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Agenda
From Legacy to Leading Edge: Reinventing Banking Technology.
The European Digital Finance Conference (EDFC) returns in March 2026 with a bold new theme: From Legacy to Leading Edge: Reinventing Banking Technology. This edition focuses on one of the most pressing challenges in financial services today; modernizing decades-old core systems to enable real innovation, agility, and AI adoption.
Across three in-depth sessions, industry leaders, transformation experts, and senior architects from Europe’s leading banks will explore how to evolve the mainframe backbone, decouple monolithic cores, and unlock the hidden value in legacy data and integration layers. Expect real-world case studies, candid discussions, and practical insights into the technology strategies shaping the next decade of banking. Banks that have registered speakers and/or delegates so far include ABN AMRO Bank, ING, Rabobank, Crédit Agricole, mBank, Deutsche Bank, Handelsbanken and others.
Session 1 — Re-Platforming the Core: From Legacy Constraint to Innovation Engine
How leading banks are turning mainframe and core platforms into API-driven foundations for digital experience, AI enablement and continuous value delivery
09:00 – 12:00
Session chair: Mac Mahalingam, AWS Global Financial Services, Amazon
Presentations:
How innovation is reshaping financial services by Yorick Naeff, Head of Innovation, ABN AMRO Bank (20 minutes)
From creating better client experiences to unlocking new ways of delivering value in an increasingly digital world.
Platform-Led Core Transformation: Building the Bank for the Next Decade by Vladimira Tomasek, Head of Core Banking Systems, VUB Bank and Brad Goad, CRO Banking Services DXC GrowthX (20 minutes)
Modern core banking transformation leverages existing systems through functional decoupling, modular architecture, and platform thinking—supported by strategic vendor partnerships that enable continuous innovation and long‑term sustainability.
Mainframe@Rabobank: Our Modernization Journey by Henk van Dasler, VP, Manager Generic Infra Services, Retail NL, Rabobank (20 minutes)
Rabobank’s modernization journey putting the mainframe platform as the back end of the new core payment systems.
Reimagine Legacy: Deterministic Understanding for AI-Speed Delivery by Ohad Kotler, CEO and Co-Founder, Tweezr (20 minutes)
Changing the Engine While Flying: How to Modernize a Core Banking System Without Stopping the Business by Michał Niedźwiecki, IT Director, mBank (20 minutes)
Presentation title to be confirmed by OutSystems (20 min)
Panel discussion: Innovation in Banking Built on Legacy Foundations (40 mins)
- Innovating without replacing the core: pragmatism vs ambition
- How legacy platforms can still enable digital products and speed
- The role of AI in modernizing, operating, and extending legacy systems
- Lessons learned from large-scale legacy transformation programs
Panelists:
- Nathan Snyder, Head of Modernization, DXC
- Peter Heijblom, Head of Mainframe, ABN AMRO Bank
- Alexander Wiener, CEO and Co-Founder, Element
12:00 – 13:00 LUNCH BREAK
Session 2 — The Composable Bank: Delivering Core Transformation Without Breaking the Business
Decoupling account engines, introducing microservices, and navigating the strategic trade-offs between in-house builds and ecosystem partnerships
13:00 – 15:00
Session Chair: Alessandro Vozza, Solution Engineer Cloud & AI (Apps), Microsoft
Presentations:
The 94% core – banking problem: What derails modernization, and actionable insights from CIOs by Paolo Sironi, Global Research Leader in Banking, IBM (40 minutes)
Transforrming the beating heart of the bank : Modernising the Account Engine Application Layer by Sandhya Garapati, IT Chapter Lead & Product Lead, ING (20 minutes)
Why Most Core Banking Modernization Programs Fail — and How to Avoid It by John Mason, SVP Customer Engineering, Zafin (10 minutes)
To Fly Solo or Partner: That is the Question by Aaron Kouhoupt, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP (10 minutes)
Panel discussion: Edge Banking: Resilient Services Beyond the Core (40 minutes)
- Offline banking capabilities: payments, KYC, and customer identification
- Designing edge architectures for resilience and regulatory continuity
- Synchronizing edge services with central cores and data platforms
- Edge banking as an enabler for financial inclusion and new markets
Panelists
- Matias Tesolin, Co-Founder & CPTO, GoDutch
- Damir Vodenicarevic, CEO & Co-Founder, Clehance
- Bruno Sanglé-Ferrière, CEO, Carrousel Digital
15:00 – 16:00 COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
Session 3 — Governing Intelligence: Architecture, Data & Control in a Regulated Age
Designing resilient data and analytics ecosystems that support innovation while protecting regulated execution
16:00 – 17:30
Session Chair: Rheta du Preez, Managing Partner, Monocle UK and Europe
Presentations:
Transformation and Compliance: A Team Sport by Jérôme Léger, Chief Architect & Head of Architecture & Design Authorities, Groupe Crédit Agricole (10 minutes)
- The context: 100 sources of requirements you can’t ignore
- The rules: 3 red flags you’d better know
- The strategy: to manage complexity, 1 size does not fit all… but there are some tips
Externalising Intelligence: Designing Decision Engines Beyond the Regulated Core by Niclas Storz, Founder & CEO, Tidely
Architecting Trust: Data, Analytics and Regulatory Resilience Beyond the Legacy Stack by Aleksandra Brdar Turk, Chief Transformation Officer, OTP Bank (10 minutes)
Panel discussion: Data, Analytics & Compliance in the Age of Regulation (40 minutes)
- Operationalizing BCBS239 across fragmented data estates
- Using analytics and data quality controls to strengthen financial crime prevention
- DORA, AI Act, and the future of regulatory data architectures
- Balancing innovation with control in highly regulated banking environments
Panelists:
- Krista Luijten, Chief Data Officer Finance & Risk, ABN AMRO Bank
- Jérôme Léger, Chief Architect & Head of Architecture & Design Authorities, Groupe Crédit Agricole
- Aleksandra Brdar Turk, Chief Transformation Officer, OTP Bank
17:30 – 21:00 Money Party
Networking with The Banking 50 and EDFC
Join us at the Money Party, the official networking reception of the European Digital Finance Conference. Powered by The Banking 50, this is where meaningful connections are made, ideas are exchanged, and business opportunities come to life. An unmissable chance to expand and strengthen your professional network in banking and financial services.
