Leon Perlman
Dr. Leon Perlman is the founder and head of the Digital Financial Services Observatory, at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia Business School. The DFSO explores the policy, regulatory, technical, disruptive and commercial aspects of DFS, emerging payments, big data, and blockchain technologies. It is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
A former scientist and successful entrepreneur, he has been in the telecommunications, payments and micro-payments industry for over 25 years.
He currently heads the blockchain and infrastructure security workgroups for the new Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI). His expertise as a consultant and researcher extends to payments, anti-money laundering national payment systems, de-risking, risk frameworks, telecommunications, cyber-security, and blockchain technologies. He concentrates on commercial, technical, policy, legal and regulatory aspects of these ecosystems and issues.
He has consulted widely on financial inclusion and regulatory solutions to central banks, DFS service providers, payment service providers, MNOs, regulators, the World Bank, CGAP, GIZ, ITU, USAID, UNCDF,EIB, IFC and many philanthropic organizations. His experience spans over 30 developed and developing markets.
He also served as the chair of the ITU DFS Focus Group’s Technology, Innovation and Competition working group, and was founder and served for 10 years as chairman of WASPA, the South African mobile industry association.
Dr. Perlman holds the degrees BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc, BProc, LLB (JD), and LLD (PhD), and is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships.
His doctorate in DFS commercialization and regulation was the world’s first legal and regulatory doctorate on the subject.
Keith Bowie
Cybersecurity Research Scholar, Digital Financial Services Observatory
Keith was a research scholar, specializing in cybersecurity at the Digital Financial Services Observatory, in Columbia Business School. Most recently he was appointed as the first US CIO for Scotiabank, creating a technology organization and governance from the ground up and introducing an IT Risk culture and Cybersecurity framework, to successfully adhere to state and federal regulatory legislation. Over the past 20+ years, Keith has had a variety of global technology leadership roles for leading financial services institutions and commodity trading organizations, leading large transformation initiatives and implementing cultural change. Keith is an advisory board member for Engaiz (Engaiz.Com), and a member of the ISACA New York Metropolitan Chapter.
Michael Wechsler
Researcher, Digital Financial Services Observatory
Michael Wechsler was a research scholar, specializing in cybersecurity at the Digital Financial Services Observatory, in Columbia Business School. He is an intellectual property attorney, mobile and web technology expert and entrepreneur. Prior to the emergence of the World Wide Web, he co-founded EastNet, Inc., one of earliest global bulletin boards and Internet service providers. Shortly thereafter, Michael founded TheLaw.com LLC, which was later acquired by a venture capital firm and reacquired the asset later and continued its operation into a well recognized legal help website and law dictionary app that has been downloaded over 1.5 million times.
After the sale of TheLaw.com, Michael served as the Director of Legal and Business Affairs at iVillage.com. He subsequently joined Kroll Ontrack, LLC and served as a legal consultant assisting AmLaw Top 100 law firms and Fortune companies at one of the most prominent e-discovery and computer forensics service providers.
Michael later returned to his Internet and telecommunications roots becoming SVP of IDT Inc.’s Internet Mobile Group. While at IDT, Michael was responsible for the acquisition and subsequent explosive growth of Zedge, one of the world’s largest user generated mobile content communities and most popular mobile apps. In addition to being a research scholar at Columbia Business School, Michael is currently of counsel to Kaplan, Williams & Graffeo, LLC. He also provides web, mobile and search engine optimization assistance as a moderator and Top Contributor for Google’s Webmaster Central.
Nora Asha Gurung
Nora Asha Gurung is an accomplished professional with a diverse educational background and extensive experience in the fields of economics, information science, and digital financial services.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Information Science from Cornell University, furthering her expertise by studying General Course in Economics at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and completing her International Baccalaureate at United World College Costa Rica.
Nora currently serves as the Director of Product at Machnet Technologies Inc, where she leverages her skills in product management and digital financial services to drive innovation and growth.
Her previous roles include working as a Digital Financial Services Specialist at Thamel Remit and PwC, a Product Manager at Machnet Technologies Inc, a RegTech Consultant at NORC at the University of Chicago, and a Research Author and Research Associate at Columbia Business School's Digital Financial Services Observatory.
Nora Asha Gurung's dedication to excellence and her multidisciplinary background make her a valuable asset in the technology and financial services industry.