Supply Chain Finance Forum

Managing Director, Trade Advisory Network

John Bugeja is a highly experienced trade, supply chain and invoice finance specialist with more than 40 years’ experience in senior leadership roles with HSBC, NatWest, RBS, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group. John is now Managing Director of Trade Advisory Network Limited, a trade, supply chain and invoice finance advisory network delivering product development and innovation, operating model design and implementation, training and education and deal structuring and placement solutions to banks, alternative finance providers, FinTechs, technology service providers and corporates. John is often called upon to act as expert witness when trade and supply chain finance related disputes go to tribunal or court. Key areas of expertise include origination, risk and governance, product management and development, business development, organisation design, change management, process facilitation, training and management development. John is passionate about promoting the development of supply chain finance in all its forms and was a member of the drafting group that wrote the ICC rules for Uniform Rules for Digital Trade Transactions (URDTT). John is also co-author of LIBF’s Certificate in Supply Chain Finance, FCI’s Supply Chain Finance online learning module and the ICC Academy’s Advanced Supply Chain Finance online course, a core module of their CTCP programme.

Director, Operations Consulting, KPMG

Paul is a Director in KPMG's Operations Consulting practice in the UK. He supports our clients in whole breadth of industry sectors, by transforming the performance of their operations and supply chains. Paul is currently focused on helping our clients prepare their supply chains and operations for Brexit, and am the Brexit lead for Supply Chain at KPMG.

He has more than 12 years of 'Big Four' consulting experience. A lean manufacturing engineer by background, he previously worked with companies such as Toyota and Honda to improve the efficiencies and flexibilities of large production lines in the automotive supply chain.

Since joining KPMG, he has led many transformation projects in major multi-national organisations in the automotive, consumer goods, retail, telecoms and hotel sectors. Paul is interested in the role that next generation technology, simulation and advanced analytics will play in operational performance improvement.

Head of Global Strategic Business Development, Bolero

Jacco possesses over 35 years’ experience in the International Trade and Commodity Finance Banking space, having worked both for and with numerous major Trade Banks over the past three decades. With his vast wealth of knowledge and deep understanding of Trade Finance and digitisation processes from a Bank, Corporate and FinTech perspective, Jacco serves as a trusted advisor to numerous Corporates and Financial Institutions across the globe. In his role as Head of Global Strategic Business Development, Jacco provides customers with pragmatic, expert support and advice in their transition towards adopting/embedding trade digitisation into their business. As a SWIFT-certified Trade & Supply Chain Finance consultant, Jacco frequently moderates, speaks and participates in panels at international Trade and Supply Chain Finance events organized by institutions such as SIBOS, ICC, FIBA, SWIFT and more.

Head of Supplier Finance Structuring, Execution & Delivery, Trade and Working Capital, Corporate Banking Origination, Barclays

Head of Trade & Working Capital, Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking

Mark joined Santander to drive the development of its International business across the UK in May 2014. He is responsible for International Origination across our Large Corporate business (£50 + Turnover) nationally and for our Trade Finance, Supplier Finance and Invoice Finance Products and solutions across SCCB. Mark represents the Bank in numerous forums in particular the BBA on committees that focus on Exports and Trade Finance. Also acts as lead for our relationship with UKEF. Prior to joining Santander Mark spent 12 years at RBS leading various businesses and teams throughout its Large Corporate, Institutional, Corporate and SME business. He was instrumental in building the FTSE 350 business around the Trade and Supply chain financing disciplines. Mark began his career as a management trainee with Standard Chartered bank where he worked across the UK branch network, in London and in Asia for 20 years. As well as leading Corporate and Institutional Banking teams across a variety of sectors, geographies and segments he also developed Standard Chartered’s Supply Chain Financing proposition, leading a Global team in Singapore. Mark is passionate about developing international business across the corporate and commercial segments and creating the next generation of Exporters and skilled international bankers

Head of Credit Insurance and Factoring, BüchnerBarella Holding

Sonja Rethagen is the Head of Trade Credit, Surety und Receivables Financing. She manages and co-ordinates a team of 15 specialists located in BüchnerBarella’s offices across Germany. Sonja’s professional focus is on the placement and handling of national and international trade credit and factoring facilities. She is based in Munich. BüchnerBarella is an independent, owner-managed insurance broker founded in 1922 and is today one of the fastest growing broking companies in Germany. Before joining BüchnerBarella in March 2015, Sonja was the managing partner in a start-up company in trade credit insurance broking. Her career began in January 2000 as a regional sales and account manager at the world’s largest credit insurance group. She served this company in various client interface and management roles for over 9 years, her last position being that of Senior Executive Manager.

Principal, Oliver Wyman

Martin Sommer is a Principal in Oliver Wyman’s Corporate and Institutional Banking practice. He has worked in depth with leading financial institutions, with a focus on strategy and innovation projects in Corporate and Transaction Banking across UK and EMEA. Martin co-leads Oliver Wyman’s market-leading annual Transaction Banking benchmarking platform, which delivers detailed performance metrics to the largest global and regional transaction banks. He has also authored Supply Chain Finance: Riding The Waves, which looks at the latest developments in the Supply Chain Finance industry.

COO, CODIX Group

Laurent is Managing Director of CODIX Group, an International Commercial Finance software provider, editor and integrator of the iMX solution, which supports all aspects of Corporate/Commercial Finance, including PO Finance, Factoring (international/two-way, reverse/NAFIN, classical, etc…), Invoice Discounting, Asset-Based Lending, Supply Chain/Inventory Finance and Leasing, as well as sophisticated Debt Collection capabilities. With a staff of 800+ business and technical experts located in 15 countries, CODIX delivers its iMX solution worldwide to clients of various sizes from SMEs to international groups, and always with a comprehensive suite of services, including: system customization, on-site training and assistance, as well as expert level business recommendations and project management. Laurent’s entire career has been in I.T. for the financial/SCF industry, first in the Business/Systems analysis space, then Projects & Products Management, evolving into Management roles (Laurent is CODIX Group COO since 2010).

Managing Director, Trade Advisory Network

Lionel Taylor is a trade, supply chain and invoice finance specialist with more than 30 years experience in senior leadership roles with major financial institutions including RBS, Rabobank, Citibank and Lloyds Banking Group and with non-bank independents.

Now Managing Director of Trade Advisory Network Limited, which specialises in the strategic development of global supply chains, trade and invoice finance with a client base of regional banks, independent finance providers, fintechs and technology providers, his key areas of expertise include new business strategy, turnaround, organisation design, new product design, product management, marketing, origination, credit, team building and training.

He has extensive experience of operating in Asia where he led the cooperation on trade and supply chain finance between RBS and Bank of China, established an independent finance company facilitating trade between Asian and Western SMEs and assisted in the development of the Chinese factoring industry. Today, he continues his close involvement in the region, working with government agencies, banks, independent funders, investors and others who are looking to promote and extend trade and supply chain finance in the region.

He currently is a Non-Executive Director of a growing UK-based fintech, sits as the independent credit committee member for another non-bank finance provider and is also co-author of the ICC Academy’s Advanced Supply Chain Finance online course, a core module of their CTCP programme.

He continues to be engaged in advising a number of financial institutions, fintechs and technology providers on the development of their trade and supply chain finance businesses and is frequently invited to comment and write for specialist international trade publications as well as chairing and speaking at international events.

Sales Director for Supply Chain Finance, Sancus

Richard has over 18 years’ experience in invoice finance, asset based lending, supply chain finance and trade finance. His roles have included working at both independent and bank owned funders in the UK, Ireland and Germany, including Aldermore Bank, AIB Plc, and Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Finance. He has been integral in developing and delivering sales at a strategic level and has a track record in achieving performance objectives with a keen eye on returns. He has an excellent reputation in leadership roles within both sales and relationship management. Richard became sales director at Sancus Finance in June 2016 and was appointed to the board in March 2017.