AFN Advisory
Council Board
Andrew Davis
Council Member
Andrew Davis
Council Member
As an independent expert, Andrew works with a variety of banking, commercial and government clients in areas such as fintech engagement, corporate innovation, digital and business strategy… applying an ‘outsidein’ perspective. The ultimate goal is to enable clients to embrace innovation, by achieving a high level of organisational readiness. Andrew has a strong international banking pedigree, having worked at HSBC and Citigroup for more than 18 years covering Country, Regional and Global responsibilities. For 4 of those years he was based in Hong Kong. At HSBC, Andrew was the transaction banking global head of digital strategy and innovation and then the global fintech lead, so he understands the challenges of pursuing innovation and connecting external partners into large, complex organisations.
Andrew knows the fintech landscape. He has mentored fintech startups, strategised for them, invested in them and judged them at international pitching competitions. He was also co-host of the BetaBank podcast series looking at the future of financial services. Andrew is an Advisor to International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, most recently supporting digital transformation and innovation initiatives in Kenya, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia and Malawi.
He is also an Advisory Board Member of The Fintech Institute, in Africa. Based in Sydney, Andrew is proud to be Ambassador for Stone & Chalk, the largest curator of emerging tech hubs in Australia, as well as Ambassador for inQ Innovation, which specialises in scaling startups across international borders
Alastair Lukies CBE
Council Member
Alastair Lukies CBE
Council Member
Alastair Lukies CBE is a UK businessman and entrepreneur best known as a pioneer and champion for the UK’s globally Fintech industry. He has been at the forefront of the UK’s Financial Technology industry, working with financial institutions, investors and regulators to promote collaboration and mutual benefit across the ecosystem. Al is Founder & CEO of Pollinate International.
He is also Chair of the Fintech Alliance, Vice-Chairman of the Global Advisory Council at Motive Partners, and sits on the Prime Minister’s Business Council. Prior to Pollinate, Al founded Monitise and was awarded a CBE for services to mobile banking and charity in June 2014.
Prof. Bitange Ndemo
Council Member
Prof. Bitange Ndemo
Council Member
Bitange Ndemo is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Business and Management Sciences. His research centers on the link between ICTs and small and medium enterprises with emphasis on how ICTs influence economic development in Africa. He Chairs the Kenya Distributed Ledgers and Artificial Intelligence Taskforce that is developing the country’s a road map for digital transformation.
He is an advisor and Board member to several organizations including Safaricom one of the leading telecommunication company in Africa, a member of the: OECD Expert Panel on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, World Economic Forum’s Global Blockchain Council (part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Fourth Industrial Revolution Councils). He is a former Permanent Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication in Kenya where he was credited with facilitating many transformative ICT projects including building of the undersea cables, open data initiatives and the Silicon Savanah.
He is a Senior advisor to UN’s Global Pulse (Big Data initiatives) and the UNCDF’s Better than Cash Alliance and UNICEF’s Innovation Council. He is an Open Data/Big Data evangelist and dedicated to simplification (visualization) of data for ordinary citizens to consume. He writes two columns every week for the Business Daily and Nation on-line.
Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Council Member
Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Council Member
Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe invented and patented a robotic system which the United States Government acquired assignee rights. Dr Ekekwe holds two doctoral and four master’s degrees including a PhD in engineering from Johns Hopkins University, USA. He earned an undergraduate degree from FUT Owerri where he graduated as his class best student. While in Analog Devices Corp, he co-designed an accelerometer for the iPhone. A recipient of IGI Global “Book of the Year” award, a TED Fellow, IBM Global Entrepreneur and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Prof. Ekekwe has held professorships in Carnegie Mellon University and Babcock University, and served in the United States National Science Foundation Committee.
The South African press called him “a doctor of innovation” for helping organizations on the mechanics of business innovation, strategy, and growth. Since 2009, the Chairman of Fasmicro Group which controls many startups and entities has been writing in the Harvard Business Review. He was recognized by The Guardian as one of 60 Nigerians Making “Nigerian Live Matter” on Nigeria’s 60th Independence Day
Ms Yiting Shen
Council Member
Ms Yiting Shen
Council Member
Yiting champions business model innovation, digitization and design thinking. She specializes in Payments, in particular blockchain and high value. Yiting is the Global Head of External Network Management for Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS) at Citigroup (120 countries, ~300 banks). Previously, she was the Global Head of Developing Currency Cross-Border Payments, primarily focusing on RMB and JPY. While in London, she was responsible for TTS strategic planning ($8Billion revenue, 95 countries, ~15,000FTEs).
Prior to joining Citi, Yiting co-founded an education consulting firm for Chinese Youth career planning. She was a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton based in London specializing in financial services. Yiting also worked in Middle East, Africa, Korea, China, and India. Yiting started her career in M&A in New York.
Currently, she is the President of Asian Columbia Alumni Association, the President of Harvard Kennedy School of Government (HKS) New York Alumni Network. She is on the Board of the Columbia Engineering School Alumni Association, and the HKS Alumni Association. Previously she also served on the Board of the MIT Alumni Association (nominating committee) and the board of the MIT Sloan Alumni Association. She was the President of the HKS London Alumni Network, President of the MIT Club of Great Britain, and the President of the Columbia Club of London.
Yiting holds an MS and a BS from Columbia, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. Yiting is fluent in mandarin. Yiting is passionate about community building and engagement and enjoys arts and performing arts. Currently she serves as the communication chair for the Citi Asian Heritage Network, previously the culture chair. Previously she served as the Co-chair for the Citi London Volunteer Council, the Citi London Arts Club