Following seven years of experience in corporate and project financing at MUFG, Mr Yuichiro Akita joined NEXI in 2003. Since then, he has led underwriting teams in the infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, power, and mining sectors. His experience spans sovereign, corporate, project, and asset-backed finance, as well as political risk insurance for equity and subordinated debt. He also led the corporate planning division, overseeing strategic policy and the agency’s mid-term and annual plans. While seconded to the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of Japan, he coordinated overseas infrastructure business promotion policy. He developed untied loan policy guidelines of the LEAD initiative and enhanced loan insurance incentives for green innovation. He was NEXI’s chief negotiator for the OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits. As a senior advisor, he currently oversees international and strategic policy issues. He served as Vice Chair of the ECA Committee (2021–2023) and is a member of the Management Committee.

He holds an MBA from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Development Finance from SOAS, University of London, and is currently a PhD candidate in Public Policy at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

Rafael Docavo-Malvezzi is Global Chief Underwriting Officer for Political Risk, Credit & Bond (PRCB) at AXA XL. Prior to his appointment to the GCUO position in June 2021, Rafael had held the role of global head of risk management since joining the company in 2011 and, previously, at QBE Americas and Exporters Insurance in New York. He has over 15 years of experience in political risk and credit insurance.

Prior to joining the insurance world, Rafael worked at MasterCard International where he held various roles in strategic planning as well as operations and risk consulting for MasterCard Advisors. Rafael also worked as Research Associate for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and as Statistical Analyst, International Trade and Balance of Payments, at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

Rafael holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, and a BS in Computer Engineering from the American University in Paris. He is fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.

Jan-Philipp Apking is a risk professional with more than 15 years of experience in financial and credit risk analysis, commercial underwriting, and credit risk insurance.

In his current role as Head of Underwriting & Risk Management at Euler Hermes AG – mandated by the German Government to act as the Official Export Agency – Jan-Philipp is co-heading the ECA’s global underwriting practice across global markets and sectors. Previously, he has led various underwriting teams with a regional focus on the African continent and CIS region. He also heads the ECA’s Financial Institutions (FI) Team, managing FI relationships globally and gaining experience with ECA products and financial industry requirements and regulations.

He holds academic qualifications at a Master’s level in International Business, International Law, and International Relations from Macquarie University, Sydney, and La Trobe University, Melbourne.

Jan-Philipp is a standing member of the Interministerial Committee for Export Credit Guarantees of the Federal Republic of Germany (IMC).

Jim Thomas is the Global Head of Everest’s Credit and Political Risk insurance business, which he launched in 2016 to provide trade, non-trade, and project finance credit insurance and political risk coverage to banks, ECAs, multilaterals, and corporates worldwide.

Jim also serves as a member of the Berne Union Management Committee. Prior to joining Everest, Jim spent 16 years working for Zurich, serving as the Global Head of Zurich’s Credit & Political Risk business and actively participating in BU. He was elected twice as Vice-Chair of the INV Committee and represented Zurich on the Management Committee. Jim’s previous roles also include positions at Euromoney Publications in London and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile.

Jim earned a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Florida, a Master’s degree in international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and he continued his studies in the Johns Hopkins University PhD program with a concentration in international economics and Latin American studies.

Jean-Paul is Deputy CEO of Credendo TCI, responsible for Sales, Marketing and IT, since April 2014.

Prior to this he has held a nomber of other positions within Credendo, including Head of Sales and Account Management, Team Head of a mixed group of underwriters and commercial managers. Prior to this he worked as an Office Manager at Bacob Bank.

He holds a degree in International Marketing management from the University Diepenbeek and is a qualifed commercial engineer with a degree from the University of Antwerp.

A seasoned leader with 20 years of comprehensive expertise in Risk, Sustainability, Technology, Quality Assurance, and Corporate Banking, Suhaib Al-Hosainy serves as the Chief Risk Officer at Saudi EXIM Bank. As the bank's inaugural CRO, he has been responsible for establishing and developing the bank's risk framework, aligning it with the best practices of leading global Export Credit Agencies (ECAs).

Mr. Al-Hosainy's influence extends to his active involvement in the Berne Union meetings, where he notably served as the main host for the BU Country Risk Specialist Meeting held in Riyadh. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and certified for advanced programs in Risk and Executive Leadership at INSEAD and IMD. Mr. Al-Hosainy is also a respected keynote speaker at various regional conferences and has contributed to strategic oversight as a member of several senior risk committees.

Kate brings strong experience and passion for trade, international relations and export finance. Throughout her 18+ year career at Export Development Canada, Canada’s export credit agency, she has worked directly with Canada’s entrepreneurs and exporters helping them mitigate risk to take on international opportunities and grow trade for Canada. She has covered diverse industries, including aerospace, automotive, critical minerals, technology and seafood, among others.

Currently, Kate leads the international relations team and is responsible for bilateral relations with export credit agencies and multilateral development banks, a role in which she seeks opportunities to collaborate while creating trade opportunities. She is also responsible for policy negotiations on export finance rules to ensure a level playing field for Canadian exporters and the representation of Canadian interests at the OECD, Berne Union and international forums. As EDC’s chief negotiator in multilateral forums, Kate works to build consensus on global trade frameworks that shape export financing, sustainability standards, and international cooperation.

Kate’s early career included five years as an account manager in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she worked directly with Canadian exporters across sectors like fisheries, ocean tech, and agriculture. Known for her ability to bridge practical business insight with complex global policy, her hands-on experiences continue to inform her approach to international partnerships. Kate holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and an MBA.

Jørn Fredsgaard Sørensen first joined the Danish ECA in 1995 and since 2012 heads the Country & Bank Risk department, where EIFO’s risk appetite on sovereigns and financial institutions is formulated. Due to its large exposure to wind projects, insight into the renewables sector is an EIFO trademark, and Jørn has been overseeing the development of energy competencies in EIFO.

Jørn has been a regular member of EIFO’s Berne Union team and has, among other activities, contributed to building BU’s Country Risk Attitude Dashboard.

Jørn has also contributed strongly to the launch of EIFO’s Ukraine and Africa facilities. Jørn also launched and managed EIFO’s Green Accelerator facility in which companies can apply for grant support to their nascent export projects. Jørn holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Århus and an Executive MBA from Henley.

Ms Zhao Zheng has been the head of the International Department at SINOSURE since August 2025, responsible for foreign affairs administration, international communications, and BU activities.

Between May 2023 and August 2025, she served as Deputy General Manager of the Short-Term Trade Credit Insurance Underwriting Department at SINOSURE. She is responsible for the policy and credit underwriting for sectors such as home appliances and modern agriculture, and for providing tailor-made services to key clients and SMEs. She is also a member of the company’s internal credit committee.

Between August 2015 and May 2023, she was the deputy head of the International Department, overseeing functions of intergovernmental cooperation, BU and ECA cooperation, and overseas offices administration. She led efforts to increase SINOSURE’s contribution to BU activities by leading or organising SINOSURE delegations to participate in BU meetings, supporting senior management to fulfil the duties of BU VP in 2018-2019, organising SINOSURE’s data submissions to BU, and promoting the BUlletin. She also led research programmes on areas ranging from the OECD Arrangement and ESG principles to supporting cross-border e-commerce enterprises.

Prior to the International Department, she worked for 11 years on SINOSURE’s reinsurance arrangement in the Risk Management Department, negotiating the annual reinsurance terms and conditions and facilitating cooperation with the leading international credit reinsurers and brokers.

She studied and worked in Hamburg, Germany, in the fields of financial consultation and credit insurance, and holds a Master’s degree in European and International Business Administration from the Hamburg University of Economy and Politics in Germany. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing.

Over the past two decades, Ms Ayan Bektybayeva has built her professional career in finance and export credit, joining what was then a traditional export support institution and helping transform it into a fully-fledged Export Credit Agency. During her eight years at the ECA of Kazakhstan, she has supervised underwriting, risk management, actuarial services, international cooperation, sustainability, and reinsurance activities – experience she intends to fully leverage for the benefit of Prague Club members and their business development. Since joining the ECA of Kazakhstan in 2016, she has been deeply involved in establishing a modern regulatory framework, building a comprehensive risk management system, and integrating international best practices into operations. Through roles ranging from Director of Underwriting and Reinsurance to Managing Director and now Deputy Chair of the Management Board, she has contributed to shaping the institution’s strategic direction and positioning it as a key driver of Kazakhstan’s non-resource-based exports.

She holds a degree in Economics from the State Financial Institute (2003) and has completed advanced training in corporate governance, strategic management, and ESG risk practices.

Over the past few years, she has played a key role in transforming Kazakhstan’s ECA – introducing innovative products, expanding reinsurance cooperation, and strengthening partnerships with international ECAs, IFIs, and private sector actors. This experience has taught her how to lead resilient, agile institutions capable of delivering practical and timely support to exporters, even in rapidly changing geopolitical and economic contexts.