Seminar: The Future of Finance

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IMF SEMINAR EVENT

DATE: October 14, 2025

DAY: Tuesday

1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

LOCATION: IMF HQ1 Atrium (HQ1-1-700)

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Overview

Crypto assets, including stablecoins, are once again at the forefront of policy discussions. While crypto assets present opportunities for greater efficiency and competition, they could also pose risks. Ensuring the stability and efficiency of both domestic financial systems and the international monetary framework is essential. This high-level panel will delve into recent developments in the crypto asset space, assess their macro-financial impact, and discuss strategic policy responses. 

Seminar: The Future of Finance

Panelists

Panelist: Kristalina Georgieva

Kristalina Georgieva Kristalina Georgieva is the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She is the first person from an emerging market economy to lead the IMF since its inception in 1944. Before joining the Fund, Ms. Georgieva was Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank and also served as Interim President for a time. Previously, she served at the European Commission as Vice President for Budget and Human Resources – and as Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. She was named “European of the Year” and “Commissioner of the Year” by European Voice for her leadership in the European Union’s humanitarian response to crises.

Panelist: Jeremy Allaire

Jeremy Allaire is responsible for strategy, vision and operating execution at Circle. He brings more than two decades of experience building and leading global internet software platforms, including founder and CEO of Brightcove, technologist and entrepreneur in residence at General Catalyst, CTO of Macromedia, and co-founder and CTO of Allaire Corporation.

Panelist: Ajay Banga

Ajay Banga, 14th President of the World Bank Group.

Ajay Banga began his five-year term as World Bank Group President on June 2, 2023.

Ajay Banga most recently served as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. Previously, he was President and CEO of Mastercard, a global organization with nearly 24,000 employees.  Under his leadership, MasterCard launched the Center for Inclusive Growth, which advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. He was Honorary Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, serving as Chairman from 2020-2022. He became an advisor to General Atlantic’s climate-focused fund, BeyondNetZero, at its inception in 2021. Banga served as Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America, a coalition of private organizations that works to advance economic opportunity across underserved populations in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. He was previously on the Boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods, and Dow Inc.

Ajay Banga is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute and was Vice Chair of the Economic Club of New York. He was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, the Padma Shri Award by the President of India in 2016, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award in 2019, and the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star in 2021.

Panelist: Chia Der Jiun

Chia Der Jiun was appointed Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on 1 January 2024. He was previously Permanent Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Prior to his appointment at MOM in 2020, Der Jiun had spent 18 years at MAS in a range of functions covering monetary policy implementation, reserve management, macroeconomic surveillance, and banking supervision and regulation. At the MAS, he was last Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Development) with responsibilities for risk, finance, payment system and currency operations, HR and organization transformation. Der Jiun also served as Executive Director for Southeast Asia at the International Monetary Fund from 2011 to 2013. He holds a BA(Hons) in Politics and Economics from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD.

Panelist: Umar Farooq

Umar Farooq is the Co-Head of Global Payments at J.P. Morgan. A part of the Commercial & Investment Bank, J.P. Morgan Payments enables organizations of all sizes to execute transactions efficiently and securely, transforming the movement of information, money, and assets. The team of experts tackles complex challenges at every stage of the payment lifecycle. And their industry-leading solutions facilitate seamless transactions across borders, industries, and platforms.

Operating in over 160 countries and handling more than 120 currencies, J.P. Morgan Payments division is the largest processor of USD payments, with a daily transaction volume of $10 trillion.

Before stepping into his current role, Umar was the Global Head of Financial Institution Payments and CEO of Kinexys by J.P. Morgan (formerly Onyx), where he leveraged cutting-edge technologies like blockchain to create innovative products, platforms, and marketplaces. His previous roles include Global Head of Digital Wholesale Payments and Head of FinTech for the Corporate and Investment Bank, along with leadership positions in Chase Business Banking.

Umar's academic background includes a B.S. in Computer Science, a B.S. in Economics, and an M.Eng. in Computer Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Moderator: Sara Eisen

Sara Eisen is co-anchor of the 10AM hour of CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET) and co-anchor of “Money Movers” (M-F, 11AM-12PM ET), which both broadcast from Post 9 at the New York Stock Exchange. She is known for her deep expertise in financial markets and the global economy as well as regular news making interviews with some of the most prominent names in the financial world, including Phil Knight, Janet Yellen and Christine Lagarde, among others. 

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