ITFA Podcast Channel

In this episode, Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) discusses the BAFT Trade Finance Sustainability Guidelines with the project lead, Anna Plewinska-Pijl (ING Bank), and two members of ITFA’s African Regional Committee (ARC): George Wilson (ARM ) and Derryn Faure (Investec).
The discussion covers:
- The genesis of the guidelines and status of global sustainability standards
- How this approach bridges the gap between developed and developing markets
- How SME traders and their banks can use the guidelines to unlock concessional sustainable finance
- What next for the guidelines and roll-out to the industry

In this episode we discuss a major debate affecting anyone involved in US trade: US tariff rebates. Which will be applied and which repealed, how will the rebates be paid and what is the outlook for tariffs going forward?
To shed light on this issue, Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) speaks with two seasoned experts in the field to get their insights: Anna Lea McNerney, Partner in the New York office of Sullivan & Worcester, and an ITFA Americas member; and Bradley Max, Director at Cherokee Acquisition.
Their discussion covers:
- The current status of US tariffs, legal challenges and the process for claiming rebates
- The key battle lines between the Trump administration, the courts and consumer/business bodies
- The impact tariffs have had on trade finance so far, and how banks are managing this
- The outlook for US tariffs – are they here to stay? 

In this episode we explore one of ITFA’s most dynamic working groups: the ITFA Trade Finance Investment Ecosystem (ITFIE). Put simply, ITFIE’s mission is to make trade an investable asset class.
To explore its work, Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) speaks with Paul Coles (MPC Chairman & Orbian) and Geoff Wynne (ITFIE member & Sullivan & Worcester) about:
- ITFIE’s objectives & collaboration with the MPC
- The barriers to investing in trade finance as an asset class
- Examples of market guidance and industry templates that are ‘oven ready’
- How ITFIE’s work could support TF COP in its mission to close the trade finance gap

In this episode, Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) speaks with the ITFA Emerging Leaders Committee Chair, Charlie O’Mulloy (EBRD) and fellow ELC Board members Patrick Baatz (BACB) and Mayo Adeyeye (Barclays UK) about:
-       Their career journeys into trade finance
-       The mission of the ELC and how its members benefit from its work
-       Highlights of the 2026 agenda, including seminars and workshops, the 10,000 Interns programme and the ITFA Emerging Leader Award
-       Their views on how AI is impacting the professional world and how this will create new opportunities in trade finance

In this episode, we discuss the outlook for ITFA, trade finance and formatting in 2026.
 
Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) has a wide-ranging discussion with Sean Edwards (ITFA Chair) about:
 
🌍 The outlook for trade finance and forfaiting in 2026 and how financial professionals can grapple with increasing complexity
🎯 ITFA’s strategic priorities for the year
🎯 ITFA’s key work streams, including the Market Practice Committee (MPC), regulatory advocacy, fintech, ESG (SROI) and TF COP
🎯 Major ITFA and partner events to look out for this year

In this episode, we explore the work of the recently-created ITFA Regulatory Advocacy Committee (RAC).
 
Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) interviews Silja Calac, Head of Private Debt Mobilization for Supply Chain Finance and Documentary Trade Finance for Banco Santander, ITFA Board member and RAC Chair, and fellow RAC member Christian Hausherr, Product Manager Trade Finance at Deutsche Bank and Chair of the Global Supply Chain Finance Forum (GSCFF), about:
 
🌍 The origins and evolution of the ITFA Regulatory Advocacy Committee
🎯 The Committee's membership and its work on Insurance, LPD, CRD6, ESG and TF COP
🎯 Collaboration with the Global Supply Chain Finance Forum (GSCFF)
🎯 Insights on how to advocate effectively with regulators (which means patience, persuasion and persistence!)

💥Beyond Paper: Lessons from First Brands — In Conversation with ITFAWhen the First Brands scandal hit, it sent shockwaves through the trade finance world. Lockboxes. Due diligence. Governance gaps.Once again, the question looms large: How well do we really know the trades we finance?In this joint podcast by Commodities People and the ITFA Americas Committee, Ben Hillary, Managing Director of Commodities People, sits down with Anton Posner and Todd Lynady, Advisory Board Members at ITFA, to unpack:🔍 The real story behind the First Brands fallout⚖️ What it exposes about transparency and governance in trade finance🌍 How the industry can rebuild trust, and what needs to change nextThis isn’t just another discussion, it’s a reality check for everyone in trade finance.

In this episode, Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat) speaks with André Casterman (ITFA Board Member & Chair of the Fintech Committee), Alla Papaika (Head of Investment at Done) and Nasser Sweileh (Head of Financial Crime Compliance Solutions at Eastnets) about:
 
- The origins and evolution of the ITFA Fintech Committee- The Committee's membership and key work streams
- Their involvement in the Digital Negotiable Instruments (DNI), Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) and Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) initiatives.

In this episode, Dr Tedd George (Kleos Advisory & ARC Secretariat), interviews Duarte Pedreira (ITFA Board Member & Chair of the TF COP Task Force) and Johnny Ohgrøn Hansen (Operations & Project Manager of the TF COP Task Force) about the origins of the Trade Finance Conference of Parties (TF COP), its mission and priorities, and upcoming events in Washington DC (20 October) and London (21 November).

ITFA Americas co-chair, Harp Mann sits down with Dan Renberg, Partner and Government Relations Practice Co-Leader at ArentFox Schiff, to break down the latest developments in U.S. tariffs—what’s driving these policies, how they’re affecting industries, supply chains, and consumers, and what businesses can do to navigate the uncertainty.