The Silk Road Cash & Payments Conference 2023 | Currency Research | 26 March 2023 | Rixos Almaty, Seyfullin Avenue 506/99, Almaty 050012, Kazakhstan

This conference is a new initiative aimed at bringing global knowledge and experience to the Central Asian and surrounding regions and markets.

Topics Covered:
• Banknote Design, Specification & Production
• Cash & Payments Trends
• Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
• Coin Production & Circulation
• Cross-border Payments – How Frictionless Can They Be?
• Efficiency, Optimization & Automation in Processing & Circulation
• Modernisation of Payments Infrastructure: Lessons Learned
• Sustainability in Cash Production and Distribution
• Universal Access to Payments

The New Silk Road and Why It Matters

The ancient Silk Road famously connected the Roman Empire and China and enabled trade between the two continents, with the name-giving silk, amongst other goods, moving westwards, and gold, silver and other items going east. To what extent trade was based on bartering, and to what extent the silver, gold and perhaps other valuable items were considered payments is perhaps of historical interest; it is clear though that today, payments will have to be a key enabler for the success of a New Silk Road.

Whatever the political motives might be, there is no question that the New Silk Road, or One Belt, One Road, will bring significant infrastructure changes to a vast geographical region. It will bring construction of roads and ports and ultimately enable more cost effective and timely trade between many countries connected to the new infrastructure. For trade to be effective and timely though, and for the businesses and people in those countries to benefit from the economic upswing, the payments infrastructure has to be fit for purpose, too. Fast, affordable and reliable cross-border payments are of course the most obvious area to consider, but these will only provide the full benefit if domestic payment systems are also ready to seamlessly interface with the international rails. Compliance solutions need to align with the new requirements, and even cash very much needs to be considered, be it for the facilitation of smaller cross-border transactions or of course increased domestic use in a region where cash still reigns supreme.

New digital payments, such as PayPal, Alipay or even Diem may provide suitable solutions but may also provide new challenges if they are not properly regulated. Central Bank Digital Currency, if designed and implemented in the right way, can be an enabler for safe, cost effective and frictionless payments. And what are the plans for the eCNY and is it already woven into the very fabric of the New Silk Road? Could a Digital Euro or an eDollar compete with that approach, and what are the critical factors to make sure they can? The payment industry surely has its work cut out.

With all these possibilities and challenges, co-ordination and the exchange of information between Central Banks, regulators and payment professionals will be key to making sure that the payment infrastructure will improve in line with new volumes and requirements.

Who Will Participate:

• Central Banks/Issuing Authorities, Governments, Regulators
• State Printing Works, Commercial Printing Works
• Law Enforcement Agencies, Counterfeit Analysts, Banknote Quality Control Specialists, Fraud & Risk Management Experts, Pre-press, printing, finishing and inspection equipment and Banknote Processing Equipment Manufacturers
• Suppliers of substrates and security features, Suppliers of specialist services for the security printing market
• ATM Equipment/Service Providers, Independent ATM Deployers, Cash Recycler Manufacturers
• Armoured Carriers, Cash-in-Transit (CIT) Companies, Outsourced Cash Processors, Foreign Exchange Companies, Cash Forecasting Software/Service Provider, Automation Specialists
• Payments Agencies/Associations, Regulatory Compliance Specialists
• Secured Packaging Specialists, Theft Prevention Specialists

2023 Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Galymzhan Pirmatov
Governor, National Bank of Kazakhstan

Luiz Pereira
Deputy General Manager, Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

Zhomart Kazhmuratov
Director General, Banknote Factory of the National Bank of Kazakhstan

Mohamed Amer
Assistant Sub-Governor, Banking Operations, Central Bank of Egypt

Christopher Hamilton
Strategic Advisor, Hamilton Platform

Yerlan Ashykbekov
Director, Payment Systems Department, National Bank of Kazakhstan

SPEAKERS:

Amir Safranovich
Head of Cash Management Division, Bank of Israel

Thammarak Moenjak
Senior Director, Bank of Thailand

Rosidi Mohd Yunus
Deputy Director, Bank Negara Malaysia

Yuserizal Mohd Noor
Head of Automation Cash Centre, Bank Negara Malaysia

Jens Eberhardt
Managing Director, Cash Infrastructure Projects and Services GmbH

Abdullahi Hamisu
Deputy Director / Head, Domestic Payment Division, Banking Service Department, Central Bank of Nigeria

John Winchcombe
Currency & Payment Consultant, Coin Conference

Stefan Hardt
Director General Cash Management, Deutsche Bundesbank

Alexander Szücs
Head of Global Sales, Value Added Solutions and Services Division, Giesecke+Devrient

Svetlana Ichshanova
Director, Operations Department, Halyk Bank

Didar Zhankin
Deputy Director, Cash Circulation Department, Halyk Bank

Jan Hofmann
Head of Sales, Hueck Folien GmbH

Robert Dvorak
Managing Director, IQ Structures

Barna Barabas
Managing Director, Operations / Product Development / Presales and Marketing, JURA Group

Aziya Ibrayeva
Deputy Director General, Commercial Affairs, Kazakhstan Mint

Michael Poluyanov
Sales Director, Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions

Richard Perera
Director of Marketing Services, Landqart

Lajos Bartha
Executive Director, Financial Infrastructures and Banking Operations, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary)

Anikó Bódi-Schubert
Head of Cash Issuance and Strategic Management Department, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary)

Sirpa Kuusirati
Vice President of Sales, Mint of Finland

David Dudashvili
Leading Specialist at Financial and Supervisory Technologies Development Department, National Bank of Georgia

Varlam Ebanoidze
National Bank of Georgia

Asem Madiyarova
Deputy Director of the Payment Systems Department, National Bank of Kazakhstan

Arlen Moldabekov
Head of the Payment Systems Policy Division, National Bank of Kazakhstan

Binur Zhalenov
CEO National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, JSC, National Bank of Kazakhstan

Shukhrat Salokhiddinov
Head of Payments Systems Department, National Bank of Tajikistan

Kishan Srinivas
Head: Business Development - Europe, NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India)

Matthias Schroth
Director of Cash Management, Equity Interests and Internal Services Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Hussein Jundi
Business Development Manager, ProgressSoft Corporation

Mahmoud Al Kurdi
Business Consultant, ProgressSoft Corporation

Adrien Rigaudie
Business Consultant, ProgressSoft Corporation

Paulo Da Costa
Head of Sales, RTGS.global

Daniel Heller
Head of Regulatory Strategy, RTGS.global

Marcus Treacher
Board Director, RTGS.global

Rufaida Hamilton
Head, Payments South Africa, Standard Bank

Matthieu de Heering
Head of Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus - Business Development and Communications, Swift

Cristina Doros
Vice-President, Country Manager for Central Asia and Azerbaijan, Visa

Ahmed Faragallah
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank

Ganbaatar Jambal
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank

Diederik Bruggink
Head of Innovation & Payments, WSBI-ESRB

Aibar Mazhirov
Head of Cash Circulation Projects, Cash Department, National Bank of Kazakhstan

David Li
Citi Bank

SPEAKER - JOINING REMOTELY:

Victoria Cleland
Executive Director for Banking, Payments and Innovation, Bank of England

Thierry de la Bretèche
Deputy Director - Cash Department, Banque de France

MODERATORS:

Melanie Hawgood
Vice President / Director APAC, Currency Research

Tom Mitchell
Vice President /Director Europe, Currency Research

Jens Seidl
President / CEO, Currency Research

Gerry Gaetz
Strategic Advisor for TCS, Currency Research Board Member & Former CEO of Payments Canada, Tata Consultancy Services & Currency Research

2023 Sponsors and Partners

CO-HOST EXHIBITOR:
• Banknote Factory of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan

PRIMARY SPONSORS:
• Koenig and Bauer
• Landqart AG
• NPCI Intertnational
• Progress Soft
• RTGS.global
• VISA

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
• Giesecke+Devrient
• Hueck Folien
• IQ Structures
• Jura Security Printing
• Mint of Finland
• Swift

POPUP EXHIBITOR:
• RMA Group

MEDIA PARTNERS:
• Cash and Payment News
• Central Bank Payments News
• Currency News
• Digital Currency News
• The Paypers
• Financial IT
• FintechNA