91´«Ã½

Farzana Badat

Deputy Commissioner, Financial Sector Conduct Authority

Farzana was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), the dedicated market conduct and market integrity regulator for South Africa's financial system, by the Minister of Finance on 1 December 2021. She is part of the Executive Committee responsible for the overall policy direction, strategic oversight and operational management of the FSCA. She Chairs the FSCA's Strategic Management Committee and is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of harmonised licensing and supervisory risk frameworks across financial institutions including financial conglomerates, banks and payment providers, investment providers and asset managers, life and non-life insurers and insurance groups, micro- and access product providers, crypto asset service providers and financial advisors and intermediaries, as well as overseeing the FSCA's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing unit and General Counsel's Office.

She is Co-Chair of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors’ (IAIS) Standards and Supervisory Practices Committee, with a particular focus on global standard setting, supervisory capacity building and implementation support for Emerging Markets and Developing Economies. She also sits on the Executive Committee of the IAIS and the Governing Council of the International Financial Consumer Protection Network (FinCoNet). Farzana graduated summa cum laude with a Law degree from the University of Natal-Durban in South Africa, holds a Master of Laws degree in International Law from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, USA, and completed her Master of Laws coursework in Human Rights and Constitutional Litigation, Internet, E-commerce and Technology Law and Bioethics at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. She has also completed the Senior Executive Program Africa (SEPA) aimed at designing effective leadership and competitive corporate strategies to drive regional and international growth for African and other emerging markets, at Harvard Business School in Boston, USA.

Brenda J. Cude

Professor Emerita, University of Georgia

Brenda J. Cude is Professor Emerita in the Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. She earned a Ph.D. in Consumer Economics at Purdue University. Dr. Cude has served as a funded consumer representative to the 91´«Ã½ since 1994 and on the Board of Directors for the Consumer Participation Program since 1996. A specific area of expertise is consumer communication through websites, disclosures, and information/education targeted to consumers. She was a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance from 2014-2016.

Dr. Cude’s primary research interests are in consumer decision-making, with an emphasis in personal financial literacy. She has published more than 200 papers, many in academic journals. Dr. Cude is a member of several academic journal editorial boards.

Judith L. French

Director, Ohio Department of Insurance

Judith L. French has served as the Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance since 2021. 

The Ohio Department of Insurance regulates the state’s insurance market, which is one of the largest in the United States. The business of insurance is one of the major drivers of the state economy, with Ohio insurers writing more than $145 billion in premiums annually and employing more than 132,000 Ohioans. 

Director French is the current co-chair of Standards and Supervisory Practices Committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors. She previously held leadership roles at the 91´«Ã½, chairing the Life Insurance and Annuities Committee and co-chairing the Risk-Based Capital Model Governance Task Force. For her work at the 91´«Ã½ she received the 2025 Raymond G. Farmer award for exceptional leadership. 

With over three decades of public service, Director French has held various roles, including justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio, appellate judge, and chief legal counsel to the governor. As an assistant attorney general, she argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court. 

Director French is committed to protecting consumers, supporting product innovation, and fostering a competitive insurance marketplace.

Petra Hielkema

Chairperson, European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority

Petra is the Chairperson of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and has been leading the Authority since September 2021, following her appointment by the European Council on 27 May 2021 after confirmation by the European Parliament on 18 May 2021. As Chairperson of EIOPA Petra is member of the Joint Committee, the DORA Oversight Forum and the ESRB Steering Committee and General Board.

Petra was appointed Vice Chair of the IAIS Executive Committee in December 2024. Besides that, she is the Champion of the IAIS Fintech Forum.

Prior to this role Petra was Division Director of Insurance Supervision at De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB, the Dutch Central Bank) as well as Alternate Member of the EIOPA Board and Chair of the EIOPA Policy Committee. Petra joined DNB in February 2007 as a policy advisor, contributing to the development of Solvency II. In 2013 she became Head Insurance Policy and in 2015 she was appointed as Head of the DNB Expert Centre for Fit & Proper assessments. In February 2017 Petra started as Director of Payments and Market. Prior to joining the Dutch Central Bank fulfilled several roles working in Central Asia.

Petra has a European Masters in Law & Economics and a Masters in Russian Studies. She is married and proud mother of three children.

Guillermo Pedro Plate

Superintendent, Superintendency of Insurance of Argentina

Dr. Guillermo P. Plate has served as Argentina’s National Superintendent of Insurance since January 2024. In 2025, he was appointed President of ASSAL, the association that brings together insurance supervisors from 19 Latin American countries. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee of A2ii, a World Bank initiative led through CGAP.

Dr. Plate has a strong background in the financial and insurance sectors, having served as Deputy Superintendent of the SSN (2017–2019), Vice President of Provincia ART, and held executive positions at the Royal Bank of Canada and TMF Group. He holds a law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), a Master’s in Corporate Law from Universidad Austral, and an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke University (USA). He completed the International Regulators’ Programme at Lloyd’s and was selected as an International Fellow by the 91´«Ã½ (USA).

Sophie Sirtaine

Global Director, World Bank Group

Sophie is the World Bank Group Global Director for Financial Services where she is responsible for financial resilience and integrity, capital market development, financial inclusion, and disaster risk finance. 

Sophie is also the CEO of CGAP, an international partnership, housed in the World Bank Group, dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems that enable a green, resilient, and equitable world for all.   

Sophie has dedicated her professional career to the development of inclusive and sustainable financial ecosystems around the world, with more than twenty years of experience at the World Bank, where she has held different positions, including Director of Strategy and Operations at the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank and Director for the Caribbean region. Previously, Sophie worked as an expert in financial sector development and stability in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Among others, she led various Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs) in various countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America, and she was the Manager who led the World Bank's response to banking crises in various countries of the European Union during the global financial crisis of 2008-2011. 

Prior to joining the World Bank, Sophie worked in JP Morgan's Financial Institutions (FIG) team on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in Europe, and for Halcrow Fox and Associates' Infrastructure team. Sophie holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE). 

Craig Swan

Chief Executive Officer, Bermuda Monetary Authority

As Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Craig Swan has overall responsibility for all supervisory and operational activities conducted by the BMA, as well as serving as an Executive Director on the BMA’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Swan joined the Authority in 2006, and has held various positions in the Insurance Supervision, Policy & International Affairs and Risk Departments and, most recently, served as Deputy CEO.

Prior to joining the Authority, Mr. Swan worked as Controller and later Controller & Vice President, Strategic Information Services for Arthur J. Gallagher Bermuda from 2000 to 2006. 

Craig Thorburn

Senior Expert, Global Asia Insurance Partnership

After more than 20 years with the World Bank as Lead Insurance Specialist, Craig Thorburn now is continuing his research and consulting with policymakers on insurance market development, policy, regulation and supervision. He has been engaged with the Global Asia Insurance Partnership since its inception focusing on highlighting the benefits of and the need to reduce protection gaps. GAIP policy papers, seminars, and regional engagement has put the dialogue in the region at the forefront of thought leadership in this area. Key to his work is to find ways to make more and better progress toward resilience, sustainability, and security for households, communities and countries throughout Asia and beyond.

At the World Bank, he provided technical assistance, published research, and managed projects that enhanced insurance market development, policy, regulation and supervisory capacity across a global footprint and across all regulatory issues. His work included leading the Bank’s engagement with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) over this period leading many collaborative developments especially supporting technical papers, standards development, assessment, and inclusion.

Prior to joining the Bank, Craig was Australian Government Actuary then Chief of Life Insurance Supervision from 1996 to 2002. During this period, he also served as chair of the IAIS Committee on Solvency.

Scott A. White

91´«Ã½ President and Commissioner, Virginia Bureau of Insurance

Scott A. White was appointed Commissioner of Insurance of the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance in 2018. He was elected 91´«Ã½ President in December 2025. 

White joined the Bureau as a research analyst in 1998. From 1999 until 2011, he worked as an attorney advising the Bureau on all major insurance regulatory and compliance matters. In 2011 he became head of the Commission’s financial services legal division, expanding his practice areas to include securities and banking. 

White has chaired the Financial Condition (E) Committee, the Long-Term Care Insurance (EX) Task Force, and the Southeast Zone. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Executive Committee and previously served on the IAIS Macroprudential Committee and Insurance Capital Standard Task Force. 

White received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Jodi, have two grown daughters.