Speakers – CR24

Chain Reaction Speakers

Chain Reaction brings a stellar line up featuring Industry Visionaires, Trail Blazing Builders, Policy Makers, Investors and Corporate Executives

CHAIRWOMAN

INNOVATION AND DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Fariz leads 4SİM Azərbaycan / C4IR Azerbaijan under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the Executive Director. The Center aims to explore the challenges and opportunities arising from the fourth industrial revolution. And to formulate Azerbaijan’s digital economy strategy through integrating innovative technologies.

An expert of the World Economic Forum’s AI Alliance, and GovTech platforms, Fariz is a notable digital transformation leader. He was previously in charge of the E-GOV Development Center of State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN Service).

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

C4IR AZERBAIJAN

Shafiq Amiri is the founder and chief executive officer of Invnex, a tokenized alternative investments platform. Mr. Amiri also serves as the chief operating officer of FARI Solutions where he leads the firm’s digital transformation and consulting engagements with public and private sector clients. He is a CBDC and digital asset expert. He holds board positions in multiple start-ups and is an angel investor.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

INVNEX

Rachel Conlan, a visionary marketer and entrepreneurial strategist, is driving Binance’s global marketing and brand campaigns. She has experience at OKX, CAA Sports, and Havas. Rachel led high-profile international partnerships with Manchester City F.C., McLaren Racing, and Tribeca Festival. She also served as the Global Chief Marketing Officer for Havas, enhancing the company’s reputation and revenue. Rachel’s leadership also included Managing Director of Havas Luxhub, leading strategic and commercial operations for luxury, fashion, and lifestyle companies. She also served as Havas’ Global Growth Director, orchestrating a comprehensive new business development and marketing plan.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

BINANCE

FOUNDER & CEO

DIGITAL FUEL FOR AI AND MODERN TECHNOLOGIES

David Palmer is a digital visionary and global platform innovator. He is the Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Vodafone’s Digital Asset Broker (DAB) platform, and one of the leaders in blockchain technology for Vodafone Business.

David is a recognised thought leader in blockchain, Web3 and the application of these technologies to telecoms and wider enterprise business. David is an expert on the convergence of digital technologies and new business models, and he is currently exploring the opportunities associated with IoT, Blockchain, DeFi, Digital Identity and the Metaverse.

BLOCKCHAIN LEAD

VODAFONE BUSINESS

Paolo Bortolin serves as the Deputy CFO for the City of Lugano, a role in which he exemplifies fiscal acumen and strategic financial planning. With an extensive background in public finance and budgetary oversight, Paolo is committed to ensuring the financial stability and economic growth of Lugano. Before his tenure with the City of Lugano, Paolo honed his expertise through various financial leadership roles, where he demonstrated a keen aptitude for financial analysis, risk assessment, and the successful management of complex budgets.

DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

CITY OF LUGANO

Dr. Angelika Layr serves as the Deputy Director of the Office for Financial Market Innovation and Digitalisation of the Liechtenstein Government, where she drives initiatives focused on legal innovation and the incorporation of EU digitalization legislation into national law. With a strong background in digital assets and law, she has engaged in extensive scientific exploration of this evolving field. Her interdisciplinary approach, combining expertise in law and business, enables her to develop innovative legislative solutions for emerging technologies.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

OFFICE FOR FINANCIAL MARKET INNOVATION & DIGITALISATION OF LIECHTENSTEIN

GLOBAL HEAD OF REGIONAL MARKETS

BINANCE

Charles-Henry is the Chief Investment Officer and Member of the Executive Committee at Syz Group since October 2021 where he oversees investment-related matters. He has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over 25 years in multi-asset investing and finance industry.

Monchau joins Bank Syz from FlowBank, where he was Chief Investment Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. Prior to this, he had been CIO of Al Mal Capital (Dubai Investments), Head of the Asset Allocation Team for the EMEA region at Deutsche Bank and held various C-level positions in Geneva, Zurich, Dubai, Nassau and Paris. Charles-Henry has an Executive MBA from IE Business School and an MSc in Finance from HEC Geneva. He is also a CFA, CMT, CAIA and CIIA charter-holder.

CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

SYZ GROUP

HEAD OF ADVISORY SERVICES

PWC

GENERAL MANAGER - CIS & MENA

XT.COM

Alena Afanaseva, CEO and founder of Beincrypto.com, brings over a decade of traditional finance experience to the decentralized economy. Since 2018, she’s grown the platform into a global crypto news hub with 8M monthly visitors and a 200-member team from 60+ countries. Beincrypto.com covers news in 20 languages, ensuring a broad reach. Alena’s expertise spans macroeconomics, monetary policy, and financial asset analysis. She’s also a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment in web3. Committed to unbiased reporting, she drives digital finance evolution while promoting diversity.

CEO & FOUNDER

BEINCRYPTO.COM

Dyma Budorin, Co-Founder and CEO at Hacken, is a cybersecurity expert and crypto economy influencer with over 14 years of managerial expertise in cybersecurity as well as risks and controls audits. In his professional auditing career, Budorin served as Senior Manager of the audit department at Deloitte before becoming Audit Counselor at Ukrspecexport and Deputy CEO for Strategy and Development at Ukrinmash. In 2017, he founded the cybersecurity consulting firm Hacken. Today, Budorin is a Co-Chair at EEA DRAMA, a DeFi Risk Assessment Management and Accounting group at the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. He is also a Vice President of the Blockchain Association of Ukraine.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO

HACKEN

DIRECTOR

BARINGS

PARTNER

KPMG

Muhammad Jameel Sear is a veteran advisor to executive leadership in government and private sector across the globe, he is an Associate Partner at Ernst & Young – United Arab Emirates for the EY Consulting services in the AIM region.

He is actively engaged in crafting and facilitating meaningful, impactful and socially conscious results for the Government & Public Sector. Prior to joining EY in 2014, he held senior executive roles in both public and private sector organizations including UK Government, a telecommunications company and a business consultancy.

PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTING LEADER

EY

Vladimir Remyga is a Director in Risk Advisory department. He leads Deloitte’s digital and cyber security services in the Caspian and Caucasus regions. Vladimir has over twenty years of experience in IT and cyber security and serves large number of organizations in whole CIS region, specializes in Digital and Cyber risk management, IT cost optimization and Digital driven transformations.

He joined Deloitte in 2019 and shares his time between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Uzbekistan. Prior to joining Deloitte, Vladimir was based in Almaty, Kazakhstan where he was IT Advisory Director in a global consultancy firm.

DIRECTOR, RISK ADVISORY

DELOITTE

HEAD OF TRADING

SYZ GROUP

SENIOR COMPLIANCE OFFICER

BINANCE

Raj Kapoor is the Founder of India Blockchain Alliance, the largest Indian emerging technology tech think tank and an Advisory Board Member at over 60 blockchain companies including, Floyx, Spherium, Cypher
Blockchain. He is a global, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency & FinTech Educator, Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP), Blockchain Solution Architect, and friend of disruptive ideas, protem Chairman for
Organization of Blockchain Technology Users (OBTU). He is also the chief Blockchain Consultant for Tata Elxsi Ltd.

FOUNDER & CEO

INDIA BLOCKCHAIN ALLIANCE

FOUNDER & CEO

SWISS ALTERNATIVE FINANCING

SENIOR INSTITUTIONAL SALES MANAGER

BINANCE

Vugar is an award-winning senior manager and communications expert with 15 years of hands-on experience spanning Fortune 500 giants to dynamic startups, currently serving as COO at Bitget.

Vugar previously assumed the role of CMO at Beincrypto, and held senior positions at renowned brands such as Carlsberg, Facebook, Danone, Coca-Cola, Twitter, SONY, and more, showcasing his versatility and strategic insight. Having also lent his expertise as a senior consultant at Bain & Company, Vugar focused on Web3, blockchain technologies, and private equity, further solidifying his standing as a seasoned professional in the field.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

BITGET

CO-FOUNDER

ISLAMIC COIN

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

APRAEMIO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

THRILLD

CEO

PASHA INNOVATION FUTURE LAB

HEAD OF SHARIAH RESEARCH

JADWA INVESTMENT

CBDO & FOUNDER

MUNICH INTERNATIONAL MINING

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

ARENA GAMES

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

AZINTELECOM

VICE PRESIDENT

DELOS BANKING

CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER

INNOVATION AND DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Vugar Namazov, a graduate of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in International economic relations. He studied at Kellogg Business School’s Organizational Leadership Program in 2021 and holds a Professional Project Manager (PMP) certificate from the Project Management Institute. Namazov joined Unicapital Investment Company OJSC in 2021 and has extensive experience in finance, financial institutions, IT, trading infrastructure, project management, international relations, and public administration. He has held senior positions at the Baku Stock Exchange for over 13 years, including Chairman of the Executive Board. Namazov also served as an advisor to the Chairman of the Board at Agrarian Procurement and Supply OJSC under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He was appointed as a member of the Observative Board of the National Depository Center of the Republic of Azerbaijan in July 2023.

CEO

UNICAPITAL

CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER

TIMES CONSULTING

CO-FOUNDER & CCO

VAULT

Mete Ali Başkaya is a prominent figure in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, known for his expertise and educational efforts. Based in Istanbul, Turkey, he has been actively involved in the crypto ecosystem, working with various projects and contributing to the growth of the industry. Mete’s focus on DeFi (Decentralized Finance) and blockchain technology has made him a sought-after lecturer, as he breaks down complex concepts into understandable terms for his audience. His passion for the field and dedication to educating others has established him as a trusted source of information and guidance in the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

HEAD OF BLOCKCHAIN & ACADEMICIAN

GAMENESS

CO-FOUNDER

EKA GLOBAL & GALATA BUSINESS ANGELS

DIRECTOR

MEEZAN VENTURES

Khaladdin Rzayev is a Senior Lecturer in Finance at the University of Edinburgh and Koç University. Khaladdin’s research interests lie in FinTech, market microstructure, and financial econometrics. He has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics and the Journal of Financial Markets. Dr Rzayev is the Programme Director of the “Future is FinTech” Executive Education programme at the University of Edinburgh which aims to provide professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills in the rapidly evolving world of financial technology. He is also a co-director of the Edinburgh Centre of Financial Innovation at the University of Edinburgh and is affiliated with the London School of Economics.

SENIOR LECTURER

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

FOUNDER

ALEX ONCHAIN

HEAD OF BUREAU, BUREAU ON ICT FOR EDUCATION

MIN. OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION OF REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

DIGITAL ASSETS EXPERT

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Ali Bertay Solak is a full stack blockchain developer who has been engaged with blockchain technology since 2016. He develops decentralized applications and core blockchain structures using Solidity, Python, Visual Basic and Rust.

In addition to his development work, Ali provides education and mentorship in the blockchain field. He previously worked as a software developer at Bitexen, led the blockchain team at the Global Blockchain Institute, and is currently a Technical Advisor at Dalos Network.

TECHNICAL ADVISOR

TRIO BLOCKCHAIN LABS

WEB 3 SPECIALIST

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FOUNDER & CEO

BITTOPIA

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

KUTAISI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Martin Bozcek is the Head of Investor Relations and the Director at Wincent Capital Management Limited. After studying Finance and Law in Austria, The Netherlands, South Korea and Slovakia he started his career in private equity at IPM Group. Martin then moved to real estate residential development where he partnered with one of the biggest players in Slovakia. After a successful sale of the project, he joined Wincent where he has fundraised more than USD70m, set-up the Gibraltar office and is responsible for the daily fund operations.

HEAD OF INVESTOR RELATIONS & DIRECTOR

WINCENT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED

Founder & CEO at The Steve Group

Derya Türker has over 20 years of diverse experience in integrating global brands into the Turkish market, management, and entrepreneurship. He has provided strategic guidance, leadership, operational, and branding services to dozens of startups, both global and local brands. Additionally, as the founder and CEO of The Steve Group Inc., he offers consultancy and various services to major global companies in the fields of blockchain and cryptocurrency, as well as to many local initiatives and projects in Türkiye.

FOUNDER & CEO

THE STEVE GROUP

Eralp Hatipoglu – Co-founder and CEO of CityPay.io

Since 2017 Eralp has been actively involved in the crypto ecosystem as a founder of several crypto businesses, one of which and the most successful has been CityPay.io. He has 15 years of experience in sales, partnerships, and tech, which became part of his lifestyle after co-founding the startup of a crypto payment system.

CMO

CITYPAY.IO

FOUNDER

MATTERBLOCK

CEO

MATCH SYSTEMS

PARTNER

DELOITTE

CIS COMMUNITY LEAD

BINANCE

CEO

ELEVANDI JAPAN

CEO

VANGUARD VENTURES

CEO

COINOXS

HEAD OF DIVISION IN R&D OF CYBERSECURITY

IDDA

Ruslan Aliyev is a visionary business professional with over 19 years of experience in developing and implementing successful business strategies in the ICT sector. Ruslan, a seasoned business executive with expertise in space communications, IT, cloud technologies, digital identity solutions, AI, and smart city solutions, is currently the Country Manager of Presight AI in Abu Dhabi. With a background in leadership at Uklon Azerbaijan, AzInTelecom, Azercosmos, and Azercell, Ruslan holds certifications from AWS and Microsoft.