Point Zero Forum 2024: Industry Leaders and Experts Convene in Zurich to Chart Future of Finance

The Forum serves as a pivotal platform for knowledge sharing and fostering partnerships among key stakeholders to harmonise policy regulation and technological innovation in the global financial ecosystem powered by AI, quantum technology, digital assets, and sustainable finance. 

Point Zero Forum is organised by the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance and Elevandi, an organisation set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to foster dialogue between the public and private sectors to advance FinTech and the digital economy. 

Point Zero Forum Thematic Focus

Quantum Technology: The Forum will explore the fundamentals of the quantum tech stack, quantum's impact on financial services, and future-proofing encryption. Experts will share the challenges of applying quantum technologies and their implications for traditional notions of human agency and decision-making processes.

Highlighted speakers:

·        Dr Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President, Europe & Africa and Director, IBM Research – Zurich, IBM

·        Kelly Richdale, Venture Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners & Senior Advisor, SandboxAQ

·        Professor Klaus Ensslin, Professor of Physics, ETH Zurich

·        Dr Philip Intallura, Head of Quantum Technologies, HSBC

Artificial Intelligence:  The AI dialogue will feature policy discussions on efforts to harmonise globally divergent approaches to regulations and sessions on building a responsible AI ecosystem in financial services by balancing benefits, ethics, and guardrails. The Forum will also discuss investment and product roadmaps to harness the full potential of AI and examine how the rise of AI has provided new tools for combating the lifecycle of financial scams.

Highlighted speakers:

·        Dr Axel Weber, Advisory Council Chair, Visa Economic Empowerment Institute

·        Daniela Schackis, Deputy Director General, European Central Bank

·        Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor, Banque de France

·        Dr Jochen Papenbrock, Head of Financial Technology EMEA, NVIDIA

·        Dr Rumman Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer, Humane Intelligence

·        Sunayna Tuteja, System Chief Innovation Officer, Federal Reserve System

Digital Assets and Payments: The Forum will explore MiCA rules coming into effect on 30 June 2024. This framework will guide financial institutions in operating new services and distributing digital asset products while managing rising digital risks to enhance operational resilience. Sessions will examine pathways for scaling tokenisation projects and building an open, interoperable financial market infrastructure. Experts will discuss the integration of stablecoins, tokenised deposits, and CBDCs into payment rails, and harmonising global regulatory efforts to ensure a cohesive and secure financial ecosystem.

Highlighted speakers:

·        Antonio Alvarez, Chief Compliance Officer, Crypto.com

·        Hon. Caroline Pham, Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission

·        Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Global Policy, Circle

·       Peter Kerstens, Advisor, DG FISMA, European Commission

·     Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder, Chainlink

ESG & The Climate Tech Imperative:  ESG-focused sessions will facilitate discussions on Climate Tech financing, and the evolution of ESG data sourcing, scores, and ratings, addressing regulatory scrutiny on rating agencies and future developments to enhance value from converging ESG data sets. The Forum will also explore blockchain-driven solutions for sustainable supply chains and strategies to streamline aid delivery and the provision of cash as a key form of assistance for over 117 million refugees.

Highlighted speakers: 

·        Alexander Stevens, Chief Executive Officer, Greenomy

·        Carmen Hett, Corporate Treasurer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

·        Christoph Gebald, CEO & Founder, Climeworks

·        Elena Philipova, Director, Sustainable Finance, London Stock Exchange Group

·        John Goldstein, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

·        Laura-Marie Töpfer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft Western Europe

·        Marion Leslie, Head Financial Information & Member of the Executive Board, SIX

Featured Speakers

This year’s event welcomes a roster of industry luminaries including:

Financial Institutions and Investors

• Claire Calmejane, Investor, Leia Capital
• Doug Feagin, President, Ant International
• Fernando Luis Vázquez Cao, Chief Executive Officer, SBI Digital Asset Holdings
• Marco Bizzozero, Head of International & Member of the Executive Committee, iCapital
• Mathew Mcdermott, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
• Rene Michau, Global Head, Digital Assets, Standard Chartered Bank
• Sabine Keller-Busse, President Personal & Corporate Banking and President UBS Switzerland, UBS Group AG
• Umar Farooq, Co-Head of Global Payment Sales, J.P. Morgan & Chief Executive Officer, Onyx by J.P. Morgan

Complimentary passes are available for policymakers, regulators, think tanks, and academics. Founders of technology companies (incorporated for less than three years), may apply for a discounted Founder’s Pass. Join the dialogue by registering now at www.pointzeroforum.com.