PulseCore Events s.r.o. Excellence in Digital Banking 7.0

PulseCore Events s.r.o. · Prague, Czech Republic

Excellence in Digital Banking 7.0 — International Summit

The Intelligent Bank: Scaling AI from Experimentation to Enterprise Value

Photograph from a previous edition of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit

Photographs show previous editions of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit.

Dates
25–27 November 2026
Location
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Participation
In-person & online passes available
Organiser
PulseCore Events s.r.o.
RegisterFull agendaAll speakers

Why this summit exists

Excellence in Digital Banking 7.0 – International Summit will take place in Amsterdam from 25–27 November 2026. The three-day summit will bring together senior banking leaders, regulators, technology experts and innovators to explore how artificial intelligence, digital identity, next-generation architecture, open finance, payments and platform banking are reshaping the financial industry. Participants can join the summit in person in Amsterdam or remotely through the online participation option.

Programme themes

  • The Intelligent Bank: Scaling AI from Experimentation to Enterprise Value
  • Agentic AI, Generative AI and Responsible AI Governance
  • Digital Identity, Authentication and the Future of Customer Access
  • Hyper-Personalised Banking and Next-Generation Customer Experience
  • AI-Ready Architecture, Cloud and Composable Banking Platforms
  • Open Finance, Digital Wallets and Embedded Banking
  • Real-Time Payments, Liquidity and Transaction Banking
  • Deepfakes, Synthetic Identity and AI-Driven Financial Crime
  • Operational Resilience and Risk in Digital Transformation
  • Sustainable Finance in the Digital Banking Ecosystem

Three programme days

33 sessions across 3 days. See the complete agenda.

Day 1 · 25 November 2026

Agentic AI, Generative AI and Responsible AI Governance

  1. 09:00

    Re-architecting the Bank Around AI

    Frans Van Bruggen

    Independent Expert (Ex Senior Policy Officer Fintech and AI at DNB)

    • Moving from AI pilots to enterprise-wide transformation
    • Embedding AI into strategic decision-making at board level
    • Aligning data, talent and technology for AI-driven banking
    • Redefining leadership in an AI-native financial institution

  2. 09:30

    Building the Hybrid Banking Model: Merging Digital and Physical Touchpoints

    Ronelle Arbib

    Chief Operating Officer, Recognise Bank, UK

    • Transitioning from workflow automation to AI-driven operations
    • Rethinking operational structures and digital workforces
    • Integrating AI agents across banking services
    • Measuring productivity gains and operational transformation

  3. 10:00

    How banks can scale AI safely and govern agentic AI

    Mitul Vadgama

    Advanced Analytics and AI Lead - Artificial Intelligence CoE, Lloyds Banking Group, UK

    • Scaling AI beyond pilots
    • Agentic AI use cases in banking
    • Governance, controls, and oversight
    • Trust, compliance, and resilience

  4. 11:00

    The Future Operating Model of a Digital Bank

    Joris Krijger

    AI Governance Officer, ASN Bank, Netherlands

    • Moving from product-centric to customer-centric structures
    • Aligning technology, business and operations leadership
    • Creating faster decision cycles in complex organizations

  5. 11:30

    Ambition to Architecture, what vision really demands

    Ashtha Bajaj

    Data, Analytics & AI Leader, Bank of Ireland, UK

    • Ambition creates direction, but architecture determines whether transformation can scale securely, sustainably, and at speed.
    • Vision in banking demands more than innovation, it requires resilient data, technology, governance, and operating models working as one ecosystem.
    • The institutions that win will be those that simplify complexity, build adaptable platforms, and turn strategy into repeatable execution.

  6. 12:00

    Unlocking the Business Potential of Generative AI in Banking

    Jules Ferdinand Pagna Disso

    Head of Cyber Risk Intelligence, Insider Technology Risk and Digital Asset Risk, BNP Paribas, UK

    • Advancing beyond basic AI tools toward high-impact business applications
    • Enhancing financial advisory services and operational decision-making with generative AI
    • Ensuring secure and responsible AI adoption across the organization
    • Evaluating performance, efficiency, and long-term return on AI investments

  7. 13:30

    Generative AI in Banking: From Experiments to Core Business Value

    Jan Sedlařík

    Hybrid AI Product Owner for Realization squad, AI upskilling and Internal delivery teams, Česká Sporitelna, Czechia

    • Moving beyond chatbots toward strategic applications
    • Integrating generative AI in a supportive role for business operations
    • Scaling AI capabilities safely across business lines
    • Strategic directions for AI implementation aimed at business value generation

  8. 14:30

    From AI Hype to Real Control: Safe Legacy Evolution

    Ohad Kotler

    CEO & Co-Founder, Tweezr

    • Combining deterministic system intelligence with AI
    • Grounding insights in source code to maintain control
    • Modernizing legacy systems without a disruptive big bang

  9. 15:30

    Digitizing Wholesale Banking: Smarter Client and Service Models

    Ellen Van Acker

    COO Wholesale Banking Client & Digital Services, ING, Netherlands

    • Transforming wholesale banking through digital client journeys
    • Improving efficiency with data-driven service models
    • Balancing automation, personalization and relationship banking

  10. 16:00

    AI Model Risk in Banking: Governing GenAI and Agentic AI at Scale

    Anish Shah

    Director - Model Risk, Internal Audit, NatWest, UK

    • Managing AI risk across credit, fraud, pricing and customer decisions
    • Governing GenAI and AI agents through validation and human oversight
    • Balancing regulatory expectations with faster, responsible AI adoption

Day 2 · 26 November 2026

Digital Identity, Authentication and the Future of Customer Access

  1. 09:00

    Hyper-Personalized Banking Experiences

    Romano Ramanti

    Vice Director, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Switzerland

    • Leveraging AI to anticipate customer needs
    • Delivering contextual financial guidance in real time
    • Moving from reactive service to proactive engagement

  2. 10:00

    Designing Banking Experiences for the Digital Generation

    Ed Vinicombe

    Director of Product Design, JP Morgan Chase, UK

    • Designing simple, intuitive, and trusted digital banking experiences
    • Understanding the expectations of mobile-first and digital-native customers
    • Turning product design into a competitive advantage for banks

  3. 11:00

    Eliminating Friction: The Future of Authentication

    Haitham Aboulfotoh Rashwan

    Head of Digital Banking & Alternative Channels, Emirates NBD, Egypt

    • Moving beyond passwords toward biometric authentication
    • Designing invisible authentication across channels
    • Balancing convenience and security in digital access

  4. 11:30

    New Approach to Design CX: Kuveyt Turk's Neuromarketing Lab

    Okan Acar

    EVP, Digital Banking and Payment Systems, Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankasi, Turkey

    • Using EEG and eye-tracking to understand customer responses
    • Measuring subconscious reactions across digital and physical touchpoints
    • Turning emotional engagement into better customer experience

  5. 12:00

    The Future of Customer Verification

    Shamsh Hoda

    AI & Digital Innovation Strategist, Commerzbank, Germany

    • Moving from one-time verification to continuous identity assurance
    • Integrating behavioral and contextual identity signals
    • Simplifying verification for repeat interactions

  6. 13:30

    Who will own Digital Identity?

    Sara Ehab Azmi

    Head of Change & Project Management, Emirates NBD, Egypt

    • Positioning banks alongside governments and technology platforms
    • Exploring digital identity wallets and interoperable frameworks
    • Using identity to reshape customer relationships and services

  7. 14:00

    Digital Identity as the New Banking Infrastructure

    Melvin Pellicano

    Head of Digital Transformation and Product Development Department, BNF Bank, Malta

    • Positioning banks as trusted identity providers
    • Integrating national digital identity frameworks
    • Building cross-border digital identity capabilities

  8. 14:30

    Building Trust and Customer Confidence in Digital Banking

    Lucy Cafferkey

    Head of Media Relations, Starling Bank, UK

    • Communicating innovation clearly in a fast-changing banking environment
    • Building customer trust through transparency, security, and simplicity

  9. 15:30

    Digital Wallets and Payments: Creating Daily Customer Engagement

    Sadık Baş

    Executive Vice President, Marketing Portfolio Management & Digital Products, Garanti BBVA Payment Systems, Turkey

    • Turning digital wallets into everyday customer touchpoints
    • Driving loyalty through payments, rewards, and personalized digital services
    • Competing in a fast-growing payments and wallet ecosystem

  10. 16:00

    Digital Banking for SMEs: From Online Services to Intelligent Business Partners

    Olli Anteroinen

    Head of SME Digital - Business Banking, Nordea, Finland

    • Redesigning digital banking around SME needs
    • Using data and AI for proactive financial guidance
    • Helping SMEs save time and grow faster

  11. 16:30

    Embedded Banking, Payments and Consumer Lending: The New Growth Engine

    Kartik Taneja

    Executive Vice President, Head of Payments & Consumer Lending, Mashreq Bank, Dubai

    • Embedding banking services into customer journeys and partner platforms
    • Connecting payments and lending to create seamless experiences
    • Scaling growth models through ecosystems and partnerships

  12. 17:00

    Panel Discussion: What is the future of Banking in 2030?

    Swagatam Sen

    Executive Director FCC Tech Advisory, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, UK

    • Exploring how banks will compete, collaborate and innovate in the next era of financial services.

Day 3 · 27 November 2026

Hyper-Personalised Banking and Next-Generation Customer Experience

  1. 09:00

    AI-Ready Banking Architecture: Building the Resilient, Composable Bank of the Future

    Claudio Balbo

    Senior Director - Head of IT Architecture, Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy

    • Designing AI-ready banking architecture
    • Modernizing legacy cores without disruption
    • Cloud, APIs, and composable platforms
    • Resilience, security, and DORA compliance

  2. 09:30

    Managing Change Risk in an Age of Uncertainty

    Edgars Sedovs

    Head of Risk, Rietumu Banka, Latvia

    • Risk in digital transformation
    • Managing AI, cloud, and platform change
    • Operational resilience in fast-moving banking
    • Balancing innovation, control, and trust

  3. 10:00

    Supervising the Intelligent Bank: Trust, Resilience and AI in Next-Generation Banking

    Nina Schweighofer

    JST Coordinator / Head of Section, European Central Bank, Germany

    • Understanding how European supervisors assess AI-driven business models, governance and digital transformation
    • Translating regulatory expectations — SSM priorities, DORA and the AI Act — into practical design choices for the intelligent bank
    • Building board-level accountability and meaningful human oversight as AI enters core decision chains
    • Managing the resilience challenge: cloud concentration, third-party AI models and legacy evolution

  4. 11:00

    Open Finance, Digital Wallets and Embedded Banking: The Next Growth Model for Banks

    Gaurab Arka Chaudhuri

    Director of Group Strategy, Barclays, UK

    • Open finance beyond open banking
    • Digital wallets as new customer gateways
    • Embedded banking and platform growth
    • Competing in the future financial ecosystem

  5. 11:30

    The Reinvention of Mobile Banking Platforms

    Igoris Ryklys

    Lead of Digital Channels, Swedbank Baltics, Lithuania

    • Moving from transactional apps to financial life platforms
    • Integrating payments, investments and lifestyle services
    • Designing apps that become daily financial companions
    • Building engagement beyond transactions

  6. 12:00

    The Strategic Role of the Bank in a Platform Economy

    Swagatam Sen

    Executive Director FCC Tech Advisory, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, UK

    • Competing with technology platforms for customer attention
    • Leveraging trust and financial expertise as differentiators
    • Building partnerships without losing strategic control
    • Defining the future role of banks in digital ecosystems

  7. 13:30

    Designing the Bank of the Digital Generation

    David Bonavia

    Lead Operational Risk Framework Manager, Metro Bank, UK

    • Understanding evolving expectations of digital-native customers
    • Building intuitive banking experiences for mobile-first users
    • Simplifying financial services through better design
    • Creating long-term relationships with younger customers

  8. 14:00

    Sustainable Finance in the Digital Banking Ecosystem

    Dominique Tremblay

    Head of Enterprise Sustainability, BNY

    • Embedding sustainability into digital banking strategy and product design
    • Using data and technology to support ESG transparency and reporting
    • Connecting sustainability, innovation, and long-term business value

  9. 14:30

    Liquidity in the Digital Era: Real-Time Treasury and Smarter Client Solutions

    Cindy Lo

    Managing Director, Global Head of Liquidity Solutions, HSBC, UK

    • How real-time payments are changing liquidity expectations
    • Building smarter treasury solutions for corporate and institutional clients
    • Using data and digital platforms to improve cash visibility and control

  10. 15:30

    The Future of Transaction Banking in a Platform-Based Economy

    Ekaterina Kozhevatova

    Director, Commerzbank AG, Germany

    • How transaction banking is evolving through platforms and ecosystems
    • Strengthening client relationships through integrated digital services
    • Combining payments, trade finance, and data-driven solutions

  11. 16:10

    Panel Discussion: Deepfakes, Synthetic Identity and AI-Driven Fraud: The Next Frontier of Financial Crime

    Lucy Cafferkey

    Head of Media Relations, Starling Bank, UK

    • Exploring how deepfakes, synthetic identity and AI-driven fraud are reshaping financial crime, and how banks can defend against the next frontier of threats.

Verified speakers

Participation

In-person & online passes available

RegisterFull agendaAll speakers

Registration and payment are handled only on the official PulseCore Events s.r.o. website.

From previous editions

Photograph from a previous edition of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit (1 of 2)
Photographs show previous editions of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit.
Photograph from a previous edition of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit (2 of 2)
Photographs show previous editions of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit.

It was an absolute honour to attend, present, and chair the first two days of PulseCore Events, Excellence in Digital Banking 2024 International Summit in Amsterdam. I enjoyed sharing insights on Oxford Risk and behavioural finance and moderating a panel on the future of digital onboarding. A special thanks to the event organisers and the other speakers I had the pleasure of introducing.

Thomas Bradley Mitchell — Client Director at Oxford Risk

Had a fantastic time at the Excellence in Digital Banking event held from May 13-16 in Amsterdam, where I had the opportunity to share and exchange ideas with incredible professionals from around the world. In my keynote, I emphasized the importance of maintaining the "human" element in our digital transformations to avoid commoditization. Ultimately, it's the human connection through the customer's transformative journey that provides the most competitive advantage and is hardest to replicate. The diverse perspectives and innovative practices shared were truly eye-opening. Highlights included discussions on the increasing importance of cybersecurity amidst rapid technological advancements and its impact on customers, innovative AI solutions in unsecured lending, excellence in digital onboarding, the significance of building impactful partnerships and the strategic decisions around what a bank should develop internally versus through partnerships. A heartfelt thanks to PulseCore Events for bringing together such a diverse and knowledgeable set of speakers and to all participants for sharing their own journeys. Looking forward to applying these insights in my work!

Ledi Lapaj — Director Customer Experience Bank-al-Etihad

I had a great time in Amsterdam last week attending the Excellence in Digital Banking event hosted by Pulsecore. Over 350 delegates from Financial Institutions participated at the event. Here are my three key takeaways: 1. Digitalization of financial services is now the norm, how you deploy differs, based on demography, culture, and other factors. 2. Customers will use digital channels as long as they are convenient and reliable. 3. Security and trust are required in building successful digital products. It was inspiring to see what other organizations like Stirling Bank, Salt Bank, and Alpian are doing in their Markets. This was an event worth attending! hashtag#digitalbanking hashtag#finance hashtag#excellence hashtag#Pulsecore hashtag#PulseCore Events

Habila Musa-Luka — Chief Executive Officer at Checkoff Credit

It was great attending the Excellence in Digital Banking Summit last week in Amsterdam. Thank you, PulseCore Events, for inviting me to speak at the event. I truly enjoyed discussing and sharing our insights with the other speakers and the audience. It was an outstanding event, covering important topics and sharing experiences from around the world. #DigitalBankingsummit#BankingInnovation hashtag#DigitalTransformation hashtag#DigitalChannels

Estrella Mota Perez — Solutions development Principal Manager

Venue

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Sponsorship

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Partnership information

Questions

When and where does the summit take place?

Excellence in Digital Banking 7.0 — International Summit takes place on 25–27 November 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

How can I take part?

In-person & online passes available. Registration is handled on the official site.

Who organises the event?

PulseCore Events s.r.o., headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic.

Are the photographs from this edition?

Photographs show previous editions of the Excellence in Digital Banking International Summit.