Asian banking leaders conference in Manila set

TOP BANKING EXECUTIVES and thought leaders are coming to Manila for the 36th Asian Bankers Association (ABA) conference on Nov. 14-15 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The host of the conference, Philippine National Bank (PNB), said that the conference will revolve around the theme, “Reshaping the Asian Financial Landscape,” where speakers will tackle how global financial systems, particularly in Asia, are transforming in the face of the US-China trade war and increasing presence of financial technology firms and start-ups. The conference takes place at an exciting time when the Philippine banking sector is riding on the wave of rapid economic growth — a perfect opportunity to build relationships and do business in the country.

This is the fifth time that the Philippines will host the prestigious gathering of key officials and decision-makers from the Asian banking community and the second time for PNB.

PNB President and Chief Executive Officer Wick Veloso said that the upcoming discussions will be a good source of input for PNB as the bank continues to build its businesses and pursues its Strategy focused on Safe, Aggressive Growth. He said, “PNB fully supports

ABA as it encourages trade, industrial, and investment cooperation in the region. It is remarkable how the banking and financial industry has undergone significant changes as a result of geopolitical issues, the rise and fall of economic performances, and the existence of new business models.”

In addition to Mr. Veloso, among those scheduled to deliver talks are the following: Jeremy Sosabowski, CEO and co-founder of UK-based risk analytics provider AlgoDynamix; Wolfram Hedrich, partner at leading global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman and executive director at Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Risk Center; Michael Lor, senior advisor for Asia Pacific at the European Financial Management Association; and Priyanka Kishore, head of India and South East Asia Economics at global forecasting leader Oxford Economics.

Mr. Sosabowski will talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning as a tool for forecasting risk in financial markets while Mr. Hedrich will discuss cybercrime and cybersecurity. Mr. Lor, on the other hand, will share the global trends in retail banking including Open Banking, AI, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Banking, Customer Contact Center, and Digital-Only Banks. Meanwhile, Mr. Kishore will discuss the global economic outlook amid recent episodes of financial stress while Mr. Veloso is expected to provide an overview of the key trends, top challenges, and areas for opportunities for digital banking in the Philippines.

For more details about the conference, visit