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Michael BickersManaging Director, BCR PublishingMichael Bickers is Managing Director of BCR Publishing Ltd, a specialist publishing company dedicated to the provision of market information on areas of receivables finance including factoring and supply chain finance, through books, the Internet (trfnews.com) and global receivables finance conferences and seminars. He is author of twelve editions of Factoring in the UK, a market report and guide to the UK factoring industry, (1993 – 2008, 2nd and 3rd editions, published by HMSO, other editions BCR); Editor of twenty five editions of the World Factoring Yearbook (published annually by BCR since 1996 in association with FCI); Publisher of the European Trade Finance Yearbook 2012 (BCR in association with EBRD); Editor and joint author of A Review of Global Trade Finance and the Effects of the Current Financial Crises on Emerging Markets - a report commissioned by the World Bank, December 2008; Publisher of the World Supply Chain Finance Report 2010 – 2021; Chapter contributor of Factors and Actors (Peter Lang, 2018); Editor of Equipment Leasing in the UK (HMSO, 1995,1996).; Editor of Venture Capital in the UK (HMSO, 1996); Series Editor, International Business Intelligence Reports (published by the Stationery Office Ltd), 1997. His views, opinions and findings have been printed in leading newspapers and journals including The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, The Times, The Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Director Magazine, Accountancy Age, Business Age, Chartered Banker, Investors Chronicle and Export Today. |
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Sudeera HarduthGroup Head of Open Account Finance Product Management at Absa Group LimitedSudeera Harduth is the Head of Open Account Finance Product Management for the Absa Group, responsible for payables and receivables solutions across Pan Africa. She joined Absa in 2015, following 9 years at other financial institutions. In her current role, Sudeera is responsible for executing the Open Account Finance Product strategy across the Group’s presence countries in Africa, which includes driving innovation and product development for the Open Account Finance suite of products. She is passionate about creating awareness and growing the Supply Chain Finance market in Africa and plays an active role in sourcing and delivering innovative capabilities for the Absa Group. Some of her key achievements include: • The implementation and management of the largest Supplier Finance program in Southern Africa • She has recently written an article on Supplier Financing and the win-win that can be achieved when collaborating with Fintech partners in the industry
Sudeera has been working in the Banking Sector for 19 years, and has spent the major part of her career in International Trade Finance at Nedbank, First National Bank and the ABSA Group. During this time, she has held multiple roles in Trade Operations, Business Analysis, and Product Management. For the past 16 years, her focus has been on Product Management, with a particular focus on the development of a portfolio of Trade and Open Account Finance products.
Sudeera is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration. She holds a Postgraduate or Diploma in Marketing Management as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Managerial Accounting. In addition, she holds a certificate in Business Analysis, and has completed various leadership and trade finance courses, such as the ICC Certified Trade Finance Professional (CTFP). |
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Simon HitzigPresident & CEO, Accord FinancialIn his decade at Accord, Simon has been a catalyst for change and a key member of the executive leadership team. Joining Accord as president of its non-recourse factoring division, he went on to structure and close three acquisitions, diversifying Accord’s product offerings and strengthening its presence throughout the U.S. and Canada. With a long career in the investment industry, Simon previously held executive positions in marketing, product development and distribution strategy at Goodman & Company Ltd., DundeeWealth, Inc., and Dynamic Funds. Simon is a graduate of York University and holds an MBA from Georgetown University. |
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David LosebyGlobal CPO, Business Transformation Advisor and AuthorDavid Loseby FCIPS Chartered, is one of the top 50 thought leaders in procurement and change management (Thinkers360), former Group CPO for Rolls Royce plc and Visiting Scholar at University of East Anglia. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and has built a reputation over many years as a change and transformation specialist across many sectors, public, private and equity backed ventures. Currently he is in the process of writing a research paper as part of a PhD in Behavioural Procurement, based on the principles established in decision & social sciences, applied cognitive psychology and behavioural economics. He has spoken at many international events over the years on the subject of procurement, SRM and change management. |
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Mark MandulaChief Learning Officer, BCR Publishing; Senior Vice President, United Capital FundingMark Mandula is an accomplished factoring expert, entrepreneur, and speaker. As Senior Vice President of United Capital Funding, he led the company through significant growth. Mark is also Chief Learning Officer at BCR Publishing, driving global programme expansion. With extensive experience in finance and an MBA and BBA from Pepperdine University, Mark is a respected figure in the industry. He is committed to knowledge sharing and has contributed to numerous publications and conferences worldwide. Mark, an accomplished entrepreneur, served as the owner and CEO of a prominent credit industry business, earning him a nomination as Entrepreneur of the Year. His educational background includes an MBA and BBA in Finance, complemented by his 2012 graduation from the Certificate in Private Capital Markets program at the Graziadio Graduate School of Business, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. He has been actively engaged in various non-profit boards, including Eckerd College, Tampa Bay Research Institute, and others. A sought-after speaker, he has shared his expertise at over 250 international conferences and boasts a prolific portfolio of more than 1,200 published articles. |
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Peter MulroySecretary-General, FCIPeter Mulroy is Secretary General of FCI, the world’s largest network of factoring companies, with its headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Peter was previously Senior Vice President, International Regional Manager and Managing Director with CIT. He is a past Chairman of FCI, and has served on the FCI Executive Committee for over a decade. Peter has an MBA from Thunderbird, School of Global Management in Arizona. As Secretary General, Peter assists banks, regulators and governments in introducing the concept of and educating people about the role of factoring. He addresses audiences around the world on the subject of factoring and international trade and is generally regarded as an ambassador for the factoring industry. |
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Michael YoungFounder and CEO, Photon CommerceMichael Young is Silicon Valley entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of Photon Commerce. Photon Commerce accelerates customer acquisition for fintech leaders by automating invoicing, categorisation, reconciliation, and payments using AI. Partnered with Brex, Microsoft, and Nvidia, it processed US$ 11 billion in orders last year. After dropping out of the Stanford PhD programme, Michael led advanced R&D programs funded by the Department of Defense, created hundreds of jobs, raised US$ 50 million across his venture-backed start-ups, and took them to acquisitions. Reach out at: hello@photoncommerce.com |
