Example Workshop Saturday, February 16

12:00 am - 2:00 pm
Discussing the Current Anti-CGRP Status & the Challenges & Opportunities They Pose

9:00 am - 9:30 am
Example item
Workshop Leader: Aljosja Beije, Logistics and Technology Lead, BlockLab Rotterdam

The Fundamentals Focus Day has been designed for those who are new to blockchain, or for those who have existing knowledge but are looking for a refresher or the opportunity to benchmark learning. The day will provide good foundational knowledge for business leaders across banking, corporates, insurers, supply chain, ports and logistics who want to embrace the opportunities of blockchain. Interactive workshops will offer the opportunity to advance your blockchain implementation or kick-start new initiatives.

Aljosja Beije, Logistics and Technology Lead, BlockLab Rotterdam

Aljosja is a MSc in Quantitative Business Economics from Erasmus University and is currently the Logistics and Technology Lead of Blocklab, an R&D outfit for blockchain technology. He’s also a PhD candidate at the Politecnico di Milano in Blockchain and SCM.

Chris van Oosten, Head of Digital Platforms, Port of Rotterdam

Chris has a masters in business administration and has been working on the commercial side of business as well as on the digitisation of supply chains for over 10 years. This combination makes him a very business minded technician. His current focus is on improving the logistics through Rotterdam, meaning global thinking is mandatory. With new technologies like blockchain making it a very exciting playground.

Bob Gravestijn, Business Developer, ABN AMRO

Bob is a business developer for ABN AMRO, where he helps the bank develop new services and trade finance products based on DLT to increase capital available in the value chain and strengthen the financial positions of corporate clients. He has previously worked as a business analyst for TradeWiz, and has a PhD in Physics.

10:00 am - 11:00 am
Blockchain 101: Understanding the Core Principles of the Technology
Workshop Leader: Michael Hyltoft, Independent Director, EFA SME Trade Finance Fund

 

Blockchain architecture offers a totally different way of looking at things. To better understand the opportunities of blockchain, you need to start with a solid foundational knowledge of the technology itself. This workshop is designed to go beyond the buzzwords and will take you through the concepts of distributed ledger technology (DLT), blockchain, bitcoin, tokenization, nodes – helping you navigate this new techie language. Private and public blockchains will be explained and you will gain an understanding of how they can deliver trust and transparency. We will explore the kind of business problems blockchain is a solution for and when you might employ alternative technologies. We will look into some of the challenges of blockchain technology from a security and privacy standpoint.

Michael Hyltoft, Independent Director, EFA SME Trade Finance Fund

Michael Hyltoft has an extensive history in Supply Chain Finance, working for Kingfisher, Heineken and Nestle. He has just completed his studies on blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology at Oxford, and is excellently qualified to talk about applying blockchain to Supply Chain Finance.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Exploring How Blockchain Offers the Potential to Simplify Global Trade Finance
Workshop Leader: Michael Harte, European Head of Trade Product, Standard Chartered

 

Blockchain is a business technology, its success is defined by being able to take a business-led approach to identifying a common problem to be solved, identifying blockchain as a potential solution, and leading out the implementation. This workshop will look at the specific business problems faced in global trade finance today – across the ecosystem (banks, corporates, shipping & logistics, insurers) – and marry the benefits of blockchain as established in session 1, to demonstrate why blockchain is such a powerful solution. This session will look at speeding up transaction time, improving ease of transaction, delivering authenticity of data. We will help you to envisage the future of global trade finance under the influence of blockchain technology. The session will end with an audience discussion with a focus on opportunity mapping.

Michael Harte, European Head of Trade Product, Standard Chartered

Michael is European Head of Trade Product at Standard Chartered. An experienced global banking professional, he specialises in project management, product governance, regulatory and compliance management and AML/Financial Crime Risk controls. He has a Masters in Law in Financial Regulation & Compliance.