Speakers

Sami joined Trust My Group in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer, alongside the group’s founding CEO and CTO, developing the business from its founding brand, Trust My Travel, into a diverse portfolio of businesses specialising in risk management, payments services, technology solutions and financial protection services specifically designed for the travel sector. Before joining TMG, Sami was a corporate trader for CitiBank’s FX brokerage, Paymaster International. Sami launched one of the Group’s newest brands, TMU Management, an insurance managing agency broker, in 2022, where Sami is currently Chief Executive Officer. TMU Management specialises in facilitating insolvency related technology-led insurance products to the travel sector and financial services sectors servicing the travel industry. Sami launched TMU’s financial failure insurance products for travel merchants in 2022 and it’s ground breaking Acquiring Chargeback Insurance product last year.

Paul advises Airlines and OTA’s on their payment strategy and other players in the Travel payment value chain (Schemes, IATA, GDS’s, Acquirers, VCN issuers, Payment gateways, Fraud, FX and other Service providers) on how to reach the next level. This includes defining or fine-tuning their Travel vertical strategy and go to market plan, challenging their product offering & partner strategy, advising on the impact of regulation changes and performing a gap & competitor analysis.

Roberto Da Re, a seasoned figure in the Travel Technology space with over 25 years of experience, kickstarted his career at SABRE in Europe and the US. He then founded Dolphin Dynamics in the late nineties, showcasing his knack for blending booking engine technology and travel supply chain knowledge.
In 2016, Roberto's fascination with Fintech, Blockchain, and the rapidly transforming payment industry led him to envision Travel Ledger, a revolutionary B2B settlement platform for the Travel Industry. By 2018, he dedicated himself entirely to this venture, turning it into a thriving platform with over 2,000 users in the UK and expanding globally.
Beyond his tech prowess, Roberto is a sought-after speaker at travel industry events and finds balance in family life, golfing, and his love for Formula One.

Greg Toussaint is a Director in Edgar, Dunn & Company (EDC) Paris office with over 15 years of consulting experience with EDC in business strategy for clients in Asia, Europe, North and South America. Greg has worked in EDC London's, Sydney's and Paris' offices and developed global perspectives on payments. Within EDC, Greg co-leads EDC’s Travel Payments Practice globally, working on strategy topics for all actors in the travel value chain (e.g. travel agents, airlines, hotels, car rental operators, corporates, issuers, acquirers and payment schemes). Greg recently published a white paper on 7 best practices for corporate to improve corporate payments. Outside of work, Grégoire plays the saxophone and loves baking cakes.

Heli Mäki-Fränti has been working in the travel industry since the mid-1990s. She is the Managing Director of the Association of Finnish Travel Industry (SMAL) since 2007. Heli is the the Vice President of the European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, ECTAA.
A long career in the travel industry has involved both advocacy work on the preparation and application of legislation and close cooperation with the media, public authorities, policy makers and, of course, national and international partners in the travel and tourism sector. Heli is widely networked and active in many travel-related national, Nordic&Baltic and international working groups and forums, including ECTAA Executive Board and Air Matters’ Committee, the APJC Finland, the national Advisory Group for Package Travel, the Ministerial Travel Forum and Matka Nordic Travel Fair Advisory Group.
Heli encourages good cooperation but also calls for a level playing field within travel industry . She hopes that the great importance of the travel industry is recognised both in the EU Member States and in the EU institutions.

Eric Drésin has been serving as the Secretary General of the European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators since September 2019. With a dedicated team and the invaluable expertise of member organizations, his mission is to amplify the voice of travel agents and tour operators in their interactions with European institutions, international organizations, and foster productive collaborations with stakeholders and partners.
During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eric and his team worked diligently to secure essential support from European institutions for travel intermediaries. Today, his focus is on championing the development of a resilient and sustainable travel industry in Europe, ensuring that it can adapt and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

Mark has always worked at the heart of the Belgian travel industry. After is master's degree in law, he became General Secretary of the Belgian Tourism Industry Federation (FTI) in 1991, which is still a member of ECTAA today. In 1993, he became Director of ABTO, the Belgian association of tour operators. In that position, he was a director and arbitrator in the Travel Disputes Committee. In 1995, the Belgian travel industry established the Travel Guarantee Fund (GFG), with Mark at its head. 'Nine Eleven', eruption of the Icelandic volcano, the 2008 financial crisis, Thomas Cook's bankruptcy, the Covid19 crisis... he experienced it all from the front row, piloting the GFG ship through turbulent waters.
He boasts that travellers in Belgium are the best protected in the EU, as all payments to travel organizations for trips to be undertaken are covered, including individual travel services. However, he would like to see the European Commission go further and truly protect ALL travellers, including against the bankruptcy of airlines, among others. This would simultaneously reduce the risk for tour operators and their travellers and guarantee funds.
Since 2016, he is Chairman of EGFATT, the European Guarantee Funds’ Association, which he founded with the French and Dutch guarantee funds in 2011.

Christian Möller earned his Master Degree in Business at the University of Lüneburg, Germany. He is Director Transport & Distribution for ECTAA. Previous roles have been Manager Procurement for Lufthansa City Center International, where he was responsible for Airline, GDS, Rental Car & Credit Card contracts as well as Global Franchise Account Manager for international franchise agencies. He worked as Manager Air Matters, Business Travel, Business Economy and Fraud Prevention at DRV, the German Travel Association in Berlin. He started his career as a Consultant Business Travel for Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Germany and was an intern with Lufthansa in New York and Patti Roscoe & Associates (PRA) Destination Management in Seattle, Washington.

Tejash is the Underwriting Director for Arcus Solutions and is responsible for the acceptance, management and monitoring of risks which require insolvency protection bonds, policies and guarantees, either in the UK or in EU countries. He has significant experience in the tourism sector thanks to twelve years of supporting travel agents and tour operators in the United Kingdom and across Europe.

Daniela is a Member of the Executive Board of ECTAA and Vice-President of ABTTA. She has been on the ABTTA Board since 2016 including as President from 2019-2021. She was a Deputy Minister for Tourism of Bulgaria in 2021. Since 1997 she is owner and Director of Tandem Travel, an incoming travel agency and DMC for Bulgaria. Before she held leading roles in Balkan Holidays, Bulgaria.
Daniela holds a Master in Tourism Management & Marketing from the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria, a project management certificate from the University of Delaware, IATA education and a PhD from the South West University in Bulgaria.

With nearly a decade at Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), Rhiana has developed deep expertise across multiple facets of the travel industry, spanning both Leisure and Corporate travel, Finance and Technology disciplines, and GDS Distribution. Now specializing in B2B payments, Rhiana plays a pivotal role in optimizing payment workflows and driving innovation on a global scale. Supporting multiple countries with diverse challenges, Rhiana collaborates with airlines, hotels, and car rental providers as well as Fin-Tech and Banking partners worldwide to create seamless, efficient solutions that enhance both supplier and buyer experiences. 

Craig McClure is the Director of Relationship Management at Fi911 and Chargebacks911.  In his role, he equips clients with the regulatory knowledge and skills needed to manage chargebacks effectively.  He possesses more than two decades of industry experience working in payments both in banks and in payment schemes directly.    Craig works with stakeholders in the travel sector to educate on the fast-moving world of disputes, fraud and chargebacks as well as to bring strategies to solve business problems and prevent losses. 

Olivier has been active as a lawyer in the travel and aviation sector for 35 years, representing a wide range of organizations across the value chain, from travel agents to tour-operators, large and small, on-line and brick-and-mortar, to national and international trade associations, airlines, cruise companies, railways, hotel companies, liability and insolvency insurers, tech providers and public authorities. His practice extends far beyond national borders. He is a regular lecturer and author in this field. He is president of an arbitral college of the Belgian Travel Dispute Committee. He is member of several travel related associations, such as IFTTA (a global association for travel and tourism practitioners and academics) where he sits on the board as treasurer. As a privileged observer of the many challenges, evolutions and changes the industry has faced over the years, he has a deep understanding of the ins and outs of the sector.

István Ujhelyi dr. is the founder-president of „Capital European Affairs”, a Brussels-based consultancy and think-tank, currently ambassador of UN Tourism, responsible for the cooperation with the EU institutions, senior advisor at the APCO Worldwide consulting group and a global advisor supporting the HiSeas International Tourism Group. Educated as a jurist, he is a former Member of the European Parliament. Over the past decade, he served as vice-chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) as part of the social democratic group and as an elected representative of Hungary. Previously, he was a member and deputy-speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly and held decision-making positions in various governments, including as Secretary of State for regional development and the Prime Minister’s Office. He also chaired the National Tourism Committee in Hungary.

Sudheer, a Chartered Accountant since 1984, has worked for the accountancy practices of Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse in London and the Netherlands where he specialised in Interim Finance Director roles, Fraud Investigations and Litigation support for clients across the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. Sudheer has broad commercial experience and expertise in a range of industries including Travel encompassing Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Bed Banks and Airlines amongst other businesses. A Travel Trustee since 2001, Sudheer is an expert in Trust and Escrow arrangements for protection of Consumer and Other funds. He founded PT Trustees’ (PTT) in 2011 which services Travel (Flight and Non Flight), Gift Cards & Vouchers, Festivals, Airlines, Insurance and Acquirer protection vehicles. In 2022, PTT expanded operations into Europe and in 2024, PTT managed £6bn of Trust and Escrow funds with growth projected in the coming years. 

Will has been involved in the travel industry for over 20 years - first as a tour operator and then owning a DMC in Oman, before setting up Trust My Travel in 2011, with the sole task of providing a financially protected payment solution to travel companies around the world.  Will is passionate about both the travel and payments industries and how they can integrate with one enough and work seamlessly together for the benefit of all players, from customers to merchants; suppliers to acquirers and insurers.  As Trust My Travel has expanded into Trust My Group Will and his team have looked closer at all the risk components in travel payments and the mitigations and protections that can be put in place to protect the entire sector as comprehensively, but as cost effectively, as possible. Data and technology sits at the heart of everything the group does and Will is a strong advocate for this being the driving force in enabling travel companies, insurers, acquirers and schemes in being able to make informed risk decisions. 
When he is not thinking about travel payments and how he can better support the ecosystem Will loves travelling the world, and getting under the skin of new places, with his family.

Tania is the Global Head of B2B Travel for Visa Commercial Solutions, where she responsible for the creation and execution of the business strategy for this rapidly evolving, high growth vertical segment. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the payments, financial services and telecommunications sectors, Tania has led successful businesses around the world. Prior to joining Visa in early 2024, she managed the Commercial team at Outpayce from Amadeus, serving the global travel ecosystem with new advances in payments.  Tania has also previously held senior business development roles at American Express, MasterCard Payment Gateway Services, Vodafone and IDT.    
In addition to nurturing client and partner relationships and driving business performance, she is passionate about developing teams and is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion. She is also a volunteer fundraiser for Food Bank Aid - a North London charity that supplies over 30 food banks across the region.   
 Tania holds a first-class degree in Business Studies and French from the University of Stirling, UK.  She lives in North London with her husband and has two sons.   Outside of work, she enjoys socialising with friends and family - usually over food in London's great restaurants, traveling and nights out at the theatre and cinema.  

Michael Oliva is Vice President of Dispute Resolution Management at Mastercard, where he leads strategic initiatives related to chargebacks. A recognized expert in the payments industry, Michael trains and consults for Mastercard ecosystem participants across Europe, Asia, and the US, and collaborates regularly with regulators and industry associations to protect both consumers and merchants. His work also includes advancing these protections within Mastercard’s next-generation payment systems, such as Account-to-Account (A2A), Open Banking, and other emerging payment methods. Since joining Mastercard in 2012, Michael has held roles in Brussels, Singapore, and is currently based in Amsterdam.

Diego is Director for business development, part of the B2B travel payments team within Mastercard where he leads the global travel intermediary vertical including travel agencies amongst other segments (lodging, travel tech, corporate travel). Diego is based in Madrid and prior to that he lead the B2B Travel business development efforts for Latin and North America, based in Miami. Before joining Mastercard in 2020, he spent almost 10 years in the payments travel industry working for Amadeus across multiple locations (Madrid, Nice, Dallas and Miami) and roles, with a combined experience of around 12 years in the travel payment industry.

Mathieu is Commercial Director of Arcus Solutions and leads the growth of Arcus Solutions' business across Europe. Arcus Solutions is the European arm of the Travel & General Insurance group, market leader in travel bonds in the United Kingdom. Since 2022, Arcus Solutions has distributed its financial protection solutions in France, Ireland, Austria, Germany, Nordics, Belgium and occasionally certain other European countries.
Mathieu was a member of the creation team of a leading brokerage firm in France, particularly in regulated professions, and brings nearly fifteen years of experience in underwriting and development.

Maarten is a recognized leader in the travel IT industry with over 20 years of experience in innovation and community building. As the founder of Perseuss, he created one of the most effective fraud prevention communities, uniting a global community of over 80 airlines to collaboratively tackle fraud. His approach has shaped industry standards and fostered collaboration among airlines. Now, as Chief Product Officer  and founder at Actuary.aero, Maarten continues to drive innovation, applying his expertise to develop cutting-edge solutions that redefine risk management and support clients in navigating complex challenges. 

Marcelo Marcos de Oliveira: Partner at CMO Lawyers (Lorena, São Paulo, Brazil) since 2000. Postgraduate degree in State Law and postgraduate degree in Consumer Law. Founder of the @Turisprudencia profile on Instagram. Legal advisor to ABAV Nacional - Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies, ABRACORP - Brazilian Association of Corporate Travel Agencies, BELTA - Brazilian Association of Educational and Cultural Travel Organizers, ABAV/SP.AVIESP - Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies of the State of São Paulo. Member of IFTTA - International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates. Representative of ABAV in WTAAA - World Travel Agents Associations Alliance and FOLATUR - Latin American Tourism Forum. Author of publications in the International Journal of Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Law. Member of the Consumer Law Committee of OAB/SP. He was a member of the Committee on Law Applied to Hotels and Tourism of the OAB/SP, coordinating studies on legislation applied to travel agencies. He was a travel agent with his father (who has been a travel agent for 40 years) for over 10 years.

Benoît Chantoin is an experienced French European affairs professional with a strong focus on consumer protection and legal matters. Over the past 17 years, Benoît has built a robust track record in advancing consumer protection, contributing his skills to NGOs, consultancies, and leading industry organizations. Since 2012, he has held the position of Director for Legal and Consumer Affairs at ECTAA (European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association), representing 70,000 travel intermediaries, mostly SMEs, and playing a pivotal role in shaping policy for both online and offline businesses. His 13-year engagement with the Package Travel Directive underscores his depth of knowledge and commitment to enhancing travel consumer rights in Europe. In January 2024, Benoît further expanded his leadership responsibilities as Secretary General of EGFATT (European Guarantee Fund Association for Travel and Tourism).

Emmanuelle LLOP is a member of the Paris Bar and has 36 years experience in tourism, aviation and events law. She provides her recognised expertise, both as counsel and in litigation, to numerous French, European and international professionals such as travel agencies, tour operators, hospitalities, airlines, luxury groups, trade unions, start-ups and OTAs, cruise lines, insurers and financial guarantors. Constantly thinking on the development of the travel sector, she regularly contributes to doctrine. She is a member of the editorial boards of leading publications and several travel-related bodies, including IFTTA (International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates) and SKAL, an international private club for all tourism professionals.
Emmanuelle teaches at universities and tourism schools and is a regular speaker at conferences. She is a director and President of the French association Femmes du Tourisme.