Mon 05 Dec 2022 - We come across the topic of digital currencies in various forums, and some, like crypto currencies (Bitcoins in particular), are frequently in the news.
There is an ever-increasing array of varieties, with Bitcoin joined by over 20,000 other forms of cryptocurrency tokens. There are also Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins. What are these exactly and how might they impact our organisations? What is the framework for their introduction and what are the potential risks that could need managing?
Peter Towers joined the Central Bank of Ireland in 2019 as a Senior Advisor within the Insurance Supervision Directorate and has recently moved to a new role which includes responsibility for the Bank’s Financial Regulation planning.
Prior to joining the Central Bank, Peter held a variety of industry roles in the UK and Ireland including Managing Director of Aviva’s life and pensions business in Ireland, and was President of Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance industry. He is a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Finance & Investment Board and Life Research Committee and is former chair of its Periodical Payment Order Working Party.
Hedwige Nuyens has more than 35 years of experience in the Banking Industry and in Finance.
She currently heads the International Banking Federation representing the banking industry at international level. Previously she was Head of Group Prudential Affairs at BNP Paribas, Chief Financial Officer of the Catholic University Louvain and Chief Risk Officer of ABN Amro Bank in Belgium.
Focus areas in her career have been Strategy, Risk, Finance, Compliance, Regulatory and Digital Transformation. She is known for her ability to build relationships based on mutual respect, enabling to reach consensus and find win-win solutions. Also appreciated for her charismatic leadership style and high level of energy.
Hedwige has lived and worked around the globe, gaining insight in different cultures, values and beliefs. She plays a leading role at European Women on Boards, mentoring young talent and advocating for more diversity and inclusion in corporates and society.
Hedwige holds a Faculty of Law and a Master’s in financial sciences from the Catholic University Louvain, a Master’s in business administration and finance from the EHSAL Brussels. She followed courses on Digital Transformation at INSEAD, on Sustainable Finance at Cambridge, on Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning at MIT and on Cyber Security at Harvard.
Nick Van Benschoten delivers economic crime policy and advocacy on behalf of members at UK Finance, leading on international engagement, beneficial ownership and grand corruption. He provides the secretariat for the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Panel and supports the Money Laundering Advisory Panel on FATF and EU AML reform, Companies House reform and the wider economic crime reform programme.
Nick also represents UK Finance at the European Banking Federation’s AML Committee, and chairs the International Banking Federation’s Financial Crime Working Group.
Prior to UK Finance, Nick worked both as a private sector advisor and as a civil servant. As a private sector advisor, he supported audits of corporate compliance and Government reviews of public contractors and local authorities. As a civil servant, Nick was part of the team that developed and implemented the Bribery Act, representing the UK at the OECD Working Group on Bribery and the OECD Responsible Business Conduct Working Group.