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Edward Bowles

Edward Bowles

Global Head of Government Relations & ESG, Wise

Edward is Global Head of Government Relations at Wise plc, having joined in October 2023 from Meta, where he was Global Director of the Fintech Policy Team and a member of the Payments Leadership Team, which experience included the Libra/Diem stablecoin project. Edward joined Facebook (as it then was) in 2019, from Standard Chartered Bank, where he spent 12 years and held a variety of roles in compliance, corporate affairs and public affairs, with an emphasis on market access and the regulatory response to the financial crisis. Edward also served as a member of the European Commission's Advisory Group on TTIP, as well as on a number of trade association committees (BBA/UK Finance, AFME etc), the Board of Asia House and Hacked Off. Prior to his time in the private sector, Edward was a civil servant in the Ministry of Justice during the last five years of the Blair Government; he previously practised law as a Barrister and Crown Prosecutor, during which time he was Chair of the Young Bar. Edward holds an MBA from Imperial College and was Called to the Bar at Middle Temple.

Speaking At

Workshop

Workshop Room, Level 1

Open

Tue, 23 Jun   |   03:30PM - 04:30PM

Breaking the Speed Barrier: How to Address the Structural Frictions in Cross-border Payments - Powered by Swift

Cross-border payments are the lifeblood of the global economy, underpinning trade, remittances, investment and financial connectivity. As technology has advanced and economies have become increasingly interconnected, expectations for international transfers have evolved too. Progress has been made, with 75% of payments travelling over Swift reaching destination banks within just 10 minutes. But frictions remain, particularly at the ‘last mile’ of a payments journey, where 80% of the total time is spent before it is credited to the end account or wallet.

Emerging technologies, including blockchain, promise a real-time, 24/7 reality. But innovation in cross-border payments will not come from new rails alone. It will emerge from steady progress in resolving structural frictions - improving data quality, harmonising standards, strengthening coordination and enhancing transparency across the value chain.

In this interactive session hosted by Swift, experts will discuss the structural frictions identified in Swift’s Payment Optimisation Index and provide practical insights on what institutions can do to improve the overall speed and transparency of cross-border payments.

Edward Bowles

Edward BowlesGlobal Head of Government Relations & ESG, Wise
Jo Yeo

Jo YeoDirector & Head, Payments Development & Data Connectivity Office, Monetary Authority of Singapore
Tom Mutton

Tom MuttonExecutive Director of Payments Innovation & Fintech, Bank of England
Mike Truter

Mike TruterDirector, Head of Industry Engagement, Swift
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