Investment Banking Technology Speakers
Hackathons, and how we continue attracting talents to algo-quants roles whilst competing with fintechs and start-ups
Hanna Assayag, Director FX Quantitative Research HSBC
Hanna Assayag leads the FX Swaps & NDF algo trading quant team at HSBC London. Her career started in 2003 at Société Générale, then Dresdner Bank, where she held a number of positions designing electronic trading models and algorithms across products and asset-classes. At HSBC she’s worked primarily on FX Spot, STIRTs, NDFs and Cash Bonds eTrading.
Hanna also runs a programme of events and workshops across London, Hong-Kong and Bangalore to embed the latest skills in data science,
machine learning and coding across HSBC global offices. She has been promoting new ways of working by encouraging code sharing, creating a large community of Python users by open-sourcing internally a cross-asset Python platform she created in 2017, allowing colleagues across functions and asset-classes to acquire new skills.
Hanna holds an Msc in Engineering from Telecom ParisTech, and a DEA in Probabilities and Finance from Université Pierre and Marie Curie Paris.
The evolution of how we deliver digital products at HSBC
Peter Towns
Global Head of Digital, DevOps & Architecture Global Banking & Markets IT at HSBC
Pete Towns is the Global Head of Digital, DevOps & Architecture for Global Banking & Markets (GBM) at HSBC. GBM is an emerging markets-led and finance-focused business that provides tailored solutions to major government, corporate and institutional clients in over 60 countries and territories. In his current role, Pete leads a team of technologists who build, transform and deliver solutions to support Digital Products. He also runs the Global Markets Client Relationship Management (CRM) & Sales MI platforms, and is responsible for the delivery of Sales Cockpit – a cross-asset dashboard for sales users, covering pre-trade, execution and post-trade activities. Prior to this role, Pete ran GBM Cash FX IT & GFX eDistribution in London and APAC GFX & Sales IT in Hong Kong. Before joining HSBC in 2010, he worked at RBS Global Banking & Markets as the Global Head of FX & Money Markets eCommerceIT.
Pete is passionate about building disruptive technology solutions and creating synergy between Technology and Business. He is also involved in curating special development programs for technologists across the globe.
How will programmatic architecture problem-solve in the financial services industry?
Piotr Smoleń
Founder Data Ventures, CEO Simmetrical.ai
One of CEE’s favourite Fintech entrepreneur and investors, Piotr is Managing Partner and CEO of Data Ventures; a
venture capital fund focused on big data fintech In 2012, he co-founded and served for 5 years as CEO at Turbine Analytics – the leading SaaS for capital market industry in CEE – before the company sold to a private equity fund in 2018. Prior to this, Piotr worked as an investment analyst in a public exchange listed private equity fund NFI Midas S.A.
Piotr graduated from Warsaw School of Economics (Finance and Accounting) and Stanford Graduate School of Business (EPGC).
Control measures for financial transaction systems
Błażej Marciniak
Product Director for Fudo Security
Blazej is a network security and data transmissions technologies expert with 25 years of experience in ITC. His journey began in IT Product and Business Unit Management, but after working at two large US corporations he realised that product cycles moved too slowly to innovate. This lead him create the first mobile mBank transactional system and Plus GSM mobile services gateway: MultiInfo. Inspired by security concerns around sensitive data kept on cloud services, Blazej came up with idea for smart metadata syncing technology, which utilized local storage resources: Sher.ly.
The company was launched officially at TechCrunch Battlefield conference in Berlin in 2013.
Blazej is currently building Fudo Security: an innovative startup securing Privileged Accounts Management for small and big organizations across the globe.
Panel Discussion Speakers
Maxime Legras
Head of Global Banking Markets IT Poland at HSBC
Maxime has a strong background in BPO, Business Development and Transformation. He is passionate about agile leadership and finding ways for IT and the business to partner and innovate together. Maxime has spent the last 7 years with HBSC where he has held different leadership roles within Operations and Technology. During this time he has worked in London, Malta and Krakow leading IT Transformation programmes at country and regional levels. Prior to joining HSBC, Maxime spent two years with State Street Krakow leading initial engagements for France. Maxime holds a Masters in Financial Engineering & Trading (Rennes School of Business/London Open University), a Masters in Political Sciences (University of Jagiellonan) and an MBA in Innovation and Data Analysis (Institute of Computer Science Warsaw/ Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University).
Stefan Bogucki
PR and Community Manager Poland Revolut
Stefan has 11+ years of experience in PR consulting for financial, technology and professional services companies. Before joining Revolut he worked as an advisor in H+K Strategies (WPP). His experience covers designing corporate communication strategy, coordinating PR agencies work across CEE/SEE markets, managing reputation issues and crisis, auditing PR campaigns, launching new financial products and services to the market and deal communication (M&As). In recent months and years, Stefan provided PR support for brands such as Luno, Twino, Facebook, Innova Capital, GE Capital, AIG, Chubb, BNY Mellon, ING, BZ WBK, Erste, Provident and Wonga. He advised clients taking part in process of public consultations of new legislative acts and new regulations in banking, insurance, cryptocurrencies, and lending sector.
Balázs Vinnai
President of W.UP, Co-Founder of Codecool
Balázs Vinnai is the president of W.UP, the go-to digital sales company for banks in Europe and beyond. He was co-founder and CEO of IND Group that became the leading developer and provider of digital banking solutions in Europe and the Middle East. IND Group was acquired in 2014 by financial software provider Misys, where Vinnai became vice president responsible for digital channels. Before joining W.UP, he had served as chief digital officer and vice president of Misys successor Finastra. He is also the co-founder of Codecool, the leading coding school in the Central and Eastern European region.
Richard Herbert
Chief Information Officer – Global Banking & Markets HSBC
Richard is Chief Information Officer for Global Banking & Markets (GBM) at HSBC. GBM is an emerging markets-led and financing-focused business that provides tailored financial solutions to major government, corporate and institutional clients worldwide, in over 60 countries and territories. Richard leads a global function of IT professionals delivering sustainable solutions that balance business, cost, risk and regulatory demands, with growth and innovation. His team support the business aspirations of GBM through all aspects of technology delivery and support. Richard joined HSBC in 2011 to advise on technology strategy. Richard’s ability to bring together and successfully lead diverse groups to deliver change programmes led to his appointment as CIO in 2015. Richard has worked in the Wholesale and Investment Banking industry since the 1980’s, living through many of the fundamental changes in the industry, including five
mergers, Big Bang, Y2K, Euro and the 2007 Credit Crisis. During this time he has held numerous leadership roles at prominent institutions including Baring Brothers, Phillips and Drew, UBS, Bankers Trust, Deutsche Bank, Halifax, ABN and RBS.
Moderator:
Andrew Samu
Co-Founder Digital StartUp Ltd Publisher,
Verita HR Polska Sp. z o.o
Andrew is responsible for supporting the Editorial team of the Recruitment Industry magazine for Poland and CEE (Magazyn Rekruter) whilst advising Verita HR with BPO/SSC and Banking sector Clients. Andrew is also Co-Founder of Digital StartUp Ltd and is responsible for developing relationships specifically with Fintech and E-commerce StartUps. Andrew has been involved in providing Recruitment, Employer Branding and HR services to the Shared Services in Poland since 2005. Andrew has worked with Banking and Financial Services companies since 2001 including Barclays, ING Bank, Vanquis Bank and many others. Andrew has a degree from Keele University in the UK and works with many of the thought leaders of the StartUp industry in the UK.
Many thanks to the sponsors supporting our third edition
