Shaping the cash cycle of the future

Mikael is a senior financial services leader with over 15 years of experience in banking, capital markets, and financial technology innovation. His career spans central banking, global consulting, and strategic advisory, equipping him with deep expertise in financial market infrastructures, digital transformation, and regulatory-driven innovation.

A managing consultant at PA Consulting, Mikael is recognized for his ability to lead large transformation programmes, shaping strategies that drive efficiency, transparency, and resilience in the financial ecosystem.

Guillaume Lepecq is a globally recognized expert in payments and cash, with over three decades of experience shaping the future of monetary systems. As the co-founder of CashEssentials (est. 2018), he established a leading think tank dedicated to exploring the evolving role of cash in society, advocating for its continued relevance. CashEssentials has become a trusted platform for research, policy analysis, and dialogue on the future of cash, engaging with central banks, financial institutions, and policymakers worldwide. Guillaume’s career spans consulting, corporate leadership, and thought leadership. For 20 years, he has advised European financial institutions on cash and payment strategies. Earlier, as Director of Corporate Relations at the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe (1993–2001), he contributed to the strategic efforts That led to the adoption of the euro. Guillaume has written influential publications, including "Cash Essentials – Beyond Payments," "The Future of Cash," and "Managing the Changeover to the Euro."

Barry is student of the evolution and economics of payments and cash, the fundamentals which drive cash behaviour and economics, and works to apply this to make a difference at the intersection of traditional payments, emerging payments and cash. He has been involved in the industry since 2002, for 15 years with Standard Bank as Head: Cash Services.

In 2018 he started Rohrs and Associates and advises Cash Ecosystem participants (Fintechs, Banks, Cash In Transit companies). Barry participates in industry think tanks and assist clients optimising payments and cash operations and developing new solutions at the intersection of cash and digital.

He maintains an extensive network in the cash industry across Africa and internationally.

Dr. Andrzej Nowak is Head of Open Innovation at SICPA. His current focus includes the future of currency – whether in physical or digital form, privacy-preserving digital trust, fintech, and innovation systems. He contributes to the Bretton Woods Committee working groups on the Future of Finance and on AI, and serves as an expert for Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency.

Earlier, Andrzej led an innovation lab at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. There, he defined and put in place new elements of CERN’s 10-year technological horizon, led several Open Source efforts and founded educational initiatives for young scientists and engineers.

Andrzej also held roles in management consulting in private banking, at the chip maker Intel, as a founder of a fintech company, and as an evaluator for the EU Research Executive Agency. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Sina Grebrodt is a Senior Strategic Initiatives Expert and part of the Central Bank Solutions team at Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions, where she works at the intersection of currency innovation, central bank strategy, and sustainable cash management. With a focus on how cash supports financial inclusion and literacy, Sina explores the evolving role of physical currency. Her work bridges technology, policy, and social impact — highlighting how resilient, accessible cash systems remain essential for empowering individuals and fostering trust in the broader financial ecosystem.

Barbara has been working at Narodowy Bank Polski for thirteen years. She began her career at Poland’s central bank as Deputy Director of the Cash and Issue Department, where she currently holds the position of Director.

Throughout her work at NBP, she has been involved in the introduction of a new series of circulation banknotes, changes in the denominational structure, and the development of new regulations governing cooperation with the cash market. She was responsible for the Hryvnia Exchange Program in Poland, which was later adopted as a model by other European countries. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) and serves as the Chair of the Cash Circulation Council in Poland. She graduated from the University of Szczecin and completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw.