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 and QMUL.
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.
2025.04.18 – Summary Note – Model Law on Factoring (UNIDROIT)
2025.05.01 – Summary Note – Model Law on Warehouse Receipts (UNCITRALUNIDROIT)
https://uncitral.un.org/en/mlwr
https://uncitral.un.org/sites/uncitral.un.org/files/media-documents/uncitral/en/mlwr_preprint.pdf
Registration
Following registration in the reception delegates will be directed into the auditorium to take their seats.
Introductions
Anna Veneziano, Deputy Secretary General, UNIDROIT
Rosa Lastra, Professor, Sir John Lubbock Chair in Banking Law, QMUL
Opening Remarks
Parvaiz Dalal, Chair, UK Trade Finance Committee, Citi
Keynote 1 – Neal Harm, Secretary General, FCI
Keynote 2 – William Brydie-Watson, UNIDROIT
Panel 1 – Creating a model legal framework for economic growth
This session will explore the challenges facing business in accessing supply chain finance, the different forms of trade and supply chain finance available and the implications for international trade, growth and productivity. The discussion will cover UNIDROIT Model Law on Factoring and the UNCITRAL – UNIDROIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts and how these support the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act and the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.
Moderator:
Dr Theodora Christou, CASTL & QMUL
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, Founder, PrimaTrade
Luca Castellani, Secretary, UNCITRAL Working Group I (Warehouse Receipts)
Panel 2 – Financing growth: solving the finance gap
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 cash management as well as boost profitability and resilience in a turbulent world.
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, General Manager Transport & Warehousing, Meachers Global Logistics
Mark Ling, Head of Trade & Supplier Finance, Santander
Mark Sutcliffe, Co-Founder, BOEX
Closing Remarks
Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kindgom
Networking Drinks