Test

Angel G. Blanco

Angel G. Blanco joined Demica in 2016, and has held multiple senior roles within the commercial team. He previously worked at Banco Santander as Global Head of Receivables Products, and has over 10 years’ experience in Corporate Banking in Structured Trade Finance and Working Capital Solutions alongside 6 years’ experience in fintechs.

Angel has significantly contributed to Demica’s growth, and truly believes that technology is a key enabler to trade finance, and will strongly contribute to a better solution offering to clients, and enabling funders to better monitor risk and manage transactions efficiently.

André Casterman

Managing Director, Casterman Advisory

André Casterman is the founder of Casterman Advisory and advises on payments, trade finance and digital asset technologies. André spent 24 years at SWIFT, leading various innovations in the inter-bank payments, corporate treasury, and trade finance markets. During that time, he established an institutional partnership between SWIFT and the ICC and created the first digital trade settlement instrument embedding smart contract capabilities. André is a Board Member at ITFA and chairs the trade industry’s Fintech Committee with a focus on helping banks digitise trade finance flows and establish the trade asset class as investable for institutional and retail investors. André is a non-executive director at Enigio and Tradeteq, and an advisor to XDC Network.

Catherine Lang-Anderson

Catherine is a partner in the banking and finance team and leads A&O’s trade and commodity finance practice in London. She acts for a variety of clients across the full range of trade, commodities and supply chain products including trade receivables finance, structured commodity finance and restructurings in the commodities sector.

Catherine has advised UK and global industry bodies on legal and regulatory issues affecting the trade and commodity finance community speaks at international industry conferences and contributes to trade finance publications.

Catherine regularly advises on trade and commodity finance participation arrangements and acts for major market players on their supply chain programmes. She has helped a number of global banks develop innovative new products in this area.

More recently, she has advised a number of market participants with urgent specialist advice on trade finance-related issues to help them navigate their way through the Covid-19 pandemic. This has earned recognition in the market, notably with the award of  ‘Leaders in Trade for Pandemic Support’ by Global Trade Review (2021).

Catherine is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ for Trade and Commodity Finance and ‘Next Generation Partner’ in Emerging Markets by Legal 500 UK (2022).

Brian Perrott

Brian’s practice is all things litigation with a particular emphasis on commodities, derivatives and shipping.

Brian’s varied cases have included scores of trade arbitrations, all variety of injunctions from anti suit, freezing, disclosure, prohibiting harassment and environmental groups, numerous leading cases (over 40 reported judgments) on commodities, shipping and derivatives trading.

Brian’s practice has taken him all over the world and he has been involved in and/or project managed cross border litigation in many jurisdictions from India through to Iran, the Middle East, the Far East, North America and Europe.

Brian’s pragmatic and principled approach always focussing upon the ultimate outcome has been applauded by clients. Chambers directory commented Brian is “very experienced, clever and has a quick mind”, he remains “a go to lawyer” for all things trading and derivatives. An earlier version commented, Brian is “devoted to client service….. he is one of the best people in Commodities…. he is a man of real integrity”.

Brian has been named amongst a select few in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame highlights to clients the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of their profession. These individuals have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. Brian is co-head of HFW Litigation (Europe & Middle East).

Billy Sebell

Executive Director at XDC Foundation and Director of Ecosystem Development North America at XinFin (XDC) Hybrid Blockchain Network

Billy has 25+ years in manufacturing and consumer products dealing with the challenges businesses face in capital markets and international trade. He works to efficiently build out the ecosystem, cooperating with the XinFin team and longtime community members. He has been acknowledged for his work by being selected as a finalist for an Enterprise Blockchain Award for Corporate Leadership.

Anil Walia

EMEA Supply Chain – Payables, Deutsche Bank

Anil Walia is Director, Deutsche Bank’s Supply Chain Finance (SCF) Payables in EMEA. After completing his Masters in Plasma Physics a few decades ago, Anil took the not-so-obvious career decision in banking. The journey took him through India, the Middle East and finally to Germany. Along the way he has headed sales for trade finance and gained experience at various stages in his career in the south-east Asian, eastern European and European markets. He picked up an MBA in financial management on the way. Anil Walia is a supply chain finance veteran, who got his wings in the fledgling days of SCF in 2000 at JP Morgan. He has been a key contributor to the growth of SCF, as technology and documentation evolved, accompanying the first transactions that took place in Europe. Anil was elected in 2015 to the Who’s Who in Treasury & Cash Management for Supply Chain Finance. Anil is a regular with the press through several articles & interviews.

Anil is passionate about the environment, and has devoted a major part of this year in bringing to the market sustainability-linked financing structures in supply chain finance.