.

Peter is Managing Director at Drum Risk. Peter Hopkins, based in London, GB, is currently a Chief Executive Officer at DRUM Advisory. Peter Hopkins brings experience from previous roles at DRUM Advisory Limited, DRUM Risk Ltd, DRUM Risk Management Limited and Vallis. Peter Hopkins holds a 1985 – 1986 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. With a robust skill set that includes Crisis Management, Commodity, International Project Management, Risk Management, International Trade and more.

Alexander R. Malaket, CITP, CTFP, is President of Canadian consultancy OPUS Advisory Services International Inc., established in 2001, focusing on international business, trade and investment with a specialism in trade finance/supply chain finance. Alexander has undertaken a range of consultancy assignments, from operational and tactical to technology, to global strategy, and delivered various training programs for clients around the world.

Brian is Global Head of Sales Transaction Banking at Misys.  

Valerio Ranciaro, in his capacity as Chief Credit & Restructuring Officer at SACE, assumes the pivotal responsibility of ensuring the financial stability and esteemed reputation of this prominent Italian financial institution. His primary focus involves meticulously managing the risks associated with the guarantees provided by SACE, which facilitate international trade and investment. Valerio’s duties include risk assessment, overseeing collections and restructuring processes, and implementing measures to mitigate risks within the guarantees portfolio. His efforts significantly contribute to SACE’s sustained success and reliability in the financial landscape. With over 25 years of expertise in intricate international restructurings and negotiations, Valerio has actively participated in restructuring numerous major corporate and bank defaults, consistently delivering optimal solutions for all stakeholders involved. His areas of specialization include debt restructurings, debt recovery, workouts, and reorganizations. These competencies stem from his profound passion for corporate finance and an extensive understanding of credit risk analysis and business information. Additionally, Valerio holds multiple credentials and certifications from esteemed institutions such as Harvard University, NYU Stern School of Business, INSEAD, and LUISS Business School. These accolades serve as a testament to his expertise and unwavering commitment to continuous learning in his field.

Stéphane-Alexandre is Managing Director and Head of Global Transaction Banking for Asia Pacific at Société Générale Stephane-Alexandre Badoy is a highly experienced professional with 28.7 years of work experience. He possesses a diverse skill set including strategic planning, management consulting, financial modeling, and change management. Based in Hong Kong, Stephane-Alexandre has held various leadership positions at Societe Generale, including Managing Director and Regional Head of Gtps for Asia Pacific. He has also served as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Cga at Societe Generale Factoring. Stephane-Alexandre’s expertise lies in transaction banking payments, cash management, trade, supply chain finance, and correspondent banking. 

Nassourou is the Africa Regional Manager at FCI. After obtaining a master MSTCF in Accounting and Finance in 2003 at the UCAC University, Cameroon, he began his career as an auditor at PwC. Since then, he has gained experience in the field of Audit and Consulting, including 15 years in Factoring and Credit insurance (Regional Head of Factoring Projects for a credit insurance company  for 8 years). Nassourou Aminou has been the Director of a Consulting Firm specializing in the development and implementation of Factoring in African countries, he launched the first Factoring activity in West & Central Africa in 5 countries with the main Banks. Nassourou was an Exclusive Regional Agent in Africa Sub-Saharan Market for a Major Factoring Software provider in UK.

Mairead Lavery is President and CEO of Export Development Canada (EDC), having joined in 2014 and appointed CEO in 2019. She emphasizes values like trade championing, ESG responsibility, and diversity. Under her leadership, EDC has helped Canadian companies export to 200 markets, generating over $100 billion annually. In 2020, EDC played a key role in the Canadian government’s COVID-19 response, delivering billions in liquidity. It is also the largest financier of Canadian cleantech and supports women-owned businesses. Mairead chairs the board of FinDev Canada and is a board member of Ontario Global 100. She has held executive roles at Bombardier and has a degree in Management and Accounting from Queen’s University Belfast. A native of Northern Ireland, she became a Canadian citizen in 2015 and is the first woman to lead EDC in its 75-year history.

Thomas came aboard in 2018 to develop our surety bonding offer. He’s now leading the Innovation LAB developing outside-the-box solutions to tackle the industry pain points and augmenting Tinubu’s competence in advanced technologies (blockchain, AI, quantum computing). He has built expertise in trade finance and balance sheet management as an advisor for financial institutions at CSC Peat Marwick and led the European business analysis team dedicated to surety bonding at Atradius. Thomas holds a master’s degree from Grenoble Ecole de Management. He also represents Tinubu® Square in various professional associations (e.g., Surety and Fidelity Association of America, International Trade and Forfaiting Association) and frequently publishes articles in specialised magazines and newspapers.

Susan Starnes is the Global Lead of Strategy for Trade and Commodity Finance at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). She joined the World Bank in 2000 as a Young Professional, spent over a decade there as an Investment Officer, and has headed the Trade and Commodity Finance’s departmental strategy function since 2013. Susan has 25 years of corporate finance, strategy, and research experience. Prior to joining IFC, she worked in New York for Coopers & Lybrand’s Acquisition Advisory Services, executing buy-side due diligence for LBO and venture capital funds, as well as JP Morgan’s Latin American M&A division. She has also served as Director of Research for the Corporate Executive Board’s Business Leadership Forum, which provided strategic research and applied peer-driven solution packages to Executive Vice Presidents and Business Unit heads for global Fortune 500 corporations. Susan holds a B.S. from the School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of Business, and a Masters in International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant.