Finance Malta has lined up some illustrious speakers for its fourth annual conference in May, which will focus on gearing up to sustain growth in Malta’s financialservices industry.
They include Karel Van Hulle, head of unit, Insurance and Pensions, European Commission and senior global economist; Eddy Wymeersch, former chairman of the Committee of European Securities Regulators and of the European Regional Committee of the International Organisation of Security Commissions; Vito Spada, Professor of Banking and Finance at the Università del Salento in Lecce; and Karen Ward, senior global economist at HSBC, formerly with the Bank of England.
Local conference speakers include Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, Malta Financial Services Authority chairman Joseph Bannister; and Finance Malta chairman Kenneth Farrugia, besides local practitioners.
The public-private partnership tasked with marketing Malta’s financial services hub has drawn up a comprehensive programme for the day, including workshops and panel discussions. The event is arguably the most important on the local calendar for the financial services industry.
This conference will bring industry, government and regulators together to discuss, network and gain insight into the issues and developments taking place in the international arena as well as possible business opportunities for Malta’s practitioners. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will also participate.
Keynote speaker Karel Van Hulle will discuss Solvency II. Eddy Wymeersch will outline how the new supervisory system will affect practitioners and will moderate a panel session on the way forward in regulation. Dr Spada will explore ‘Financial Crises: a new perspective on how the global economy is emerging from the crises.’ Karen Ward will focus on ‘The World in 2050: Understanding the rise and implications of the growth in the emerging markets’. Prof. Bannister will detail the changingregulatory landscape.
Ms Ward said: “With the rapid growth of the emerging markets, the global economy is experiencing a seismic shift. We estimate that by 2050, 19 of the 30 largest economies will be from the emerging world. At the same time, there will be a marked decline in the economic might – and potentially political clout – of many small population, ageing, rich economies in Europe.”
Online registration for the conference will be possible shortly at www.financemalta.org, where updates will be posted.