Amelia runs a B2B Division at Orange France in charge of monetising network services, principally Business Messaging, Carrier Billing and Network APIs. Over the past few years, the “Pay Services” Division has launched the first multi-operator Network APIs in France under the brand name Mobile ID, RCS Business Messaging, Time2Chat conversational SMS as well as numerous Carrier Billing partnerships in the French market. Her role includes driving business development with a wide range of B2B partners spanning the financial services, communication and digital media industries.

Joanna has 20 years experience of working in phone-paid services alongside other emerging technologies. 10 of those years were spent leading commercial teams within agencies and another 5 years were spent running commercial and interactive teams at Channel 5.  As such, she has a solid understanding of the need for businesses to continually adapt to the changing ways in which consumers wish to interact with their chosen brands, content or services. 

During the last 6 years as General Manager of UK based Trade Association, aimm (Association of Interactive Media and Micropayments) she supports the membership  – which spans the whole value chain –  in negotiating the complex UK regulatory landscape and facilitating an environment where commercial development can thrive across the board. 

With over 15 years in the mobile payments industry, I am a seasoned expert in direct carrier billing (DCB), SMS and voice, currently leading innovative payment solutions as Business Development Director at Dynamic Mobile Billing. My work focuses on optimising payment flows for merchants, expanding DMB’s sector and geographic reach and raising awareness of the DCB mechanic. I have successfully grown DMB’s customer base after a period of significant disruption and fostered excellent relationships with key stakeholders and influencers. Passionate about the future of mobile commerce, I am dedicated to advancing secure, seamless payment experiences that benefit both carriers, merchants and consumers.

Alexis Bartelds is CEO of Sam Media and has over 25 years’ experience in the telecoms industry. His passion for innovation drives Sam Media’s focus on premium content, transparent intuitive marketing, fully controlled in house media buy and data science. Sam Media is proud to be a leader in VR and AR services and recently launched its new flagship product SingSpace, a virtual karaoke service, in cooperation with Stingray. 
 
Alexis enjoys an offline outdoor lifestyle, being a fervent skier, surfer and mountain biker and is at his happiest sharing the Sam Media vision over a barbeque. 

Group Head API Monetization at Vodafone Germany

Clemens Leitner is the CEO of DIMOCO Payments, leveraging over 15 years of management experience in the payments industry. He is an entrepreneurial leader known for crafting effective go-to-market strategies, expanding into new business verticals, and hands-on management of various teams.

With over 20 years of experience in carrier billing, Frank has spent the last decade serving as the regulator for the Dutch market at the foundation responsible for publishing the Code of Conduct (Stichting Gedragscode Mobiele Diensten).  

Collaborating closely with the board and foundation members, Frank has played a key role in successfully eliminating fraud from the Dutch carrier billing market through the enhancement of regulations, as well as rigorous monitoring and control measures. 

CEO at Content For Mobile

Gaby is an entrepreneur and has been active in VAS for 25 years. He is one of the most prominent voices advocating a new approach to the DCB industry, or DCB 2.0 as he calls it. CFM, his latest venture, are active in numerous countries, with direct connections to many of the largest operators in Europe. They establish relationships where transparency and control are key values, and build long-term, scalable, revenues for their partners. He is also an enthusiastic board member for the Dutch Code of Conduct Foundation, a self-regulatory body where he is the voice of all merchants.

To describe things, he will often use metaphors; keep an ear out for him saying the mobile industry is a lot like the Champions League!

Işık Uman is the Group CEO of TPAY, your “payment connector” in META, a role he assumed on July 1, 2023. TPAY connects the entire Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, making the digital world accessible to all by being the most reliable facilitator for micropayments in the region. Işık joined TPAY in 2020 as Director of Global Partnerships after Payguru’s acquisition. Over the past four years, he has taken on various pivotal roles, demonstrating his versatile leadership and strategic vision. 

Before TPAY, Işık co-founded and chaired Payguru, a pioneering Turkish payment company. He led the buy-out of Neomobile’s Turkish mobile payment business and rebranded it as Payguru, which became the first Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) company to receive a payment license from the Turkish Financial Regulator. Under his leadership, Payguru became Turkey’s leading alternative payment provider. In June 2020, TPAY acquired Payguru, expanding its coverage to the META region. 

His career includes senior roles at Superonline, Turkcell, and Neomobile. He holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the Middle East Technical University (METU) and has pursued advanced studies in Information Systems, AI, and Cognitive Science. 

Işık is committed to providing partners with the most effective and reliable payment methods tailored to their services and the countries they are launching in. This dedication has led to the creation of new payment channels, such as mobile wallets in MEA and open banking in Turkey, with more to follow. 

Işık’s extensive experience and strategic vision drive TPAY’s mission to unify META through unparalleled network reach, merchant alliances, and transaction excellence. 

 

Interim Head of Digital Product at M-Pesa Africa

Digital leader with over 15 years experience in leading Product management, Business Strategy, execution, Digital product design, User Experience Design, Customer Experience, Product Innovation and Digital Transformation in Financial services, Telecoms and Fin-tech.

At M-Pesa Africa, a pioneering mobile money wallet and Africa’s number 1 Fintech, I am accountable for the Product Vision and road map for the M-Pesa #superapp providing Product leadership to Product Owners, Developers and local market teams across 4 Vodacom markets.

I am also responsible for working with local market teams to develop and execute go to market plans, conducting end user research to drive uptake and engagement. As a product person I also interface between customer needs discovery and engineering, ensuring that we build with a purpose and reason that resonates with how the market is evolving.

Competencies :
Digital Transformation I Product Design I Digital Innovation | Digital Marketing | Digital Financial Services | Customer Experience | Product Development | Market research I Customer Life Cycle Management I Product Management I Product Marketing | Payments I E-Commerce I Customer Value Proposition | Data Analysis I Scrum I SAfe | Agile Methodologies | Business Strategy & Execution | Change Management | Risk Management | Stakeholder Engagement | Tech Vendor Management I Business strategy I Design Thinking I B2B I B2C I Mobile Lending I CX I Partnerships I UX I Cross functional team leadership

Commercial Director at Content For Mobile

As Commercial Director for CFM, Kieran leads the company’s strategic partnerships with both carriers and brands. In this role, he has overseen expansion of the companies partnerships to several operator groups and some of the world’s biggest brands.

He is a gaming and Esports fan, combining this passion with 10 years of DCB experience, whilst making CFM the go-to partner for carriers when it comes to gaming.

Laurent, from a technical background, founded Wister with two partners 22 years ago. Since its creation, the company has worked on the development of DCB-based services, combining technical rigour with a spirit of constant innovation in both usage and business models.

Today, the company, which has a presence on three continents and in every vertical, continues to research and propose new models and products, working closely with operators and digital content creators.

Before setting up Wister, Laurent worked as innovation product manager for a major French electronics and defence group.

Laurent plays jazz double bass and enjoys discussing politics at parties.

Leone Crescenzi is a cross-disciplinary executive who has spent over 25 years working at the intersection of entertainment and technology. With a career that bridges showbusiness and product strategy, he has collaborated with globally recognized talent — from David Beckham to Charlize Theron and Al Pacino — while also developing digital platforms with a strong focus on user experience, engagement, interactivity, and iterative design. Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset and a discomfort with easy labels, Leone brings a strategic, hands-on approach to innovation. He is currently Chief Product Officer at Cookies, where he brings together strategic vision, product thinking, and a deep user-centered mindset.

Pierre is the Director of Programs at AF2M (Association Française pour le développement de services et usages Multimédias Multiopérateurs). With over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications and digital services industry, Pierre plays a crucial role in coordinating self-regulation initiatives on the French market. His work ensures sustainable growth by protecting consumers while fostering innovation. Before joining AF2M, he managed large-scale transformation projects as a business consultant, bringing expertise in process optimization, operational performance, and customer relations. Pierre is based in Paris, France. 

Marouane Bakhtar is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at tpay, a role he assumed in May 2025. He leads the company’s day-to-day operations across engineering and commercial functions, ensuring operational excellence and driving alignment with tpay’s long-term strategic objectives.

With 17 years of experience in managing large-scale, complex projects within top-tier financial services organisations, Marouane brings deep expertise in corporate strategy, digital transformation, and technology leadership. Prior to joining tpay, he served as Managing Director of Synpulse UK, where he quadrupled the firm’s UK presence and led multi-million-pound transformation initiatives. He is known for combining strategic vision with operational and technological execution to deliver measurable growth and impact.

Marouane holds a master’s degree in finance and economics from Toulouse Business School.

Wim De Meyer has over 30 years of experience in the telecom industry. He has held senior roles in corporate strategy, network and IT strategy, business development, and innovation at Proximus. For the past 10 years, he has served as Managing Director of ETIS, a leading collaboration platform in the European telecom sector. ETIS addresses strategy, business development, innovation, technology, infrastructure, customer operations, cybersecurity, resilience, and governance, and counts over 30 operators and 20 suppliers among its members.

Christopher Henseler is Co-Founder of Mesh Ads, a premier Google Agency specializing in mobile value-added services (mVAS) and comprehensive digital marketing solutions. Over the past three years, Christopher has led the company’s strategic direction and business development, positioning Mesh Ads as the industry leader in mVAS advertising with operations spanning over 40 countries. Under his leadership, the company has established new global standards in workflows and compliance while building strategic partnerships with content providers and global brands across small, medium, and large enterprises.

Christopher brings over 15 years of experience in the mobile payments and mobile advertising industry, built on a foundation of close, transparent relationships and strategic partnerships. His expertise spans the entire mobile ecosystem, from carrier billing to digital advertising, making him a recognized authority in bridging traditional telecom services with modern digital marketing strategies.

He holds a Master of Science in Marketing and Service Management from the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics in Wuppertal, with additional studies in Entrepreneurship at UC Riverside.

When not driving innovation in the mobile advertising space, Christopher is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys tennis—both as a player and former coach—and passionately supports his local football team FC Cologne. His commitment to building lasting, honest relationships has been the cornerstone of his success in fostering partnerships that drive the mobile ecosystem forward.

I’m a Sales Director with a strong strategic and product background and extensive experience building new businesses and growth across territories worldwide, 16 years within the DCB and digital entertainment industry. I’m an advocate for DCB as a powerful, inclusive payment method, driving adoption and economic development across multiple territories. Well-connected, I love working with brands and forging strong profitable partnerships.

Nadine Awad Mahfouz is a seasoned marketing and telecom professional with over 20 years of experience in product growth, strategic positioning, and go-to-market execution across the telecommunications and fintech sectors.

Since joining tpay in 2020, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s product marketing strategy, driving its re-branding and new market positioning, and crafting powerful narratives that connect tpay’s innovative mobile payment solutions with partners and end users across the META region.

Before tpay, Nadine built a distinguished 15-year career at Orange, advancing through senior roles in Digital VAS & Partnerships, Mobile Internet & Broadband, and Project Management.

Nadine holds an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Cairo University.

David is Head of Compliance at MCP Insight, responsible for helping clients across the value chain manage risk and compliance effectively, and protect their bottom-line.

Having specialised in the telecommunications, financial services and payments sectors, David has significant risk management, audit and compliance experience. MCP clients can access this expertise to help them develop best practice frameworks around compliance, risk and audit and build strong relationships with regulators.

Clarence Seedorf is one of the ‘greatest’ of Football. He is the only player in football history to have won the Champions League with three different clubs – Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan twice. Due to his holistic approach to performance and wellness, he played more than 1000 games at top level combining an innate talent, a superior intelligence on the field, great personality and physical strength. Seedorf has won trophies in every country he played and has also coached in four continents. Seedorf has always used sport as a tool to make the world a better place. He is one of the six persons chosen by Nelson Mandela to carry his Legacy worldwide, was a blogger for the New York Times, speaks six languages, has a Honoris Causa degree in Humanities, the highest civil decorations from the Netherlands and Suriname. He is founder of Black Impact Foundation. Seedorf completed his education with PNL Courses, sport psychology, management and economics. He is a business consultant and counts different public speaking activities: from the Council of Europe to being the host of the FIFA Football Congress, to Oxford University, Harvard University, other institutes and multinationals. He is currently a Board Supervisory Member of KNVB and the main football pundit for Amazon Prime IT and UK. 

Rahima Ouadfel has over 15 years of experience in the mobile advertising and marketing industry. She has gained solid expertise in mobile marketing, programmatic, and performance media. Her career includes experience working across different business models, for agencies, affiliate networks, and DSPs.

She currently serves as the Vice President of Growth at Smadex, a mobile growth platform where she leads the growth strategy for mobile subscriptions, branding, and direct response business units. She also oversees client services and business development functions to ensure high-quality service and performance for clients. Her focus is on helping clients grow their user base in a safe and transparent way by using data-driven insights, cutting-edge technology, and creative solutions to deliver effective campaigns.

Hussein Taki is the Managing Partner of Mobibox, specializing in delivering a cutting-edge monetization platform built on fintech and adtech solutions. With extensive experience in the fintech industry, he has led initiatives that bridge technology, business strategy, and customer engagement, including collaborations with the Middle East’s largest media company, MBC Group. Hussein is passionate about driving hyper-growth and frequently shares insights on how organizations can leverage Mobibox’s offerings to maximize their potential, unlock new revenue streams, and accelerate innovation.

Frode André Alvad is a seasoned Sales Director with a rich background in IT, networking, marketing, and partner sales. Over the years, he has built a reputation for driving commercial success across global markets through strategic key account management, partner development, and multi-channel sales initiatives.

Ray has over 30 years’ experience in starting, growing and selling businesses. Ray was named ‘Business Person of the Year’ in 2012. Ray co-founded Bango in 1999 after realizing that the convergence of the internet with the ubiquity of mobile phones could open up huge opportunities for content and service providers. Prior to Bango, Ray established IXI which created the industry standard network GUI – X.desktop. IXI was an early leader in the creation of the web. It sponsored the first ever WWW conference at CERN and shipped the world’s first commercial web browser.

Julien Ménard is the Chief Technology Officer at Digital Virgo, renowned for his technical expertise and visionary leadership. With a strong background in software engineering and technology management, he has been driving the company’s innovation and product development since 2015.

Under his direction, Digital Virgo has embraced emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data analytics, strengthening its focus on security, scalability, and customer experience. His vision not only strengthens the company’s technical capabilities but also ensures that it remains a trusted partner for stakeholders across the digital ecosystem.

Valentina Ferrari is the Chief Operating Officer of MEF, with over 25 years of international experience across the Telco and Payment Systems industries, where she has led growth strategies and digital transformation in complex and highly regulated environments.

She has witnessed and driven every major evolution in mobile and digital innovation, turning strategic vision into measurable results: under her leadership, companies and teams achieved significant margin growth (+25% gross margin) and operational improvements with cost reductions of up to 15%.

A pioneer in the adoption of digital solutions and agile methodologies, she has built a strong reputation as a leader capable of developing scalable business models, expanding into new markets, and strengthening strategic partnerships. With an approach that combines pragmatism, innovation, and inclusive leadership, Valentina continues to guide global organizations toward sustainable, long-term growth.

Gokhan Varlikli is Deputy Executive Officer at Telecoming with over 13 years of experience in Direct Carrier Billing. He began his career at Vodafone on the telco side before joining Telecoming, where he has spent the last 10 years in roles across operations, business development, and marketing. Throughout his career, he has worked with telecom operators and marketing platforms worldwide, and today he drives Telecoming’s global strategy and marketing.

Shaun has over 25 years experience working in the telecoms industry with the past 15 years being directly involved in delivering and managing DCB. He is currently the Commercial Director at Infomedia responsible for liaising with both Content Providers and Carriers across Europe, Middle East and more recently Asia.

He is passionate about building strong relationship and supporting the partners to help the delivery of mobile payments.

Anzelle is a business development, regulatory and compliance expert specializing in direct carrier billing, mobile money, mobile content and digital advertising, and an Attorney of the High Court of the Republic of South Africa. Her career in Telecoms started in 2012 first as Legal- and Compliance Officer for Johannesburg based Oxygen8 Communications, a payment service provider, and later as Product Marketing Manager: Premium- and Subscription Services. In 2016 she joined award-winning digital content provider, Sam Media, where she was appointed as Business Development Director: Africa, based in Amsterdam. Anzelle has served on the Board of the South African regulatory body for VAS and Mobile Payments, WASPA, and remains an active member of various industry organisations and regulators, championing the uptake of Direct Carrier Billing as go-to payment method for digital content.