Advisory Committee
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Arjun Vir Singh
Brief Profile: Arjun is a Partner with Arthur D. Little’ial Services Practice and the s FinancPodcast Host of Couchonomics with Arjun
Company: Arthur D.Little
Years in UAE: 14
Years in Fintech: 20+
Marwan Nader
Brief Profile: Marwan is a Director at Payermax, a leading cross-border payment provider. He has over 14 years of experience in consulting, transformation, BNPL and digital payments where he focused on leveraging emerging technologies for growth and efficiency, implementing digital payment systems, and fostering partnerships across MENA in his various roles in consulting, at Tabby and Al-Futtaim Group.
Company: Payermax
Years in UAE: 10
Years in Fintech: 5+
Olivia Bellingham
Brief Profile:Olivia is an experienced financial services professional, with a background across sales, strategy, M&A, pricing and analytics. Olivia has spent the last decade in the payments industry, and most recently is Senior Vice President of Account Management for Mastercard Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa.
Company: Mastercard
Years in UAE: 17
Years in Fintech: 19
Renjit Philip
Brief Profile: Renjit is a Partner at Start2Scale consulting that specializes in M&A, funding, and startup growth. Diverse background/ geographies: Tech consulting, financial services, and insurtech. I also host a podcast www.FSBrew.co (insurance and insurtech). •Mentor / session leader at Accelerators: Founder Institute (GCC Silicon Valley)| NSRCEL, IIMB, Bangalore| Loyal VC, Canada. Ex-founder /Angel Investor. •Advisory Experience in inclusive finance, Fintech, Insurtech, Web3, CleanTech, HealthTech and eCommerce 2.0 startups
Company: Start2Scale Consulting/ FutureU Web3 Edtech/ FS Brew Podcast/ Advisory Board of multiple startups
Years in UAE: 17
Years in Fintech: 20+
Sanjiv Purushotham
Brief Profile:
Sanjiv is a strategist and the Founder & CEO of Bridge Solutions LLC FZ (Bridge DFS), a boutique advisory that helps banks, payment processors and high-growth tech firms design and launch digital-first financial-services propositions across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
With more than 25 years in retail banking, cards and payments—including earlier leadership roles at American Express—Sanjiv focuses on market-entry design, product architecture and go-to-market partnerships that deliver measurable impact. He is a regular speaker at events such as Seamless and the Dubai FinTech Summit, recognised for “sharp domain knowledge” and pragmatic execution.
Beyond Bridge DFS, Sanjiv serves as a board adviser to digital-ID scale-up uqudo and mentors early-stage founders on financial-inclusion use cases, continuing to shape the region’s rapidly evolving fintech landscape.
Company: Bridge DFS
Bicky Carlra
Brief Profile: Bicky is a serial entrepreneur & advisor on multiple start-up boards – He has almost four decades of work experience within Multinational’s & the Consulting domain, overseeing eight businesses on strategies for driving growth, developing partnerships to expand their footprint to create value & plan exists. He is invested in the FinTech, MarTech, HealthTech, RewardTech, MediaTech, EduTech & PropTech domains
Company: WeValue /Multiple
Years in UAE: 32
Years in Fintech: 5+
Shradha Chopra
Brief Profile: Shradha is the founder of 237 Talent, offering leadership coaching and development to startups, fintechs, and large corporations. Shradha is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC, ICF ACC); and a coach partner with ExecOnline, EZRA Coaching, Center for Creative Leadership, and SHL. Previously, Shradha worked at BNP Paribas as VP, heading Leadership Development, Talent Management, and D&I across APAC. Shradha has also served as Head, Human Resources Practice, Asia for Gartner.
Company: 237 Ventures
Years in UAE: 4
Years in Fintech: 5
Amna Usman Chaudhry
Brief Profile: Amna is a financial economist and strategist for emerging tech including blockchain, metaverse and Web 3.0, working with organizations such as the UN. She is a graduate-level lecturer with teaching experience in London and Dubai. She is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. Amna has been listed on the Women in Fintech Powerlist as the Standout 45, is winner of the Global Woman in Web 3.0 Award and also recognized as one of the Top 100 Women of the Future.
Company: Various
Years in UAE: 5+
Years in Fintech: 5+
Jovana Jovanovic
Brief Profile:
With a rare blend of experience in both financial services and consumer brands, Jovana brings a unique perspective; having spent the last 15 years at the forefront of mega projects for global giants such as Visa, Mastercard, Barclays, Amazon, Sage Group and TikTok.
Currently, Jovana is leading Omla, an innovative Web3 platform designed to revolutionize how GenZ and Millennials engage with leading cryptocurrencies. Her mission is to create a cultural shift in perceptions of digital assets, ultimately empowering a new generation to achieve financial independence and integrate crypto into their everyday life.
Company: Omla
Years in UAE: 9
Years in Fintech: 15
Mohamed Roushdy
Brief Profile:
Mohamed, is Chief Digital Officer and fintech / open-banking adviser with more than two decades of technology leadership across financial services, real-estate and conglomerate groups in the GCC. A former CIO for 15 years, he built the IT foundations of four Islamic-banking start-ups—including the region’s first full conversion from conventional to Islamic banking—and now guides boards on digital-transformation roadmaps, blockchain, AI and open-finance strategy. Named to the IDC CIO50 (2021) and CXO50 (2020) rankings, Mohamed is a regular keynote speaker, a member of the Arab Monetary Fund’s FinTech Working Group, and holds an MBA in strategy management from Manchester Business School.
Gozde Demir
Brief Profile:
Gözde is an expert in venture capital, fintech, and fund-of-funds. She has led M&A deals, strategic fundraising, and investments across emerging markets. A regular speaker and moderator, she actively shapes the regional fintech and investment ecosystem. She previously served as Principal at the Dubai Future District Fund, driving fund-of-funds and direct investments. Passionate about innovation, she mentors startups and fosters cross-border collaboration in the MENA and global markets. Additionally she serves as Honorary Consul of Brazil since 2010.
Alain Abi Khalil - Canivet
Brief Profile:
Alain is a multidisciplinary commercial and marketing leader with 15+ years of experience across fintech, retail, pharmaceuticals, and the creative industries. Currently Commercial Lead at Mastercard Advisors’ Creative Desk, he helps brands transform insights into impactful strategies across brand, product, and customer engagement. Previously heading Communications and PR at Majid Al Futtaim, Alain has led the launch of businesses, programs, and campaigns both in France and the UAE. He brings a unique blend of business acumen, creative flair, and cultural curiosity to the Fintech Tuesdays community.
Company: Mastercard
Years in UAE: 7
Years in Fintech: 3
Vaanathi Mohanakrishnan
Brief Profile:
Vaanathi is a seasoned banking and payments executive with 18 years’ experience spanning product design, growth, and P&L ownership across the Middle East and Africa. Now President–MEA at M2P Fintech—Asia’s largest API infrastructure firm—she previously held leadership roles with Finablr, ICICI Bank, and Citibank, and even ran her own UAE-based venture. A sought-after speaker, report co-author, and co-chair of SHIFT (the payments committee of the MENA Fintech Association), Vaanathi pairs deep regulatory insight with hands-on fintech know-how to guide startups from concept to commercial success, while championing women’s entrepreneurship and financial inclusion throughout the region.
Company: M2P
Bianca Garcia
Brief Profile:
Bianca Gracias is the Managing Partner of Crimson Legal, an Abu Dhabi Global Market–based firm that delivers corporate and regulatory advice to startups, SMEs and investors across the UAE. Drawing on more than 15 years in senior legal roles at Emaar, Al Ghurair and Hadef & Partners, she now sits on the TiE Dubai board and mentors founders through Fintech Tuesdays, Founder Institute and other incubators, translating arcane rules into actionable growth plans. A regular speaker at Seamless Middle East and similar forums, Bianca champions diversity in entrepreneurship while helping fast-growing fintechs and family offices turn good ideas into well-structured, investment-ready businesses.