In this session, we will review some of the current trends and innovation themes around payments & settlements systems, elaborating the same further through a couple of key payments innovation initiatives being undertaken by SWIFT. The latter includes SWIFT’s Global Payments Innovation Initiative (gpii), which aims to deliver an improved cross-border payments experience globally by addressing some key challenges, and making payments faster, more transparent and more predictable for all stakeholders. Another area we would explore is the ongoing innovation in Real Time Payments. Real Time Payments Systems today are evolving to provide more than just “faster” payments, by providing more open access, simpler addressing services, support for overlay services and integration of more intelligent messaging.

About the Speakers

Rahul Bhargava
Director, Payments Markets Initiatives, Asia Pacific
SWIFT

Rahul Bhargava is a Director for Payments Markets Initiatives for the Asia Pacific region, and is responsible for a range of SWIFT’s strategic payments initiatives. During his previous career, Rahul has undertaken various leadership roles across banking, payments, fintech and consulting firms, and has had the opportunity to work across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe in diverse engagements.

Prior to joining SWIFT, Rahul was Head of Asia Pacific Financial Services Practice and Strategic Projects for NTT Data, where he was responsible for establishing the banking & payments related product and service portfolio, and leading strategic regional initiatives across APAC. Previously, Rahul has played a key role in regional core transformation programs for banking clients as a part of Accenture’s ASEAN Financial Services practice and also led Core Banking & Payments Consulting Practice within CSC India (previously Covansys).

Rahul’s initial career included Product Management for the online inward crossborder remittances portfolio for ICICI Bank (India’s largest private sector bank). In continuation of his Banking, Payments and Digital experience, he has also subsequently led the Retail Banking & Digital Channels program portfolio for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Dubai.

Rahul has an MBA in Information Systems & Marketing.

Laetitia Moncarz
Director, Payments Markets, ASEAN
SWIFT

Laetitia Moncarz is a Director for Payments Markets with the ASEAN countries. Her main focus is on SWIFT’s strategic payments initiatives related to Correspondent Banking, Renminbi internationalization and Intraday liquidity. In this role, Laetitia partners extensively with the banking and financial community to support the development of their cash and payments business.

Laetitia has undertaken various positions in the banking and consulting industries. Prior to join SWIFT, she was the Head of Correspondent Banking for Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Singapore, where she was responsible for correspondent services to the BNP Paribas Group in RMB, HKD, and INR currencies as well as services provided by correspondent banks to BNP Paribas Asian entities. Her main focus was on the RMB development where she was represented BNP Paribas at the RMB working group organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Previously, Laetitia worked for Coface, an Export Credit Agency in Singapore where she was in charge of Marketing & Commercial operations.

Before moving to Singapore 9 years ago, Laetitia was consultant at KPMG and Atos Consulting in Paris where she was handling organisation and finance projects for the public sector and government entities.