Optimising supply chain finance: Unlocking safe, secure, affordable solutions | Half-Day Conference | 12 May 2025

Optimising supply chain finance: Unlocking safe, secure, affordable solutions | Half-Day Conference | 12 May 2025

Supply Chain Finance (SCF) plays a crucial role in enabling global trade by optimising cash flow, reducing financial risks, reducing the cost of capital and improving liquidity for businesses involved in international transactions. Faster transactions enable businesses to respond to demand fluctuations quickly and helps buyers and suppliers manage working capital efficiently, ensuring smoother trade flows.

This half-day conference is an opportunity to understand the benefits of the UNIDROIT Model Law on Factoring and the UNCITRAL/UNIDROIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts and how these new legal frameworks can help businesses access safe, secure, cheap finance to drive growth and productivity. Led by the ICC United Kingdom, in partnership with UNIDROIT.

The event is free and open to all, aimed at international supply chain finance experts, policy makers, regulators, corporate finance and treasury teams, academics and solution providers. The event precedes the EBRD Annual General Meeting.

15:00 - 15:30

Registration & Networking

15:30 - 15:35

Welcome 

Parvaiz Dalal, Chair, UK Trade Finance Committee, Citi

15:35 - 15:45

Keynote 1  – William Brydie-Watson, UNIDROIT

 

15:45 - 15:55

Keynote 2 – Neal Harm, Secretary General, FCI

 

15:55 - 16:40

Panel 1

This session will explore the challenges facing business in accessing supply chain finance and the implications for international trade, growth and productivity.

Moderator:

Theodora Christou, CASTL

Panelists:

Professor Jean-François Riffard, Dean, Ecole de Droit– Université d’Auvergne – Clermont-Ferrand (France)

Professor Miriam Goldby, CCLS, QMUL

Frederick Rugginaz Head of EMEA & APAC Supply Chain Finance, JPM Chase

Tim Nicolle, CEO, PrimaTrade

16:40 - 17:25

Panel 2

This session will highlight the practical solutions available to business, new financial instruments and how factoring and supply chain finance can help businesses reduce cost and risk, improve liquidity and boost profitability.

Moderator:

Clare Bottle, CEO, UK Warehousing Association

Panelists:

Professor Louise Gullifer, Rouse Ball Professor of English Law, Cambridge University

Andy Greaves, HSEQ Manager, Commodity Centre

Robert Sturt, Operations Director, Meachers Global Logistics

Mark Ling, Head of Trade & Supplier Finance, Santander

Mark Sutcliffe, CEO, BOEX

17:25 - 17:30

Closing Remarks – Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kindgom

17:30 - 19:00

Networking Drinks