Payments and FMIs (Part 1): Capacity building

Paolo Bramini joined Banca d ‘Italia in 1996 and was initially assigned to what would soon become the Payment Systems Directorate. Although this Directorate did not formally exist at the time, its foundations were being laid with the implementation of the BI-REL domestic gross settlement system. He then worked closely on the design and implementation of the European payment systems: first TARGET, then TARGET2 from 2008, then TARGET2-Securities and finally the new consolidated platform for TARGET Services. Five years ago, he was appointed Head of Banca d ’Italia’s Wholesale Payment Systems Division, which includes the Italian National Service Desk for TARGET Services. More recently, he was assigned to the staff of the Head of his Directorate General, leading and coordinating the analysis of the developments in the wholesale payment market and their impact on Eurosystem infrastructures and national operators.

Evaldas Ruzgys started his professional career in 2002 at the then AB bank NORD/LB Lietuva and held various positions at AB bank HANSABANKAS, AB DnB NORD bank and AB DNB bank until 2013. In 2013–2020, he was the Head of the Digital Channels Department for the Baltics at AB DNB bank and its successor Luminor Bank AB.

In 2020–2023, Ruzgys was a freelance technology and business consultant and implemented projects for the State Enterprise Centre of Registers, UAB Žemės ūkio paskolų garantijų fondas and fintech companies. He started his career at Lietuvos bankas in June 2023 as the Director of the Market Infrastructure Department.

Ruzgys holds a MSc in Finance and Banking and a BSc in Economics from Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas.

Ms. Marianne Bechara serves as Senior Counsel in the Fiscal and Financial Law Division of the IMF Legal Department. She possesses extensive expertise in financial and banking law, providing guidance on central banking, financial law as well as Fintech with a focus on digital payments, CBDC, stablecoins and AI. Ms. Bechara supervises the Fintech work of the IMF Legal Department. Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous publications analyzing the intersection of law and Fintech. Ms. Bechara holds an LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law from Boston University and is licensed to practice law in both California and New York.