Dr. Tom James, an acclaimed Thought Leader in Commodity Markets & Financial Services, is renowned for his 33+ years of expertise in Commodity, Energy, and Emissions markets. He's a FinTech Entrepreneur, Fund Manager and Author, sought after by Governments and Multinationals for advice on market development and business ecosystem health. He is co-founder of TradeFlow Capital Management, the world's first fund group investing in global commodity trade by SMEs. His contributions to written knowledge, including 12 books, are referenced globally, and are required reading for professionals and academics. He holds a PhD in global commodity markets within the functional disciplines of trade and risk management.

Michelle Knowles is the Pan Africa Head of Trade and Working Capital Product. During her 20 + years in the Banking industry, Michelle has spent a major part of her career in International Trade, holding several different roles and responsibilities. In her current role, Michelle is responsible for executing the Trade and Working Capital Product and Digital strategy across Pan Africa. The evolution of Supply Chain Finance products and Digital Trade has been a key focus for her.

Michelle has a master’s degree in Business Leadership and has completed the SAFEX Registered Persons examination for Bond, Equity, and Future markets. In addition, she holds a certificate in Business Psychology and human behavior from UNISA and is currently a member of the Institute of South African Financial Markets. She is a member of the global advisory committee for Factors Chain International and was appointed the Co-Chair of the BAFT Africa council in 2021, appointed to the BAFT Board in 2021, and appointed as BAFT Treasurer in 2023. She is a regular speaker at conferences and contributes to articles on the topic of Trade Finance, digitization ,and SMEs.