Agenda 2025
Agenda 2025
PRELIMINARY AGENDA
Panels & Topics
May 23, 2025 / Mona Plaza Hotel / Belgrade
08:30 – 09:00
REGISTRATION
09:00 – 09:05
OPENING REMARKS
Organiser: Jasna Nedić, Director, New Angles Consulting
Host: Igor Zlatojev, Business Development Manager, Polish Investment and Trade Agency
09:05 – 09:45
PANEL #1
Open Balkan and Open Banking?
This session will delve into the transformative power of open banking, exploring how it can unlock new opportunities for competition and innovation in the financial services industry. Our expert panel will discuss the following key topics:
- Regulatory framework and basis for development
- Bank awareness and willingness – associated risks, business needs, data sharing culture, opportunities
- Fintech participation – motivation, status, funding, perspective in the region
- Example from Nordic markets – maturity level
- IPS like open banking alternative
- Customers – why open banking?
Moderator: Ognjen Vlačina, Global Purchaser for Financial services & payments, INGKA Group Procurement
Speakers:
- Ivan Babić, Founder & CEO, SEFlink
- Linda Shomo, Founder & CEO, EasyPay
- Dr. Pavel Shust, Digital Financial Services Regulatory Expert, IFC CAE
- Radmila Božidar, Head of Digital Banking Department, Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad
10:05 – 10:45
FIRESIDE CHAT #1
Regulatory Insights: Navigating SEPA, PSD2, and Beyond
This session will bring together regulators and industry experts to share regional experiences and best practices in implementing the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) in both EU and non-EU countries. The discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities arising from these regulations, including the impact of strong customer authentication, secure communication, and open banking on the payments landscape. With the upcoming PSD3 on the horizon, our panelists will also explore the potential implications of this new directive on the industry and what it means for businesses operating in Europe.
Moderator: Vladimir Jovanović, Founder, SME Support PR
Speakers:
- Snežana Sofijanić, Head of Government Engagement, Visa South East Europe
- Bruno Vukoja, Executive Director of the Payment Operations Area, Croatian National Bank
- Jelena Davidović, Head of the Directorate for Financial Technologies, Ministry of finance of the Montenegro
- Luka Uskoković, Phd, Advisor to the Managment Board, Director for Payments, FinTech and Cash Management, NLB Bank Podgorica
10:45 – 11:05
NETWORKING BREAK
11:05 – 11:30
FIRESIDE CHAT #2
Collaborative Ecosystems: Unlocking PSD2 Opportunities for New Business Models
This discussion focuses on the constructive collaboration between banks, fintechs, and third-party providers in identifying new revenue streams. We will examine successful partnerships that have effectively utilized Open Banking APIs to create mutual benefits. Moreover, we will outline how traditional financial institutions can strategically compete with and collaborate alongside fintech startups.
Moderator: Merima Mahmutović, Senior Manager for SEE, FS Strategy, Transformation & Technology Consulting, PwC
Speaker: Maja Mikić, COO, AikBank
11:30 – 12:10
PANEL #2
Fintech Collaborations: The Next Frontier in Financial Services
This session will explore the evolving partnerships between traditional financial institutions and fintechs, examining the progress made so far and the opportunities that lie ahead. Our expert panel will discuss the following key topics:
- Building meaningful relationships between banks and fintechs: what works and what doesn't.
- The role of Fintech Associations in accelerating market growth and innovation.
- Frictionless digital payments: the holy grail of fintech, and how to make it a reality.
Moderator: Nikola Mehandžić, DFS Lead Serbia, IFC
Speakers:
- Elma Šarić, Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystems Analyst, Raiffeisen Bank International AG
- Marija Popović, COO, Ananas E-commerce
- Đorđe Zdravković, Co-founder and CEO, Protokol
12:10 – 12:40
FIRESIDE CHAT #3
AI That Works: Designing Systems That Think With Us
- How smart is AI today, really?
- Designing systems that learn from both people and data.
- What does it really mean for AI to be “intelligent” in a regulated industry?
- Talent, tools & transformation: building an AI-ready organization.
- How to use AI strategically in banking — beyond automation, toward transformation?
Moderator: Pavle Peković, Digital Transformation Consultant, Orcus IT
Speakers:
- Slavoljub Đorđević, Retail & Small Business Director, AikBank
- Milen Janjić, Founder & CEO, Intellya
- Nikola Bubevski, Co-founder & CAIO, Native Teams
12:40 – 13:10
TAKE THE STAGE #1
Insight into fraud and Identity trends across the customer lifecycle
Speaker: Andrew Ward, Senior Director Professional Services, Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions
13:10 – 14:10
LUNCH
14:10 – 14:25
TAKE THE STAGE #2
14:25 – 14:55
FIRESIDE CHAT #4
FinTech for All: Promoting Accessibility and Inclusion in Financial Services
- The Role of FinTech in Promoting Financial Inclusion for Retail and SMEs.
- Digital Financial Literacy: The Key to Unlocking FinTech's Potential.
- Regulatory Support for FinTech: Balancing Innovation and Protection.
- Designing FinTech Solutions for Accessibility: Lessons from Success Stories.
Moderator: Igor Zlatojev, Business Development Manager, Polish Investments and Trade Agency
Speakers:
- Akil Rajdho, CEO, POK
- Dr. Jose M. de Barreda, Principal Digital Finance & Fintech Advisor, IFC CAE
- Miloš Milošević, CEO, Presto
14:55 – 15:40
PANEL #3
The future is tokenized? Harnessing the Power of Regional Capital Markets Development and Investor Opportunities
This panel discussion will delve into the potential of tokenisation and crowd investing to revolutionize regional capital markets, providing new avenues for investors and stimulating economic growth.
- The current state of tokenization in asset management in the SEE region, and its potential to increase efficiency, transparency, and security.
- Regulatory frameworks and challenges: How are governments and regulatory bodies addressing the emergence of tokenized assets and crowd investing? The role of the Sandboxes and how to make them efficient for innovation.
- MICA
- Educating the market: What are the key considerations for investors, asset managers, and other stakeholders when navigating these new opportunities?
- Real world assets tokenized – In a galaxy far, far away or not?
- Risks and downsides: How can we mitigate potential risks associated with tokenization and crowd investing, such as market volatility, liquidity risks, and cybersecurity threats?
Moderator: Milica Andrić, CEO, AVR Solar
Speakers:
- Jovan Paunović, Founder & CEO, Treesury
- Nena Dokuzov, Coordinator of the Strategy of Digital Transformation of Economy, Ministry of the Economy, Republic of Slovenia
- Branko Petrović, Founder & CEO, ACX Bank
- Ivan Nonković, Partner, Karanović & Partners
- Denis Petrovčič, Co-Founder & CEO, Blocksquare
15:40 – 16:00
NETWORKING BREAK
16:00 – 16:30
PANEL #4
Crypto Chat: The new Crypto World Order
- DeMUsking Crypto – Is the new Crypto World Order being established?
- How MiCA Influences Non-EU Crypto Businesses?
- Mission impossible - Making crypto transactions in SEE? Comparative Analysis of EU vs non-EU countries.
- Taxation Issues in Crypto World.
Moderator: Nikola Škorić, CEO, Electrocoin
Speakers:
- David Veselinović, Founder & CEO, Crypto12
- Dejan Mraković, Attorney at Law, Mraković Marković & Partners
- Marko Selaković, Co-Founder & CTO, Veli
16:30 – 16:55
FIRESIDE CHAT #5
Cybersecurity, Financial Crime and Cloud Banking
Moderator: Luka Milinković, Security, Governance and Risk Manager, Symphony.is
Speakers:
- Danijela Žižić, Director of Corporate Security, AikBank
- Taavi Tamkivi, CEO and Co-founder, Salv
16:55 – 17:25
PANEL #5
Investing in the Future of Finance
Investing in the Future of Finance
- Global Investment Trends - Where is the capital flowing – and why?
- Spotlight on the Region: Is Southeast Europe the Next Fintech Opportunity? Is the region becoming the next destination for investors?
- From Startup to Market - How to attract strategic investors and ensure growth?
- The Growing Role of Corporate Investors and Banks - Partnership or competition in financing fintech innovation?
- Tokenization and Web3 - A new era of financing – revolution or evolution?
- Challenges and Opportunities for Local Fintech Startups - Investors vs. Regulation: Where is the balance?
Moderator: Vladimir Pavlović, CEO, WM Equity Partners
Speakers:
- Miloš Matić, Founding Partner, Omorika Ventures
- Alexander Chatterjee, CEO & Executive Partner, C square Lab and Capital
Note: The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the event program