Archives: team-member

Alex is one of the inventors of VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) with a foundational patent dating back to 1994 and is now working on MOIP (Money Over Internet Protocol) technology. Over 35 patents have been issued to Alex, relating to exchanges, VOIP protocols, messaging and communication.
Alex is a serial entrepreneur and founder of seven New York City-based startups, raising more than $1 billion and exiting over $3 billion. Alex founded two of New York City’s top 10 venture-backed exits since 2000: Arbinet, with a 2004 IPO that had a market capitalization of over $750 million; and Transit Wireless, valued at $1.2 billion.
Alex has received numerous awards for innovation, including being nominated twice by E&Y as ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, in 2002 & 2011; Crain’s 2010 Top Entrepreneur; the prestigious 2000 Albert Einstein Technology medal; and the Technology Foresight Award for Innovation (presented in Geneva at Telecom 99).
As one of the pioneers of web-based exchanges, Alex authored patents that cover aspects of the Smart Grid, ad exchanges, Twitter, Skype, App Store, Netflix streaming concept and many other popular web companies. Additionally, Arbinet’s fundraising story was featured as a case study in 2001 by Harvard Business School.

Panel Discussion: Trends in Financial Markets and Services

Date: April 25th, 2019 at 11.50 AM

Yai Sukonthabhund is Partner and CEO of Crossbridge Capital Asia, based in Singapore.

Crossbridge Capital is a global wealth management firm that provides independent and tailored investment solutions to private clients. Yai joined Crossbridge Capital in 2010 to establish the firm’s regional presence in Asia. Under his leadership, Crossbridge Capital has seen record growth in assets under management; and initiated various innovative projects across the region. In 2016, Crossbridge Capital Asia launched CONNECT by Crossbridge, Singapore’s first and largest robo advisory platform.

Carl Ward is the Group Technology Officer for Accenture’s Global Health and Public Service business. He specializes in framing and architecting large-scale transformation programs for the public sector. Carl is responsible for the business and solution architecture for many of Accenture’s Public Service transformation opportunities, including work in Tax, Human Services, Health, Postal, Police, and Defence. Carl holds a first class BA (Physics and Theoretical Physics) and MA from Cambridge University, UK.

Digital Citizen Services

Carl is working with agencies on the next generation of digital citizen services. Citizen services are evolving to better support citizens through their lives. The next generation digital services will be based on guiding people through life events – understanding their specific circumstances to provide guidance on what services they are either obliged or eligible for – including non-government services. The experience will be through an AI-enhanced chat rather than forms. This will make services more accessible and understandable to the community.
Digital Trade

Kopal is a techie at heart with 19 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Kopal is currently working in Bank of Singapore where she is the product owner for the Customer Onboarding transformation program. Before joining the Bank of Singapore, she had worked with Barclays and JP Morgan.

Session: Digital Disruption and Innovation in the FSI Markets

Date: April 25, 2019, at 12:20 PM

Dirk‐Peter van Leeuwen is the senior vice president and general manager for Red Hat in the Asia Pacific and Japan. Van Leeuwen is responsible for expanding Red Hat’s presence, and overseeing all sales, marketing, and services throughout the region.

Weisheng currently leads the financial services practice for Google in Singapore & SEA, working with clients on their digital transformation journeys in both customer engagement as well as internal technology adoption. Prior to Google, he led the DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers business for Asia-Pacific as well as its joint-venture with Mitsui in Japan. Before joining the private sector, Weisheng spent ten years with the Singapore Economic Development Board, leading its international operations in the US and Latin America. He has a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.Sc in Decision & Risk Analysis from Stanford University.

Melissa is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Arbor Ventures. Prior to founding Arbor Ventures, Melissa was Managing Director and Head of VantagePoint Asia, a $4.5 billion venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. As a thought leader in the global technology community, with experience across Asia and Silicon Valley, Melissa has been recognized as one of the Top 200 FinTech Influencers in Asia 2018.

Melissa brings with her a unique set of global experience and perspective, with deep technological and innovation prowess anchored in an extensive international network. Melissa is a regular speaker on the Venture Capital markets, Key FinTech Trends, and the changing global landscape.

Anupam Pahuja is the Managing Director for PayPal India. A PayPal veteran, Anupam has spent close to a decade in the company and prior to taking on his current responsibility was the General Manager of Technology, PayPal Asia Pacific.
Anupam has a wealth of international experience in managing large-scale multinational enterprises having been an entrepreneur himself.
Prior to PayPal, Anupam was the Managing Director for India for a NASDAQ-listed Sum Total Systems, the world’s largest eLearning company. In 2000, Anupam founded MobiApps Inc, a mobile focussed company where he was the CTO and COO and sold the company in 2006. Anupam is considered one of the eminent thought leaders in the payments sector and has received 5 patents for an ‘anti-skimming payments card’ and for ‘smartcard battery charging during card use.’ Anupam holds an ungraduated degree in Computer Science from Pennsylvania and an MBA in International Business from Georgetown University.

Session: Panel Discussion-Trends in Financial Markets and Services

Date: April 25, 2019, at 11:30 AM

Sreeram Iyer is the Chief Operating Officer for ANZ Bank’s Institutional Banking business. Sreeram is a TEDx speaker and is active in LinkedIn on topics relating to Banking, Fintech, and Automation. He is a PolyFinTech100 mentor and passionate about Financial Literacy for the underprivileged. He received the “Greatest Individual Contribution to Financial Inclusion in Asia” Award (2017).
At ANZ, Sreeram is responsible for supporting institutional business strategies across multiple countries, generating value for customers through Technology and driving Operations in all the regions of ANZ’s business.
Sreeram has more than 25 years of experience; including 18 years at Standard Chartered Bank. He has earned his learning experiences from MIT (Boston), London Business School, Henley Management College (MBA), and from INSEAD. He is also a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, and a Company Secretary from India.

As the principal advisor and founding partner, Jesse’s practice focuses primarily on helping families and business owners build financial road maps that address not only their financial wants and desires but also identify critical financial events that can occur along the way. What makes Jesse’s approach unique is her integrated process that incorporates one’s personal strategies with assets and income from their operating/holding company. While many business owners recognize the importance of planning, they are often too busy growing their business. As a result, miss potential planning opportunities. Jesse maintains her BC and Alberta Life as well as her Health Insurance license and divides her time between both the Calgary and Vancouver offices. She completed her Certified Financial PlannerTM coursework in 2018 and received her Qualified Associate Financial Planner designation. Jesse was born in Vietnam and was sponsored to Canada as a refugee during the “boat people” crisis in 1981. Jesse holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary, as well as several post-graduate certificates from Mount Royal University in Advanced Studies in Mental Health, Forensic Studies. In 2008 she completed level I and level II Solution-focused therapy specialized training. She has always had a deep fascination with both solution-focused planning as well as behavioral finance, and that methodical and analytic nature is aligned with and informs her philosophy, planning strategies, and process in the financial industry. Jesse Vu is a Registered Elder Planning Counselor (EPC) as well as a registered financial planner (QAFP) so you can be sure that she provides expert and professional financial planning services. To earn the QAFP designation, Jesse must complete an approved educational program, pass a rigorous examination and meet stringent experience requirements. Jesse also adheres to a professional Code of Ethics, is a member of Advocis, a professional association of financial advisors and planners Canada, and a member of the prestigious international organization, MDRT, Million Dollar Round Table where she fulfills annual continuing education requirements to remain aware of current planning strategies and financial trends. The first FiNext Tech Awards & Conference were held on the 25th & 26th of October at Ballys in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event was the much awaited Finance and Technology conference of the year 2018 which aimed at bringing together the best and brightest from the field of Finance & Technology under one roof. The conference strived to build a platform for startups, SMEs, key decision makers, researchers, investors and people from the media to interact and garner meaningful alliances.