Events

Mike brings 25+ years in correspondent banking and trade finance, most recently leading international trade at Synovus Bank after 13 years at Bank of America. He founded CoLedger, a correspondent banking fintech; is a Partner at Orpheus Advisors, sourcing regional bank technology and trade finance deals; and serves as CEO of Market Access Ventures, helping exporters enter the US market. Mike served on the BAFT North America Advisory Council and led the BAFT Regional Bank Council for three years. He holds an MBA from Purdue and a B.S. from BYU, is fluent in Spanish, and lives in Utah with his wife Adrienne and their five children.

Tod Burwell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of BAFT. Prior to being promoted to CEO, he served as the Senior Vice President of Trade Products with oversight of all trade-related initiatives including the Global Trade Industry Council, Trade Committees, and other strategic initiatives of the organization. Mr. Burwell has over 25 years of trade, supply chain and cash management experience as a banking practitioner, as well as serving as a consultant to global corporations and suppliers of strategically integrated trade solutions. Prior to joining BAFT, Mr. Burwell was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase and held senior global management roles responsible for trade operations, launching the logistics business and managing global product sales for trade finance and logistics management.

Merlin is a senior product manager within CGI’s trade solutions group where he is primarily responsible for the design and delivery of forward-looking and client-centric trade solutions. He leads digital strategy initiatives and develops product value propositions using emerging technologies such as AI, APIs, and blockchain. He is also responsible for third-party fintech vendor engagements and the monitoring of industry developments. Previously, Merlin spent 15 years at J.P. Morgan in various global product management roles. He led digital strategy for traditional trade products, launching innovations such as electronic bill of exchange and an omni-channel connector whilst collaborating with numerous fintechs. He also managed the design and delivery of a multi-year project focused on trade asset risk distribution and contributed to expanding J.P. Morgan’s global trade footprint. He continues to actively contribute to industry-wide initiatives through his role as a co-Chair on the BAFT Trade Finance committee and Vice-Chair on the ICC Banking Commission, where leads efforts to digitalize trade finance in close coordination with the ICC’s Digital Standards Initiative.

Mark Garfield’s current role is Head of Global Financial Institutions at Zions Bancorporation responsible for foreign bank relationship development. He joined Zions Bancorporation in 2005. He has over 30 years of banking experience with 25 years in international banking management covering trade finance, trade services, foreign exchange, correspondent banking and product development. Throughout his career he has worked closely with corporate and commercial entities in the Midwest and Western U.S. providing banking support for cross-border trade. Mr. Garfield currently serves as a Director of BAFT and Chair of the Utah District Export Council. He served on the DEC National Advisory Board and Board of the World Trade Center, Utah.

Carsten Hils is a senior financial services executive with more than two decades of experience building and leading global payments businesses. He founded StoneX’s payments business in 2003 and developed it into a global operation focused on delivering payment solutions to financial institutions and corporations, with particular expertise in frontier markets. In 2025, Carsten joined Marex Financial to build and lead the firm’s payments business, serving Marex’s institutional client base as well as external financial institutions and corporations. Earlier in his career, Carsten held senior roles in treasury and asset management with major financial institutions in the United States and Europe.

Gayle Jacobs leads the Political Risk practice in the US and Canada for Marsh Credit Specialties. In this role she supports multinational clients and non-profit organizations in understanding and mitigating the political and financial risks they face abroad. Gayle is based in Southwest Michigan. She joined Marsh in 2019 and has been a broker of Political Risk Insurance since 2007. Prior to working in the insurance industry, Gayle served as an Intelligence Officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency (US Department of Defense) in Washington D.C. and worked for the Foreign Commercial Service at the US Embassy in Paris.

Yenner Karto is Managing Director and Head of International Banking & Foreign Exchange at First National Bank of Pennsylvania. He joined FNB in 2013 with the mandate to design, build, and lead international banking as a line of business. He is responsible for all aspects of international banking and foreign exchange, including product innovation and payment technology, FX sales and trading, middle-office operations and trade finance. He leads a team of professionals serving clients across the bank’s footprint, from Ohio to the Southeast. In this session, Yenner as a moderator and the speakers will draw on their extensive experience to explore what the future of cross-border payments means for regional banks – and how they can compete and thrive as the payment landscape evolves.

Gerardo Gutierrez-Olvera joined Grupo Financiero BANORTE 12 years ago as Executive Director, responsible for Trade Finance and International Business. BANORTE is the second largest bank in Mexico, and the only one among the 6 largest banks in the country that is managed by a Mexican management team. Gerardo joined BANORTE after more than 20 years of comprehensive and substantial experience in the international banking arena with Banco Santander and Bank of America, working for those institutions both, at a local and regional level, in Mexico City, Monterrey, New York City, Madrid (Latin American Division) and Hong Kong (Asia-Pacific regional hub). His main focus has been on the development, management, sales, operations, and growth of business lines related to trade & supply chain finance, global payments, corporate banking, financial institutions, correspondent banking and treasury services.

Matt Petrik is the Head of FX Product at Derivative Path, bringing over two decades of expertise from Wells Fargo. A champion of digital transformation, he's led initiatives in Gateway APIs/Open Banking, revolutionizing FX Payment Solutions. At Derivative Path since July 2022, Matt leverages his deep FX market knowledge and innovation prowess to enhance cross-border payment solutions for regional banks.

Daniel Pinho was appointed Vice President of Operations and Business Management at BAFT on July 31, 2023. He brings more than 25 years of experience in structured trade finance, having previously served as Senior Vice President and Assistant Group Manager in PNC’s Trade Finance group. Earlier in his career, he managed Export Credit Agency Operations at UPS Capital Business Credit and held the role of Director of Trade Finance at a consulting firm in Brazil. Daniel has also served on BAFT’s Americas Council and co-chaired the Structured Trade and Export Finance Committee. He is a member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America and serves on the board of a fair-trade nonprofit organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Michael Salerno is the Vice President of Global Banking at First National Bank of Omaha where he manages a diverse portfolio of corporate and correspondent bank customers. He consults with trade and treasury management professionals to help define, create, and implement effective trade finance, global payments and international risk management solutions. Mr. Salerno specializes in providing foreign exchange and international payment solutions for financial institutions. He is the Treasurer for both the Nebraska District Export Council and the National Association of District Export Councils.

Ambassador David M. Satterfield has over four decades of diplomatic service and policy and management leadership experience in the United States and overseas in the Near East and Europe. He has served as assistant secretary of state, National Security Council staff director, ambassador to Lebanon and Turkey, and charge’ d’affaires in Iraq and Egypt. He was appointed White House Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues by President Biden in October 2023. In 2024, he stepped down from this role and served as a consultant to the Department of State. Currently, Ambassador Satterfield serves as Director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Paul Warfield’s current role is to expand and grow product offerings within global trade products and global treasury services. He joined Huntington National Bank in June of 2021 and has more than 30 years of international banking experience working with trade services, trade finance, foreign exchange, and correspondent banking. Throughout his career he has been focused on looking for innovative solutions and technology enhancements that provide regional banks with competitive solutions. He is an active member with BAFT working on various committees and is past co-chair of the Regional Bank Council and past Board Member.

Kevin West is the Bank Partnerships Lead for North America at Wise Platform, Wise’s global payments infrastructure for banks, financial institutions and enterprises around the world. He is an experienced payments and FX professional leading and scaling the partnerships for Wise Platform’s solutions in North America and across the Middle East. Prior to joining Wise, he served in roles at Dandelion, WorldFirst, and Currencycloud.

Katherine Zaveri is a Senior Vice President at StoneX Payments, where she works with financial institutions, corporates, and international development organizations to support cross-border payments globally. She began her career in finance at Bridgewater Associates before moving into the payments space. In 2019, Katherine was named the first BAFT Future Leader from StoneX. She currently serves as Co - Chair of the BAFT Future Leaders Council and has also served as a Future Leaders Mentor. Prior to her career in finance, Katherine worked in international development in Guatemala and has lived and worked in Brazil and Argentina.

Aaron Zynczak is the Head of FX and International Sales at M&T Bank, where he oversees the Foreign Exchange business, Trade Finance Sales, and Supply Chain Finance. Prior to joining M&T Bank, he served as Senior Director of International Banking at First Citizens Bank and as Director of FX Sales at TD Securities. With three decades of experience in International Banking, Aaron has led teams and initiatives across managerial, sales, technology, and operational functions at organizations including The South Financial Group, Commerce Bank, and Bank of America. Aaron currently serves on the BAFT Americas Council. He is also a former member of the BAFT Board of Directors and a past Co Chair of the Americas Council.