Bernard Nicolay is passionate about finance and education, and committed to lecturing, advising, and investing for sustainable value. He serves as an Adjunct Finance Professor at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (ULB), and as a Guest Lecturer at Université Paris Dauphine-PSL and at Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Cnam). His main topics of interest include sustainable finance, innovation in finance and emerging use cases relating to blockchain, web3 and decentralised finance. Bernard is also Senior Advisor open for interim management, advisory, and independent director assignments, capitalising on 25+ years' experience as senior banking and insurance executive with BNP Paribas, Axa, Credit Suisse and Arthur D. Little. He is a seed investor and advisor to scaleups and start-ups, including several fintech companies, focusing on advising and mentoring impact and tech executive teams on strategy, finance and partnerships. Bernard is affiliated with Be Angels, a business angel network based in Brussels, as well as a Board Member and active supporter of several charities, such as Rise for Kids Belgium and Demoucelle Parkinson Charity.

The Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM) was created in 1903 by Ernest Solvay, a well-known humanist and captain of industry. Today, the School is proud to be part of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), which now has among its faculties a high-quality faculty dedicated to Economics and Management. As always, SBS-EM honours the main goals set by its founders, namely: training leaders who aspire to the ‘Homo Universalis’ ideal, highlighting through its programmes the necessity of having a multi disciplinary perspective, and focusing on a quantitative and scientific approaches.The School also shares common values with ULB, especially the principle of free inquiry, an approach based on critical thinking, and a focus on research.The Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management is well-known for its strict and demanding education system, focusing on excellence at every level. This vision and mindset, and its highly international alumni network, enable the School to train the leaders of tomorrow’s society.

Launching a CBDC (pilot) involves various risks, but also opens up opportunities.

IIn this panel discussion, experts will discuss the crucial topic of interoperability. They will explore how CBDCs could as seamlessly as possible integrate with existing financial systems and collaborate with external systems beyond central banks. Key points will include the need for technical standards, regulatory alignment, and private sector engagement to enable cross-border transactions and drive innovation. The panel aims to highlight the importance of interoperability in realizing the full potential of CBDCs for enhancing domestic & global payment networks.