Conference | Action, Not Words | 21 October 2025
Action, Not Words: Delivering a Modern, Digital Trade and Trade Finance System
This event will be an opportunity to gather the latest insights on the practical implementation of trade digitalisation both at multilateral and national level including the Roadmap to Digitalise UK Trade. It will be a chance to hear updates from those leading key initiatives, understand the challenges being faced, next steps on delivery and engage and network with experts from industry, government and international institutions.
Registrations
Welcome Remarks
- Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom
Opening Remarks
- Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, Chair of ICC United Kingdom / Co-Chair of B20 Taskforce on Digital Transformation
- Patrick Sutton, Partner, Reed Smith
Panel 1 – What will it take for more companies to digitalise trade?
Overview:
This session will be interactive with audience polling and look at the benefits of digitalisation and why more companies are not adopting digitalisation faster given the proven economic benefits. Speakers will include early adopters and companies scaling solutions with the discussion covering typical barriers to adoption and how to overcome them.
- Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom – Moderator
- Andrew Skene, Director, Skene Scotch Whiskey Ltd
- Susan Ashworth, Senior Trade Finance Specialist, Matalan
Panel 2 – Where are we on making trade cheaper, faster, simpler? A progress update
Overview:
This session will provide a high-level overview of delivery on the Roadmap to Digitalise UK Trade, Plan for Growth and Trade and Corporate Digitalisation Taskforces as well as developments at B20, ASEAN, APAC, World Trade Organization, ICC Digital Standards Initiative and Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting.
- Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom – Moderator
- Ayesha Ali, Deputy Director, Digital Trade and Telecoms, UK Department for Business and Trade
- Oswald Kuyler, Senior Digital Trade Advisor, Asian Development Bank
- Rajiv Babooram, Adviser & Head, (Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda), Economic Development Trade and Investment, The Commonwealth
- Brett Hillis, Partners, Reed Smith
Coffee and Networking Break
Panel 3: Missing architecture; improving access to finance
Overview:
This session will provide progress updates, key challenges and next steps on the development of invoice registries as a means to prevent fraud, reduce tax evasion and open new marketplaces for SME working capital. It will also provide an update on regulatory reform and the implementation of recommendations to streamline Know Your Customer processes.
- Deepesh Patel, Editor in Chief, Trade Treasury Payments – Moderator
- Nuria Vegas, Head of Business Development – LATAM region, Global Legal Identifier Foundation
- Parvais Dalal, Global Head Payables Finance, Citi Bank
- Naresh Aggarwal, Associate Director Policy & Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers
Panel 4: Connecting financial and physical supply chains
Overview:
This session will provide insights, progress updates, learnings and next steps on customs digitalisation and the importance of integration with financial supply chains. The discussion will cover the UK HM Revenue and Customs sandbox, the Joint Customs Consultative Committee Task and Finish Group and potential use of e-invoices as transferable records.
- Sylwia Nowak, Global Trade Technology Manager, Safran – Moderator
- Yann Duval, Chief of Trade Policy and Faciliation, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Professor David Hughes, Associate Dean (Research & Innovation), Teesside University
- Surath Sengupta, Managing Director – Head of Transactions Banking Products, Lloyds
Lunch and Networking Break
Panel 5: Digital Trade Superhighways
Overview:
This session will be the formal launch of the new ICC United Kingdom/International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation report ‘Next Generations Trade Corridors: Building Digital Trade Super Highways’. It will set out a vision for upgrading international trade corridors starting with the backbone of global trade; the maritime silk route and transatlantic trade corridor. The discussion will highlight what trade transactions will look like, profile real world use cases, current infrastructure and ecosystem gaps, findings and proposed next steps.
- Elena Ysewyn, Next Generation Trade Corridors Project Coordinator, International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation – Moderator
- Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom
- David Banks, Director, Government Affairs – Global Trade Corridors, Standard Chartered
- Professor Sarah Green, Arbitrator and Mediator, Newmans Row, Professor of Private Law, University of Bristol
- Imran Khan, Executive Director, ICC India
Coffee and Networking Break
Panel 6: Building new trade technology sectors
Overview:
This session will explore the opportunities and challenges of defining and developing emerging trade technology sectors and solution ecosystems. The discussion will cover the findings of the 2025 ‘Lookbook’ report published by the UK government and the experience from France, as well as launch the updated Solutions Providers Directory 2025.
- Brendan Vickers, Policy Director, ICC United Kingdom – Moderator
- Tom Tilley, Digital Economy and Technology – Asia Pacific, Department for Business and Trade
- Julien Achard, Founder and Group CEO, OpenbanQ
Closing Remarks
- Chris Southworth, Secretary General / Chair, International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation
Networking Drinks & Refreshments
