MEFX TRACKS:

Many markets in the Middle East are over-banked. Coupled with the impact of the financial crisis, there is an inexorable pressure towards consolidation. Technology is well placed to be the driving tool to enable this rapid transformation and recovery process. What are some of the key trends that organisations in this sector need to be on top of? This set of 4 sessions will help answer many of the questions and challenges facing the industry.

Launching the specialist MEFX tracks at the GITEX Global Conference.

Speaker:
Abdulla Al Awar, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Finance Centre Authority (DIFC)

Dealing with consolidation and benefiting from it
Enterprise consolidation and integration is a major challenge for CIOs in the banking sector. The business is facing challenges, but the organisation has to ensure growth. Can the systems keep
pace and deliver? How do IT and management work together to ensure that the infrastructure, systems and applications can scale to support the growth everyone wants to see.

Topics for discussion could look at:
- Tackling consolidation
- Integration technologies
- Enterprise wide IT standardisation
- Key case studies from the banking sector
- Aligning IT with the business goals
- Process driven alignment
- Cost containment strategies
- IT modernisation
- Planning transformation
- Legacy systems migration
- Extended banking and branch automation
- New channels of communication
- Data integration and meta data creation

Speakers:
Mohamed Al Ojaimi, Technology Solutions Director, Financial Service Industry, MEA, Oracle
Sanjay Uppal, Group Chief Financial Officer at Emirates NBD
Pradeep Hardikar, AVP Consulting, Banking and Financial Services, Cognizant Business Consulting
Matthew Talbot, Vice President, mCommerce, Sybase 365

Do you comply?
Data and process integrity are the lifeline of the banking and financial industry today. In a market already suffering from low investor confidence, how do you ensure that you have systems, process, security and corporate governance in place to safeguard your customer data and build customer confidence?

Topics include:
 - Compliance regulations (Basel II and AML)
 - Information security and authentication
 - Identity management
 - Security and fraud management policies
 - Corporate governance and the role of IT to enable it

Speakers:
Bharat Raigangar, Country Head Security & Fraud (Risk) - Business Services, Middle East & South Africa, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
Emad Khatib, CIO, Emcredit
Russell Dietz, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, SafeNet
Hinal Patel, Partner, Technology, Media & Commercial Group, DLA Piper

IT in Islamic banking
Islamic banking requires IT to think differently. The solutions provided need to be structured, planned and customised in a manner different from traditional banking needs. So what are the choices available and how can this sector benefit from innovation and customer insight?

Topics include:
- How technology can make innovation possible for banks?
- Core business applications; what do we have on offer for Islamic banks?
- Business Intelligence: Can it help you to know more about your customer?
- Transforming your bank into an Islamic banking outfit

Speakers:
Faizal Eledath, CIO, Dubai Bank
Anil Kumar, Managing Director, Futech Software Solutions
Karim Hassan, Oracle Principle Consultant, Oracle Systems

Leveraging human capital
The after effects of the financial crisis have proved that there is no time to be lost in retaining critical staff or right-sizing organisations. Human Capital Management and Performance Management are two key solution areas for the banking sector to retain, nurture and develop talent.

Topics include:
 - Human Capital Management
 - Knowledge Management and training
 - Leadership development
 - Performance Management
 - Business Intelligence

Speaker:
Luis Praxmarer, Global Research Director, Experton Group
Neil Crossley, Partner, Employment, Pensions & Benefits, DLA Piper Middle East
David Jones, Senior Advisor and Head of Government Practice, Hewitt Middle East & Africa