Global Capital & Leadership Forum

Join the Financial Women's Association for a timely conversation on sovereign capital, energy transition, AI, and the geopolitical forces reshaping global finance. When our UAE trip was cancelled, we immediately looked for ways to bring the experience to our community here in NYC - this forum captures the spirit, substance, and strategic importance of that journey.

At a moment of profound geopolitical realignment, this forum convenes senior leaders across finance, law, and policy to examine how shifting alliances, energy transitions, and the repositioning of the Gulf as a global capital hub are redrawing the map of international business and what it demands of financial leadership today.

Cost: FWA Members: $175 | Non-Members: $225

Registration closed at 11:59 pm EST on May 4, 2026

Agenda*

*Subject to change.

Tuesday, May 5 - Virtual Lunch Panel

Zoom link will be provided to registrants

12 PM

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Albana Theka, President, Financial Women's Association

12:05 – 12:35 PM

Women, Culture & Capital: An Arab Perspective

Join Albana Theka, President of the Financial Women's Association, for a conversation with Haifa Al Kaylani OBE, development economist, Harvard Fellow, and founder of the Arab International Women's Forum, on the evolving role of women in the Arab economy. From the UAE's rapid rise as a model for women's economic participation to the cultural dynamics that shape leadership, trust, and business relationships across the region, this session explores what cultural intelligence means for global finance professionals and why understanding the Arab world's approach to tradition and modernization is a competitive advantage.

12:35 – 1:15 PM

Sovereign Capital, Cross-Border Flows & Long-Term Strategy

How sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors are navigating uncertainty, and how capital is rerouting across the U.S., Middle East, and Asia amid geopolitical shifts.

Heather Henyon, Founding General Partner, Mindshift Capital
Subadra Rajappa, Managing Director, Head of Research, Societe Generale, Americas
Emily Goodman, Partner, Akin
Samar Maziad, PhD, Partner & Head of Global Strategy, Tuesday Capital
Albana Theka (moderator), President, Financial Women's Association

Wednesday, May 6 - In-Person Morning Program

Hosted at Akin, 1 Bryant Pk, New York, NY

8:00 – 8:45 AM

Registration & Networking Breakfast

Light breakfast and coffee service

8:45 – 9:00 AM

Welcome & Framing Remarks

Albana Theka, President, Financial Women's Association
Mohannad Aama, President, ABANA

9:00 – 9:15 AM

Keynote Address: Abigail Yoder

Abigail Yoder, CFA, U.S. Equity Strategist, J.P. Morgan Global Wealth Management

9:15 – 10:15 AM

The New Geopolitical Landscape: Capital, Conflict & Strategic Realignment

How geopolitical tensions, strategic competition, and shifting alliances are reshaping capital flows, energy markets, and institutional decision-making worldwide and what resilient leadership looks like in this environment.

Anne Chapman, Managing Director, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Katherine Krantz, Managing Director Strategy Research, BMO Capital Markets
Sarah Wolfe, Executive Director, Senior Economist & Strategist, Morgan Stanley
Gina Martin Adams, CFA, CMT, Chief Market Strategist, HB Wealth
Shawn Snyder (moderator), Senior Research Analyst, Head of Macroeconomic Research, Potomac Fund Management

10:15 – 10:30 PM

BREAK · Networking

10:30 – 11:30 AM

Energy Security & the Transition Economy

Balancing national energy security imperatives with long-term climate commitments in an era of sustained volatility.

Conway Irwin, Senior Director, Investing in Energy, S&P Global Energy
Ravina Advani, Managing Director, Low Carbon Transition Group Head (Americas), BNP Paribas
Diana Glassman, Director - Stewardship at EOS, Federated Hermes Limited
Luisa Fuentes, Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
Roman Kramarchuk (moderator), Head of Integrated Narratives & Policy Analysis, S&P Global Commodity Insights

11:30 – 12:15 PM

AI, Digital Infrastructure & Financial Resilience

How artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital systems are strengthening and in some cases exposing financial infrastructure in an era of heightened volatility.

Doug Bloom, Managing Director, Deputy Head of Cyber, Information Security & Technology Risk, Morgan Stanley
Renee Lau, Principal FinServ Strategist, AWS
Melissa Tuozzolo, Global Head of GPS Client Service, HSBC
Tia Malhotra, Managing Director, Golub Capital
Evan Wolff (moderator), Partner, Akin

12:15 – 1:15 PM

Leadership: Women, Culture & Capital

Reflections on resilience, the importance of long-term partnerships in the United States and beyond, and the expanding role of women in leadership across the UAE.

Her Excellency Amna Almheiri, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York

Followed by an Emirati Hospitality Experience

Gahwa (traditional Emirati coffee), Karak (traditional Emirati tea) and dates service. An expression of the UAE’s rich tradition of hospitality.

Speakers

The FWA is pleased to announce the following speakers for the Global Capital and Leadership Forum. These VIPs and experts have a breadth of experience spanning the financial industry and will share their insights on The MENA Capital Landscape: Risk, Resilience & the Road Ahead. Explore their bios below!

Her Excellency Amna Almheiri was appointed Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York in August 2021. As Consul General, Almheiri works to promote the important UAE-US bilateral relationship and expand business and cultural ties in New York and the eastern US region. Consul General Almheiri also serves as a liaison for US corporate and government officials and as a resource for UAE nationals residing in the East Coast area.

Prior to her current position, Consul General Almheiri joined the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) in March 2005 and served at the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations in New York between 2005 and 2010. During this time, she represented the UAE in the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee with a focus on human rights and related issues. She also had representation in other groups, such as the Social Development Committee and the Commission on the Status of Women.

In 2010, Consul General Almheiri returned to Abu Dhabi and was among the team that established the Human Rights Department within MOFAIC. The Department is responsible for the UAE’s representation in international and regional meetings on human rights while working with domestic stakeholders to ensure that the UAE’s policies are aligned with its international obligations and commitments. Within three years, Consul General Almheiri became the head of the Human Rights Department, first as Deputy Director and then as Director. She was instrumental in managing the UAE’s engagement within the UN Human Rights Council and the submission of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Consul General Almheiri served for one year (2017-2018) at the UAE’s National Media Council, where she was based in Brussels, Belgium, and was responsible for managing the implementation, execution and coordination of a public diplomacy program in Europe .

Consul General Almheiri received her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Computer Engineering from the American University of Sharjah and a Master's Degree in Global Finance from the New School University in New York.

Consul General Almheiri lives with her husband and four children in New York.

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani OBE is President & Founder of the Arab International Women's Forum (AIWF), founded in London in 2001 to advance women's leadership and economic empowerment in the MENA region and internationally. A globally recognised thought leader and speaker, she is known for her expertise in women's leadership, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and the Future of Work.

A development economist and alumna of the American University of Beirut, Haifa studied Economic Development at Oxford University before working as an economist for the United Nations. In 2017, she was selected as a Fellow of Harvard University's Advanced Leadership Initiative. She served as the only Arab Commissioner on the ILO's Global Commission on the Future of Work (2017–2019), contributing to its landmark report, and previously served on The Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Haifa was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in King Charles' New Year 2024 Honours List in recognition of her services to women, young people, and UK-MENA cultural relations. She holds board and advisory roles across numerous global institutions and remains a passionate champion for the economic inclusion of women and young people worldwide.

Abigail Yoder is a U.S. Equity strategist for J.P. Morgan Global Wealth Management. As part of the Global Equity team, Abigail helps develop the Private Bank’s U.S. equity views and identifies and markets stock-specific and thematic investment opportunities across U.S. equities. Abigail joined J.P. Morgan in 2014 and prior to joining the Equity Strategy team in 2020, Abigail was a Research Analyst for a multi-asset income-oriented Strategy within the Private Bank and a market strategy research analyst within Asset Management. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Abigail worked at Evercore Partners conducting buy-side equity research and supporting lead portfolio managers in managing the firm’s large cap equity portfolio as well as individual client portfolios.

Abigail graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Art History and was the captain of the women’s tennis team. She is an Advisory Board member for Johns Hopkins Athletics. She is also a CFA® (Chartered Financial Analyst®) charter holder.

Mohannad Aama is a finance professional and frequent commentator with more than two decades of experience. He previously served as a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at Beam Capital Management, a New York-based investment management and advisory firm. More recently, he assumed a senior role at Rutgers University as Managing Director of Professional Programs.

Mohannad has been an invited speaker at numerous asset management and investment conferences across the Middle East and North America, including MEED Conferences, IMN/Euromoney, Inside ETFs, Aspen Institute, and REDmoney.

He often shares his insights on the global economy and financial markets with various media outlets. He has appeared on or been quoted in BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, NY Times, The Guardian, PBS, France24, Al Arabiya, CNBC Arabia, LBC, Alhurra, Fortune, CNN Money, Nikkei, Radio Monte Carlo, and other TV and print media in North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia.

Mohannad is a former Board member of ABANA, where he served on its Executive Committee and as Treasurer, Chair of Communications, and Chair of Programs.

Mohannad is fluent in Arabic. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Brooklyn College and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester. He also holds the CFP® certification and the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation.

Gina Martin Adams, CFA, CMT, is the Chief Market Strategist for HB Wealth, a national independent wealth management firm providing fiduciary, fee-only wealth advisory, investment management, and family office services. With a top-down perspective, Gina leverages fundamental, technical and quantitative perspectives to inform investment decisions, advance proprietary research, and develop new investment products, while enhancing client experience through thought leadership and education. She is a voting member of the firm’s investment committee and shareholder of the firm.

Prior to joining HB Wealth, Gina was the Global Head of Equity Strategy and Chief Equity Strategist for Bloomberg Intelligence, where she built portfolio strategies that feed Bloomberg indices and are licensed as ETFs, and led a team of global strategists. Prior to that, she was the head of U.S. Equity Strategy for Wells Fargo Securities, an economist for Wachovia Bank, and an investment strategy analyst for Evergreen Asset Management.

Mrs. Adams has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida. She holds the CFA and CMT designations, is a member of the CFA Institute, and is on the Board of Directors for the CMT Association. She serves on the Business Advisory Council for the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. She is also a member of the Financial Women’s Association and 100 Women in Finance. Gina resides in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs, and is an avid runner, reader and yoga enthusiast.

Ravina Advani is the Head of the Low Carbon Transition Group & Infrastructure Fund Coverage - Americas for BNP Paribas. In this role, Ravina is responsible for all client and sector activity across the bank’s energy practice, including Power & Utilities, Oil & Gas, Transition Minerals & Metals, and Chemicals.

Her role places her at the forefront of the Energy Transition, broadening and deepening BNP Paribas’ Transition and Sustainable Finance initiatives across her client base. Ravina serves as an ambassador and spokesperson for the bank, speaking with the media and at industry thought leadership events.

Prior to assuming her current position in late 2018, Ravina was part of the bank’s Power, Infrastructure & Project Finance North America team, where she was responsible for originating, structuring and executing financings across various asset classes, including power, oil & gas, transportation and social accommodation. Ravina has extensive experience with both domestic and international financings and has

served in lead roles on several of the bank's prominent arranging/ advisory mandates in the bank, private placement, bond and institutional loan markets.

Prior to joining BNP Paribas, Ravina worked at Orion Power Holdings, a power generation company, assisting with the company's trading and marketing efforts.

Ravina holds a BBA from the College of William and Mary with a concentration in Finance and a minor in French, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. In 2019, she received the Positive Impact Business certification from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Finance.

Douglas B. Bloom is a Managing Director and Deputy Head of Cyber, Technology, and Information Security Risk within Morgan Stanley’s Non-Financial Risk organization. Prior to this role, Doug was Co-Head of Cybersecurity & Privacy Law for the Firm. In these roles, Doug has been responsible for the Firm’s oversight of technology and cybersecurity risk management as well as its legal response to cybersecurity, privacy, fraud, and resilience matters—including incident response, regulatory examinations and new legislation. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Doug served as a federal prosecutor, criminal defense lawyer and software developer.

Doug is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham and Cornell, where he teaches courses on computer crime and privacy and is a member of the Advisory Board of NYU’s Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement.

Doug received a Bachelor’s degree in Symbolic Systems and a Master’s degree in Linguistics from Stanford University. He received a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Anne Chapman delivers strategic guidance to boards and management teams across a broad spectrum of topics, such as investor relations, public affairs, governance, activism defense, and board training. Drawing on over 25 years of experience in proxy voting and governance at Capital Group, she shares practical communication techniques for engaging shareholders and offers valuable perspectives gained from working with investment professionals and independent fund directors. Anne is known for her ability to translate complex governance issues into actionable solutions, making her a trusted advisor for boards navigating challenging shareholder dynamics and building strong relationships to win voting support.

Anne earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands, where she developed a strong foundation in strategic management and organizational behavior, including international experience. Currently, she is based in San Francisco and Northern Utah, which enables her to engage with diverse professional networks in both regions.

Alissa Desmarais is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Women's Association, where she leads strategy, operations, programs, and governance for one of New York's most respected financial services membership organizations. A mission-driven executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience, she has built and scaled nonprofit organizations at the intersection of finance, education, and social impact. Prior to joining the FWA, Alissa served as Executive Director of High Water Women Foundation, expanding financial literacy and impact investing programs for women and girls. She has also held leadership roles at City Parks Foundation, The Synergos Institute, and WNYC (New York Public Radio).

Diana Glassman navigates growth and transformational change at the intersection of energy, technology and geopolitics across public and private markets. As Director-Stewardship at EOS at Federated Hermes Ltd, she engages Fortune 500 directors and senior executives at portfolio companies of 70+ pension fund clients with over $2 trillion in assets under advisement, primarily in the technology, energy and financial services sectors. Diana focuses on business strategy, risk management and sustainability in a period of accelerated change and volatility. She is driving the group’s approach to US board effectiveness assessment and systemwide AI governance encompassing data protection, organizational change and human capital, and data center energy considerations.

Diana is also an independent board director at Helix Energy Solutions (NYSE:HLX), a member of the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Investor Advisory Group, INSEAD/KPMG AI Governance advisory board and participated in the 2025 US Army War College National Security Seminar (NSS). Her experience includes driving strategy, organizational change, M&A and merger integration, and privacy and data protection in complex global enterprises such as PWC, Credit Suisse and the TD Bank Group. Diana earned her BS (Biology) at Yale, MPA (International Political and Economic Development) at Harvard Kennedy School, and MBA at Harvard Business School.

Emily Goodman is a partner at Akin and represents the world’s leading institutional investors, including some of the largest sovereign wealth funds and other government investors, in connection with their global investment activities. Emily advises on an array of matters, including investments in private funds, joint ventures, co-investment arrangements and other strategic transactions. With a deep understanding of the international alternative investment fund landscape, Emily helps clients navigate complex transactions with practical solutions.

Emily also advises private equity and hedge fund sponsors in multiple jurisdictions on all aspects of their business, from the inception phase to ongoing management company operations, including fund formation, fundraising and ongoing compliance and operational issues.

Heather Henyon is Founding Partner of Mindshift Capital, a global venture fund that invests exclusively in early stage women-led technology companies. Mindshift Capital has backed 20 companies led by 27 female founders in 6 countries. Heather is Founder of the Women’s Angel Investor Network (WAIN), the first and largest women’s angel investor group in the Middle East. An active venture investor with a passion for women’s health and sports, Heather has over 200 direct and fund investments in the US, Europe and Middle East. She started her career on Wall Street and has almost 20 years of experience in finance, technology and strategy in emerging markets, including as founding CEO of Grameen-Jameel Microfinance Ltd.

Heather is a member of the Investment Committee of the Next Wave Impact Fund and is a founding member and former Board and Investment Committee member of Dubai Angel Investors and Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund. She serves on the Board of Directors and Audit & Risk Committee of the Sekem Holding Group in Egypt and is a Board Member of Little Thinking Minds (Jordan), Wellbees (Turkey) and QiDZ (UAE).

Heather received the 2023 Cornell University Emerging Market Institute’s Cañizares Alumni Award and has been nominated as Investor of the Year by Arabian Business in 2017 and 2016. Originally from the US, she has lived in the Middle East for 15 years and speaks Arabic and French. Heather holds an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship from the Johnson School at Cornell University where she was a Park Leadership Fellow and a BA in Economics & Political Science from Oberlin College.

Conway Irwin is a senior director of S&P Global Energy, part of a dedicated research team that provides integrated climate and cleantech advisory research to the financial sector. Conway has more than a decade of experience in energy and commodities markets as a journalist and analyst in both the public and private sectors. Her work at S&P Global focuses on cleantech (solar, wind, hydrogen, batteries and storage) and on the broader energy transition. Conway holds an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She lives in New York City.

Roman Kramarchuk has, for more than 30 years, been leading efforts to analyze the impacts of policy changes and technology advancements - on the evolution of the energy sector. With S&P Global Commodity Insights, and before that with Platts and PIRA, Roman launched and continues to develop environmental markets & policies. He had led and contributes to long term scenario outlook content, advising on longer term energy market views with special focus on clean energy technologies (i.e. hydrogen, electric vehicles/alternative transport, renewables, stationary storage, etc.). Roman is currently focused on developing and ensuring integrated narratives across the clean energy, carbon and scenarios teams while overseeing analysis of global, country and regional climate and environmental policy and its impact on energy.

Prior to joining PIRA, Roman was at the U.S. EPA, developing key power plant and industrial emissions regulations at the Clean Air Markets Division. With PG&E and before that at PA Consulting / PHB Hagler Bailly, he evaluated strategies regarding power sector fuel choice, capital investments and energy trading. Roman also worked on international projects to develop power markets and regulatory capacity in Ukraine, Armenia and India. At the U.S Federal Reserve Board, Roman analyzed trends in industrial production.

He has an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School analytics offerings providing outlooks around global/regional carbon pricing and a B.A. in economics and B.S.E. in systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Katherine Krantz joined BMO Capital Markets in 2025 as a Managing Director, Macro Strategy. Prior to joining BMO, Katherine was the co-founder and CEO of The Macro Institute, a boutique firm specializing in macro investment training. Katherine has also held senior research roles at UBS and Cornerstone Macro and previously worked in wealth management. She received an MA in Economics and Econometrics from McGill University and a BA in Economics and Mathematical Methods from Northwestern University. She holds the M2SD designation.

Renee Lau is a Principal Financial Services Industry Specialist at Amazon Web Services, where she helps financial institutions translate generative AI and cloud capabilities into business value for capital markets. Prior to this role, she covered North American go-to-market strategy for GenAI across banking, insurance, and capital markets.

Before AWS, Renee spent two decades on the business side of financial services at Goldman Sachs and MUFG, spanning risk management, investment banking advisory, and structured products. She holds a BS in Operations Research from Cornell, an MS in Quantitative Methods from Baruch, and an MBA from Michigan.

Based in New York, she is an avid boulderer, competitive powerlifter, karaoke enthusiast, and Formula 1 fan.

Tia Malhotra joined Golub Capital in 2011 and is a Managing Director on the Direct Lending team. She is responsible for originating, underwriting, executing and monitoring investments for the Firm. Prior to joining Golub Capital, Ms. Malhotra worked at Wind Point Partners, where she executed private equity investments in middle market companies. Ms. Malhotra began her career in the Investment Banking division at J.P. Morgan, where she advised clients on mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity financings.

Ms. Malhotra earned her double major cum laude and with honors in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics from Northwestern University. She received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Samar Maziad, PhD, is Partner & Head of Global Strategy at Tuesday Capital and a sovereign risk and long-term capital strategist. Previously, she was Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund and Vice President at Moody's Investors Service. Her work focuses on the intersection of investment decision-making, macroeconomic policy, and institutional credibility across emerging markets. She holds a PhD in monetary policy and central banking from the University of St Andrews.

Subadra Rajappa is Head of Research for the Americas at Societe Generale. Her responsibilities include leading the US research department in delivering content with impact to our corporate and institutional client base, analyzing market trends and financial data, and providing actionable insights. She is also responsible for publishing thematic research on US rates markets and highlighting relevant trading opportunities. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and broadcast media where she presents her market views to a broader audience. She has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Previous at Morgan Stanley, she was a senior rates strategist focused on macro themes in the rates markets. She was also the lead strategist covering many topics and presenting in-depth research in fixed-income derivatives, inflation, money markets and the evolving regulatory environment. She has extensive experience in global fixed-income markets including positions in research, sales and quantitative analysis at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.

Shawn Snyder leads macroeconomic research at Potomac Fund Management, where he is the firm’s lead macro analyst and author of the Beltway Brief. He specializes in translating complex global economic and financial market developments into actionable investment insights for clients.

Previously, Shawn was an Executive Director and Global Investment Strategist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, advising across platforms representing roughly $1 trillion in client assets, including Chase Wealth Management, First Republic, and J.P. Morgan Advisors.

He also held senior roles at Citigroup, serving as Head of Investment Strategy for U.S. Wealth Management and as a U.S. Economist within the Institutional Clients Group.

Earlier in his career, Shawn served as an Economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Office of Management and Budget.

He has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business, and has been quoted in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and Fortune.

Shawn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from Marian University and a Master’s degree in Economics from George Mason University. He also completed advanced graduate coursework in Finance at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland – College Park.

Albana Theka is the 60th President of the Financial Women's Association (FWA), a national nonprofit advancing the professional development and leadership of women across financial services.

She is the Founder and Principal of Thek.io, a data and AI strategy consulting practice that helps organizations translate data, analytics, and artificial intelligence into measurable business outcomes. Albana partners with executive leaders to define data and AI strategies, design operating models, and build sustainable capabilities that align technology with business priorities.

A seasoned data and finance executive, Albana most recently served as Director and Head of Health Analytics and Data Strategy at the Building Service 32BJ Health Fund. Previously, as Senior Director of Corporate and Finance Analytics at NYC Health + Hospitals, she built the finance analytics function from the ground up and helped lead the roadmap for the Enterprise Data Warehouse. Earlier, she spent over a decade at NYU Langone Health in progressive leadership roles across finance, operations, and strategy.

Albana holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from St. Francis College and an Executive MBA from St. Joseph's College. Outside of work, Albana is the lead vocalist of Albi, a band she formed with her husband that performs across New York City.

Melissa Tuozzolo is a career Transaction Banker with 20 years’ experience spanning several of the world’s largest Global Transaction Banks. She has held roles spanning Product Management, Innovation & Emerging Payments, Institutional Market Management, and now global Client Service.

Melissa is a change agent that has redefined global standards for client service and account management in Transaction Banking. Since rejoining HSBC and assuming leadership of Global Payments Solutions’ (GPS) Client Service and Account Management function in 2023, she has executed a bold strategic vision: combining client-first service with a GenAI technology-led transformation and a culture of integrity.

Melissa brings with her deep payments and cash management expertise, alongside a relentless focus on client experience and a drive to digitize client journeys. She has held a number of leadership roles, including Head of International and Financial Institutions Payments at Bank of America where she oversaw the migration to ISO 20022, implementation of strategic SWIFT initiatives, the transition to real-time 24/7 payments and payments infrastructure modernization. Payment channels under her purview included high value wires, ACH and real-time payment schemes within the bank’s global footprint. Additionally, Melissa has held various Payments leadership positions at Citi including Global Head of Financial Institutions Market Management and Payments Industry and Advocacy Head. She and has previously also held positions at HSBC including North America Head of International Payments.

In addition to her work experience Melissa has been an active member of the Payments Industry including the following previously held roles: US representatives on the Payments Market Practice Group (PMPG), Vice Chair of the SWIFT US National Group, SWIFT Payments Vision Group. She won the Woman in Payments “Change Agent” award in 2022 and was named Euromoney Transaction Banker of the Year 2025 (North America).

Sarah Wolfe is a Senior Economist and Strategist in Morgan Stanley Wealth Management covering macro and thematic investing. Prior to this role she was on the US Economics Research team at MS for five years. Sarah received her BA in International Studies and Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. while completing her master’s. Sarah is a visiting lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, and Chairs the Policy Survey Committee for the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) and Programming Committee for the New York NABE chapter (NYABE).

Evan D. Wolff is a partner at Akin and co-chair of Akin’s cybersecurity, privacy and data protection practice and a member of the firm’s government contracts and national security and global investigations practices. He is ranked by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as a leading privacy and cybersecurity practitioner and is nationally known for his deep technical background and nuanced understanding of complex cybersecurity legal and policy issues.

Over the past two decades, Evan has led investigations into hundreds of cybersecurity incidents. He regularly conducts training and incident simulations, develops response plans and leads privileged investigations. Additionally, he has advised on hundreds of data breaches, working closely with forensic investigators.

Global Capital & Leadership Forum

Cost: FWA Members: $175 | Non-Members: $225

Agenda*

Tuesday, May 5 - Virtual Lunch Panel

Wednesday, May 6 - In-Person Morning Program

Speakers

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