Media Appearances

From a question to a global movement: The rise of BAFT Women in Transaction Banking

via Trade Finance Global by Deepa Sinha

  • BAFT Women in Transaction Banking was created to address the absence of a unified platform supporting women across trade and payments within transaction banking.
  • The initiative focuses on networking, education, mentorship, and public speaking to promote women’s professional growth and visibility in the industry.
  • Since its launch, WTB has expanded globally, hosting numerous events and establishing a cross-institutional mentorship programme to strengthen female representation in senior roles.

When I joined BAFT in March of 2022, I confess that though I was a subject matter expert on all things payments and cash management, I wasn’t too knowledgeable about trade and its role in transaction banking. As I began to research, join various trade-related committees and council meetings, and speak with my counterparts, I realised that there was a whole other world in the banking sphere. 

Nearly every product we buy and use is a result of transaction banking. While I’m still nowhere near a trade expert, I have a much better understanding of how trade, payments, and operations all play an integral part in the world’s economy. And I continue to learn more every day.

Read the full article here.

Why AI collaboration is key to fighting fraud

via FINTECH GLOBAL

AI is no longer a pilot project in financial services. That was the clear message from the 2026 BAFT International Trade & Payment Conference, where a panel on AI in compliance and fraud detection focused less on experimentation and more on execution.

According to Quantifind, moderated by BNY senior vice president of global payments and trade Ryan Lastra, the discussion brought together Quantifind vice president of strategic client partnerships Teresa Buechner and BNY senior vice president of domestic payments Sumner Francisco to explore how institutions must now govern, explain and collaborate around AI in an increasingly networked risk environment.

The debate has moved on from whether AI belongs in payments and compliance. It is already embedded across transaction monitoring, fraud detection and case management workflows. Instead, the panel centred on what comes next: how firms govern their models, how they ensure explainability, and how they work across institutional boundaries as financial crime becomes more interconnected. The era of speculative AI use cases has ended. The operational phase has begun.

Read the full article here.

AI governance takes centre stage in payments

via RegTech Analyst

AI is no longer a pilot project in financial services. That was the clear message at the 2026 BAFT International Trade & Payment Conference, where a panel on AI in compliance and fraud detection explored what comes next for banks and payments providers.

According to Quantifind, moderated by BNY senior vice president of global payments and trade Ryan Lastra, the discussion brought together Quantifind VP of strategic client partnerships Teresa Buechner and BNY senior vice president of domestic payments Sumner Francisco.

What stood out was not a debate over whether AI belongs in financial services. That argument has already been settled. Instead, the focus shifted to governance, explainability and collaboration in a world where financial crime operates across networks, not institutions.

Read the full article here.

AI Isn’t the Experiment Anymore. Governance and Collaboration Are.

via QUANTIFIND by Jason Palleschi

At the 2026 BAFT International Trade & Payment Conference, a panel on AI in Compliance and Fraud Detection brought together leaders from across the payments and risk ecosystem. The discussion was moderated by Ryan Lastra, Senior Vice President of Global Payments and Trade at BNY, and featured Teresa Buechner, VP of Strategic Client Partnerships at Quantifind, alongside Sumner Francisco, Senior Vice President of Domestic Payments at BNY.

What stood out wasn’t a debate about whether AI belongs in financial services. That question has already been answered. The conversation focused instead on what comes next:

  1. How institutions govern AI
  2. Explain its decisions
  3. Collaborate across organizational boundaries in an environment where financial crime and fraud are increasingly networked

Read the full article here.

ECI Underscores Women’s Shift from Participation to Strategic Leadership at 2026 BAFT MENA Forum

via Middle East News 247

Speaking at a panel discussion titled ‘From Inclusion to Influence: Women Driving Corporate Transformation in MENA,’ at 2026 BAFT MENA Forum, Yasmin Bahgat emphasised that this shift reflects a broader regional ambition to build future-ready, inclusive, and resilient economies, where leadership is defined by capability, perspective, and long-term value creation.

She added that this progress aligns closely with ECI’s sustainability mandate, particularly as women globally continue to lead climate action, community development, and social innovation initiatives. Highlighting ECI’s role within the Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance, Ms Bahgat reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting climate-resilient, future-proof trade ecosystems.

The session also discussed the UAE as a leading model for embedding inclusion and gender balance into national development, supported by visionary leadership that places women’s empowerment at the heart of nation-building. This commitment is reflected in policy, representation, and expanded opportunities across key sectors, including finance, trade, and economic leadership, notably through initiatives such as the ‘Mother of the Nation’s 50:50 Vision’, aimed at advancing women into leadership roles.

Read the full article here.

Instant payments, instant risks: Banks’ perspectives in the payments revolution

via Trade Finance Global by Deepa Sinha

  • Instant payments are transforming transaction banking by compressing settlement cycles.
  • Banks face mounting pressures to overhaul liquidity management, shift to 24/7 continuous settlement, and balance seamless payments with safeguards against fraud and bank runs.
  • Stricter regulation, real-time FX risk and rising fraud threats mean more is demanded within instant payments demand advanced technology.

Instant payments are being hailed far and wide as the new frontier in transaction banking, making transaction fees and processing times as much a relic of the past as travellers’ cheques and bank tellers. 

However, things are not quite so frictionless as they seem behind the scenes, with banks having to grapple with the risks associated with instant payments – from fraud to bank runs – while adapting to a brand new settlement regime and evolving regulatory standards.

A new whitepaper by BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade) explores the key issues faced by banks in the era of instant payments and what they can do to adapt while still keeping up with the markets. 

Read the full article here.