ORLANDO, FL – BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade), the leading global financial services association for international transaction banking, today announced the 2026 graduating class of its Future Leaders program, recognizing emerging talent across the global transaction banking industry. Marking the completion of the initiative’s eleventh year, Future Leader graduates were celebrated during an in-person ceremony held in Orlando as part of BAFT’s 2026 Global Annual Meeting.
Selected through nominations from their respective institutions, this year’s class included 40 individuals representing 15 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, MENA and Africa, including for the first time, participants from South Korea and Kenya.
The class collaborated in five project teams and addressed a range of timely topics, including Agentic AI use cases, practical uses of digital assets, non-banks in trade and supply chain finance, leveraging emerging technologies for advancement of trade financing, and more.
“Congratulations to our Future Leaders for the work they have produced,” said Tod Burwell, BAFT President and CEO. “The popularity and success of this Program challenges us to find ways to both expand access while enriching the experience for the participants. We look forward to the continued growth of the program and the leaders themselves.”
BAFT congratulates the following individuals as members of the 2026 Future Leaders graduating class:
- Omar Abdelhamid, African Export Import Bank
- Alejandro Anez, Swift
- Julio Arnao, Crédit Agricole CIB
- Meriem Belabbes, J.P. Morgan
- Leone Bertacchi, BNP Paribas
- Max Chin, Standard Chartered
- 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, formerly at 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
- Andreas Schaible, Commerzbank
- Gabriella Serafini, Bank of America
- Tom Vessey, Danske Bank
- Teresia Wambugu, Standard Chartered
- 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 (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade)
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.