Tuesday, 12 May 2026 | Dubai, UAE

Douglas joined the firm in 2005 and since 2010 has edited Retail Banker International and Electronic Payments Intl and also oversees wealth management title Private Banker International. He was Chair of The Digital Banking Club (2013-2018), and has contributed to other in-house titles including The New Statesman, verdict.co.uk and Investment Monitor.

Joanne Kumire is a Lead Analyst specialising in banking and financial services, with over ten years of experience spanning fintech, merchant acquiring, and digital innovation. She works on a global scale, advising financial institutions, technology providers, and industry stakeholders on strategy, transformation, and competitive positioning.

Her expertise covers retail and commercial banking, digital transformation, customer-centric growth strategies, and the evolving role of technology in financial services. Joanne is known for combining robust market intelligence with strategic insight to help organisations respond to regulatory change, shifting consumer expectations, and an increasingly dynamic global landscape.

Mohammed Hasan is a Senior Consultant in the Financial Services consulting team. His area of focus includes strategic advisory, economic modelling, and market analysis. He began his career at GlobalData in 2020 as an Analyst on the Banking and Payments team. Mohammed earned his undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics before attending New York University’s Stern Business School and completing his MBA.

Phoebe is an analyst within the GlobalData Banking and Payments team, based in London. She covers wealth management and retail banking, focusing on digital innovation, fraud and how evolving customer expectations are transforming financial services.

Sarah Rizvi is Banking & Finance Editor at MEED. She leads high-impact editorial and industry engagement across the banking and financial services ecosystem, shaping agendas and conversations on strategy, regulation and digital transformation. She works closely with senior executives, analysts and innovators to translate complex market shifts into clear, decision-ready insight for leadership audiences. She is a senior journalist and content strategist with a background in technology and business reporting.

Steve is a Lead Analyst within Global Data's Financial Services Practice responsible for Fintech and Thematic content. His research covers all areas of digital transformation strategy from both a customer and technology perspective, with a particular focus on disruptive new business models. Prior to GD, Steve spent time at Forrester and Gartner, and within Strategy roles at Lloyds bank. 

Todd is responsible for Celent, a GlobalData company across India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) and Asia Pacific (AP) regions and has over 30 years’ experience in Financial Services research, advisory and consultancy.

For more than 30 years, Todd has worked at the intersection of financial services strategy, market expansion, and executive advisory across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. He has led regional businesses with full P&L responsibility and partnered directly with boards, CEOs, and executive committees to shape growth strategies, go-to-market execution, and large-scale transformation programmes. Previously he established the Middle East operations for publicly listed firms Gartner and Forrester, building their MENA regional presence from the ground up and working closely with leading banks, insurers, regulators, and government entities to support strategic decision-making, performance improvement and sustainable expansion.

Today, Todd advises financial institutions and financial services technology firms on competitive positioning, regulatory navigation, and cross-border growth. He is engaged when leadership teams need to pressure-test investment cases, validate market assumptions, refine engagement models, or strengthen execution strategies. Combining a depth of experience with regional networks and CXO and board-level advisory exposure, he helps clients translate strategy into commercially viable outcomes while mitigating the execution risks that often undermine otherwise well-conceived financial services initiatives.