30 November 2023
Seminar: (Explore) Beyond Enterprise Risk & Technology Trends in Finance
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Torarica Ballroom
Please find below the program of this day.
8:30-9:10 | Opening Remarks
Anuskha Sonai
President - AmCham Suriname
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Robert Faucher
Ambassador - US Embassy Suriname
Opening Remarks
Maurice Roemer
Governor - Central Bank of Suriname
Opening Remarks
Marinus Bee
President - Parliament of Suriname
Official Opening
9:15-9:50 | Session 1: Financial Inclusion
Ricky Rusland
Senior Manager Information Management & Technology -Hakrinbank NV
Title: Financial Inclusion and Innovation
Ricky Rusland studied ICT at Janssen en Partners University of Applied Sciences where he specialized in Business Informatics. He also completed a Master of Business Administration at Maastricht School of Management (MSM).
Since September 2020, he was appointed as Senior Manager Information Management & Technology at Hakrinbank.
In this role he is responsible for bot the demand and response to IT services, IT security and integration of the traditional IT environment with digital transformation and innovation at Hakrinbank.
Anvit Ramlakhan
Chairman - ICT Associatie
Title: Financial Inclusion through Digital Transformation- Suriname ICT Vision 2030
Dr. Anvit Ramlakhan is a prolific strong inspiring inclusive young professional leader (33 years old) from Suriname, working in different fields to contribute for the betterment of humanity and Suriname. He is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the ICT, Education, Youth, Social and Business industries for several years, achieving distinctive results in each of these fields. He is till date the youngest CEO of Datasur, whereby during his leadership the company has grown its customer base threefold, with innovative market-based solutions, new strategic partnerships, increased employee engagement and performance and inspirational leadership. He is also the youngest chairman of the ICT-Association (the association of all the ICT companies in Suriname), through which he has been able to support the sustainable and inclusive development of ICT in Suriname. He has been chairman of VSB Young Management from 2021-2023, where he has helped develop the entrepreneurial spirit, skills and competencies of more than 100 young entrepreneurs and professionals. Furthermore, Anvit contributes to development of the Surinamese youth by lecturing and tutoring at four university study organizations in Suriname on undergraduate and postgraduate levels for over ten years. Due to this he has been the first and youngest inaugurated lector at PTC from Suriname in the field of ICT and Innovation.
He has a strong professional background with more than 20 publications and 50 conference keynotes, he has a doctorate (Ph.D. in Management- Information and Technology) from USA with highest honors (magna cum laude), Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Information Management with merit from UK, and an MBA in Strategic Management and Leadership with distinction from UK as well. Anvit believes that irrespective of your status, background, color and sex anyone is able to achieve their own level of aspired success in several fields. The essence in this is to have a strong believe system, be disciplined, have a good plan, positive mindset and attitude, hard work combined with perseverance and willing to learn new skills while taking risks.
10:00-10:40 | Session 2: Regulatory Framework
Mariska Purperhart
Centrale Bank van Suriname - Acting Head of Banking Supervision
Title: Regulatory Framework for Banking
I was born and raised in Suriname. I am currently 37 years old. I completed my bachelor's degree in Business Economics in 2011. During that time I also worked for an off-shore Oil Company Teikoku Oil (Suriname). Afterwards I was given the opportunity to continue my master degree in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in accountancy. I was able to successfully complete my masters degree in 2013. The same year I returned to Suriname to contribute to my beloved country. On May 5, 2014, I started my career at the Centrale Bank van Suriname and from that moment on I was able to deploy myself within the Banking Supervision department. I started as a Junior Bank examiner. Since starting my career at the Centrale Bank van Suriname, I can state that I have always found the work dynamic. As a Bank examiner, also known as a financial examiner, you have the responsibility to investigate credit institutions and ensure its safety and soundness. The work involves, amongst others, enforcing laws/acts that are needed within the financial sector, arranging audits (onsite-inspections), reviewing policies and procedures, interviewing managers and employees and preparing detailed reports. An important duty of the Centrale Bank van Suriname as the Supervisor is to ensure that people don’t lose their money that is entrusted in the bank’s custody; protecting the account holders, etc. In 2021 I was promoted to section head of the banking section in the department and as of mid-October 2023 I am the Adjunct Head of the Banking, Money Transaction Offices and Capital market department.
Baidjnath Panday
Coordinator - Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Anti-Money Laundering Program in Suriname
Title: Compliance Requirements for Financial Service Providers
Roy Premchand Baidjnath Panday
Lid de Raad van Commissarissen van de Surinaamsche Bank vanaf 2021 en tevens vice -president commissaris
• Vanaf 2021 voorzitter van de Project Implementatie Unit voor Anti Money Laundering voor Suriname
• Tot en met 2021 voorzitter van de Nationale Anti Money Laundering Commissie en vertegenwoordiger
van Suriname bij de Carribean Financial Action Task Force
• Van 2014 tot en met 2021 Procureur Generaal
• Heeft meer dan 35 jaar ervaring in diverse leidinggevende posities binnen het justitie, waaronder
Advocaat Generaal en Hoofd Officier van Justitie
• Voorzitter en lid van diverse adviescommissies en besturen op het gebied van recht en justitie
• Heeft een master graad in Rechten van de Universiteit van Suriname.
10:40-12:00 | Session 3: International Collaboration
Bryant Moravek
Director of AML & Sanctions Compliance - Kaufman Rossin
Title: Developing and Managing a Correspondent Banking Framework
12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch Break
13:00 - 14:30 | Session 4: Innovation in Financial Services
Alexander van Petten
Chief Risk Officer - De Surinaamsche Bank
Title: Catalyzing Financial Evolution: Reshaping the Payment Landscape in Suriname
Alexander van Petten has been with De Surinaamsche Bank N.V. (DSB) for 11 years, currently serving as Statutory Director and Chief Risk Officer (CRO). He studied Economics & IT at Erasmus University in Rotterdam and holds an Executive Master's in IT Auditing. Alexander started his career at KPMG in Rotterdam, contributing for four years before returning to his home country, Suriname. At DSB, he has actively contributed to digitalization and innovation projects, including the introduction and improvement of internet and mobile banking apps. Alexander also recently became the Chairman of the Banking Association in Suriname (SBV).
Ryan Croes
Advisory Industry Lead Financial Services - Grant Thornton
Title: Navigating the Digital Wave: Unveiling Compliance Challenges in Financial Innovation
Ryan is part of Grant Thornton’s Advisory Leadership Team that operates across the Caribbean. With more than a decade of experience in a prominent big-4 consulting firm, he cultivated a strong foundation in risk management, compliance, change management, and technology. Despite spending approximately two decades in the Netherlands, Ryan's Aruban heritage eventually led him back to the Caribbean. Throughout his career, Ryan has undertaken various international projects encompassing risk assessment, process optimization, large-scale implementations, internal and IT audits, substantial transformation initiatives, and management consulting. His wealth of experience positions him as a valuable resource for organizations seeking transformation and value creation.
Ryan's academic background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a specialization in Financial Services from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. He has also earned a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Business and Management Studies from the University of Amsterdam, where his focus extended to leadership, management, technology, and innovation. Complementing his academic achievements, Ryan has pursued several certifications as part of his career development within the management consultancy field, including the esteemed PRINCE2 certification.
Damian Schwartz
Risk Advisory Services Director - Kaufman Rossin
Title: Developing and Securing A Digital Payment System
Damian Schwartz is a director in the Risk Advisory Services practice, where he brings over two decades of experience to clients. His focus includes cybersecurity strategy, investigation, response, compliance and training.
Prior to joining the firm, Damian served as a Senior Special Agent in the United States Secret Service New York Field Office’s Electronic Crime’s Task Force. In that role, he managed a highly technical team of Federal Agents on a multi-agency task force investigating large-scale cyber investigations including phishing and spear phishing schemes, identity theft, bank fraud, and data breaches of financial institutions and private sector organizations.
Most recently, Damian served as Director of Global Security and Investigations for a multi-national online mortgage lender. In his role, Damian planned, implemented and managed security, response and protection programs designed to mitigate risk to the company’s facilities, personnel and information. Additionally, he held top level responsibility for the firm’s Insider Threat Program which conducted internal investigations for the organization’s legal and compliance groups.
He earned his Bachelor of Science from National Louis University. He is a certified Fire Life Safety Director through the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).
João Wong A Foe
FinTech Coordinator - Centrale Bank van Suriname
Title: Fostering financial innovation from a regulatory perspective
Joao was born and raised in Suriname but migrated to the Netherlands in 2001 to transform his Computer Science hobby to a MSc. Information Architecture & Policy Management from Delft University of Technology.
He has 12 years of working experience, of which 5 years at KPMG Nederland as Management Consultant. Part of a team of IT Infrastructure, Architecture and Security consultants which served in the Public, Financial and Telecom sector. During this period, he followed the Executive Master of IT auditing program at the University of Amsterdam.
He started at the Centrale Bank van Suriname in 2015 as ICT Security Officer, became the ICT Infrastructure lead and currently is the IT Manager and FinTech Coordinator of the Bank.
As part of the Presidential e-Government Working Group, he focuses on the digital government strategy and the digital identity architecture.
He regularly speaks about FinTech and Digital transformation and is an external assessor UNASAT ICT theses.
Joao is passionate about technology driven efficiency change in the financial and public sector, plays squash and loves to explore the world.
Andrew Jong
Chief Information Officer - Banking Network Suriname N.V.
Title: Innovation in payment systems: the need to move the needle securely
Andrew Jong is a seasoned IT professional with 20 plus years of experience in the medical and financial services industry. He finished his master’s degree at the University of Amsterdam in the field of Medical Informatics. He has worked for international organizations like Triodos Bank, ING and ING Investment management as a consultant and manager in software development and test automation. In the Netherlands he successfully began his own software consultancy firm, but was called to serve in his home church and move to Suriname in 2014.
Since 2014 he is working in the field of Payments systems and IT security with the Central Bank of Suriname and Banking Network Suriname (BNETS), with a strong focus on compliance to international standards like ISO-27001, ISO-22301, PCI-DSS and Soc2. At BNETS he is employed since 2019, where he is responsible for IT governance, security and infrastructure for all the business units of the company. Andrew is a believer in the transformative, restoring, healing power of Jesus Christ, and if anyone wants to talk about that he is open talk about that day and night. His live text is in Philippians 4: 6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
On Digital transformation I am especially interested in how change in payments systems specifically can happen at a more rapid pace, while still maintaining a high level of security and reliability. There have been several initiatives in the international sphere for example cryptocurrency platforms and systems with Ethereum, Bitcoin, etc and here in Suriname with several mobile wallets. Both of these have yet to take off in terms of use at larger scale, and I am particularly interested in reasons why and how does the traditional (hard cash) still play a role if any in this landscape.
Fabian Westmaas
Digital Transformation Officer - Self Reliance
Title: Disrupting Insurance: Exploring the readyness of Insuretech in Suriname
Fabian Westmaas is a dedicated professional with a master's degree in Business Administration and over 10 years of experience in the insurance industry. With a keen eye for innovation, he has developed various strategies for Self Reliance, focusing on robotics and artificial intelligence.
Currently holding the position of Marketing & Digital Transformation Officer, he gained a lot of knowledge of where the insurance business is heading and has a bright vision for the digitization of the insurance business, especially for Self Reliance. Fabian takes us on a journey to showcase how Self Reliance aligns itself with these insurance technology innovations.
14:45-15:00 | Closing Remarks
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