BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade)

The countdown is on for our upcoming Future Leaders webinar series! Beginning June 2, the BAFT Future Leaders Class of 2026 will lead five complimentary sessions exploring some of the biggest topics shaping transaction banking today, from agentic AI and digital assets to trade finance transformation and the evolving role of the banker. Each session includes live audience Q&A and is open to both members and non-members. Register now for one session or the full series: https://bit.ly/43fiqCP #BAFT #TransactionBanking

Reminder: Our OFAC 101 webinar, for BAFT members only, is next Wednesday, May 27. Join representatives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for an introductory session on U.S. sanctions programs, compliance expectations and enforcement considerations for financial institutions. This webinar is free to attend for BAFT members, but RSVP is required: https://bit.ly/4wsJnAo #BAFT #TransactionBanking

The BAFT Future Leaders Class of 2026 is launching a five-part webinar series exploring the trends, technologies and transformations shaping the future of transaction banking. Join emerging industry leaders, June 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10, for live discussions and audience Q&A on topics including: - Agentic AI in transaction banking - Non-bank participation in trade finance - AI, blockchain and tokenization in trade finance - The future banker - Practical uses of digital assets These complimentary webinars are open to both members and non-members, and you can attend one session or register for the full series. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/43fiqCP #BAFT #TransactionBanking

Yesterday, BAFT welcomed industry leaders from across the trade, payments and transaction banking ecosystem to Nairobi for the 2026 BAFT Africa Forum. Held alongside GTR East Africa, the forum brought together banks, corporates, fintechs and market experts for candid discussion on the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping African markets, from geopolitics and trade finance to cross-border payments and FX liquidity. We were also proud to host a Women in Transaction Banking Briefing today complete with incredible conversations about how women leaders are shaping African transaction banking, turning measurement into impact and more. Thank you to our speakers, partners, sponsors and attendees for contributing to a thoughtful and engaging couple of days of dialogue and connection! #BAFT #TransactionBanking

One of the clear takeaways from this year’s BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade) Global Annual Meeting was how rapidly AI has moved up the operational agenda for trade finance and transaction banking. Reporting from Orlando, GTR heard increasingly pragmatic discussions about onboarding, document processing, scale and cost pressure. Our piece explores the growing tension between AI acceleration and industry unease.

Join BAFT on Wednesday, May 27, for a complimentary webinar with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). This OFAC 101 session will provide an introduction to U.S. sanctions programs, OFAC’s approach to compliance and enforcement, and key considerations for financial institutions. Attendance is free, but advance RSVP is required: https://bit.ly/4wsJnAo #BAFT #TransactionBanking

The 2026 BAFT Africa Forum is just five days away! Are you all signed up to join us in Nairobi on May 13? If not, there’s still time, and registration is complimentary. You can also sign up onsite once you arrive. Join senior leaders across transaction banking, trade and payments for focused discussion and meaningful networking alongside Global Trade Review (GTR) East Africa. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/477eNBo #BAFT #TransactionBanking

Our newly elected BAFT 2026-2027 Board of Directors! Announced during the BAFT Global Annual Meeting 2026, the new Board brings together leaders from across the global transaction banking industry to help guide BAFT’s strategic direction and advance the interests of the international financial community. Congratulations to the 2026–2027 officers: Nick Smit, ING Michelle Knowles, Absa Group Miriam Ratkovicova, Deloitte Suresh Subramanian, BNP Paribas Tod Burwell, BAFT View the full Board of Directors: https://lnkd.in/ePNEUHf7

Together with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Trade Treasury Payments (TTP), BAFT is proud to announce the launch of a new guide that brings clarity to documentary collections and their critical role in trade finance. The publication explores the role of documentary collections in international trade, examining how they sit between open account trade and documentary credits by offering greater documentary control with lower cost and complexity. Featuring insights from Deepesh Patel (TTP), David Meynell (TradeLC Advisory), Tod Burwell (BAFT), and Jon Boran (Lloyds Banking Group), the guide addresses key operational considerations under URC 522 and eURC 1.1, alongside common misconceptions, digitalisation trends, and evolving risk considerations across the collections landscape. As documentary collections play a defined role in global trade, the guide provides practical insight for exporters, importers, banks, and trade professionals navigating today’s market. Read and download the full guide: https://bit.ly/4uulbf7

Day 3 marked the conclusion of another successful BAFT Global Annual Meeting in Orlando. Our final day featured timely discussions on treasury leadership, financial crime prevention, trade finance transformation and the growing role of AI in transaction banking. Sessions explored how organizations are adapting to geopolitical uncertainty, evolving regulation, accelerating digitalization and rapidly changing client expectations. Highlights include the Treasurer’s Panel, conversations on cyber resiliency and AML compliance in the AI era, a forward-looking discussion on the future of trade finance and a closing session examining AI as an industry inflection point and where it is already delivering meaningful enterprise value across financial services. As we conclude the 2026 Global Annual Meeting, thank you to all of our attendees, speakers and sponsors for helping make this year’s conference such a valuable and engaging experience for the global transaction banking community. We look forward to continuing the conversations throughout the year and seeing everyone again next year! #BAFT #TransactionBanking