WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 16, 2026) – BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade), the leading global industry association for international transaction banking, announced today its Future Leaders Program Class of 2026. Now in its eleventh year, the program recognizes emerging talent and rising professionals across the global transaction banking industry.
Comprised of nominees from BAFT member institutions, the class of 2026 includes 40 individuals representing 15 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, MENA and Africa – including, for the first time, participants based in South Korea and Kenya. Candidates come from a diverse mix of financial institutions, solution providers, and supranational multilateral agencies; reflecting a broad range of disciplines within transaction banking.
The 2026 class has been organized into five project teams that will explore and address timely industry issues, including Agentic AI use cases, practical uses of digital assets, leveraging emerging technologies for advancement of trade financing, non-banks in trade and supply chain finance and the future banker.
“As we enter the second decade of the program, we have seen Future Leaders become current leaders in the industry,” said Tod Burwell, President and CEO of BAFT. “I’m excited to see and hear where this group believe the industry is headed on these important topics that we’re trying to address.”
BAFT board and regional council members will serve as project sponsors, while Future Leaders Program alumni will support participants as mentors. The class will convene in London at the annual BAFT Europe Forum later this March and will graduate in Florida during BAFT’s Global Annual Meeting in May.
BAFT congratulates the following individuals who were selected to this year’s program:
- Alejandro Anez, Swift
- Julio Arnao, Crédit Agricole CIB
- Meriem Belabbes, J.P. Morgan
- Leone Bertacchi, BNP Paribas
- Max Chin, Standard Chartered Bank
- Alex Choi, SMBC
- Patrick Crago, PNC
- David John Diaz Fenollera, Banco Santander
- Nico Dohnke, Zuercher Kantonalbank
- Mohammad Escandar, Deutsche Bank
- Omar Farhangyar, Royal Bank of Canada
- Tyler Genton, Deloitte Consulting
- Dana Gordon, Citi
- Reem Haddad, The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance
- Kathleen Harker, ANZ Bank
- Marvin Jean-Ernest, Crédit Agricole CIB
- Jason Kim, BNY
- Germans Lapins, UBS
- Thuy-Van Le, Société Générale
- Shelby Lee, CIBC
- Susie Macara, Barclays Bank
- María Fernanda Márquez Martínez, Banorte
- Sergey Maslennikov, BNY
- Aboubakar Sidick Meite, African Export Import Bank
- Falk Mueller, Barclays Bank
- Mercy Oladejo, Lloyds Banking Group
- Joel Paulsson, Nordea
- Oliver Pringle, Fifth Third Bank
- Henintsoa Ralaimaro, Trade and Development Bank
- Natalie Roberts, NatWest
- Kasia Rytelewska, ING Bank NV
- Omar Abdelhamid, African Export Import Bank
- Andreas Schaible, Commerzbank
- Gabriella Serafini, Bank of America
- Tom Vessey, Danske Bank
- Teresia Wambugu, Standard Chartered Bank
- Robert Weir, Lloyds Banking Group
- Pepita Prithviraj Whitehouse, StoneX
- Yanshi Helen Wu, Bank of China U.S.A.
- Seung-Eun Yi, BNP Paribas
Learn more about BAFT’s Future Leader Program here.
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About BAFT
BAFT is the leading global industry association for international transaction banking. Bringing together financial institutions, service providers, and the regulatory community, BAFT provides thought leadership, advocacy, education, and a platform for collaboration to promote sound financial practices that foster innovation, efficiency, and commercial growth. The association engages in a broad range of issues affecting transaction banking, including trade finance, payments, and compliance, helping members navigate a rapidly evolving global landscape. For more information about BAFT, visit baft.org, or follow BAFT on X (Formally Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube.