Pavle Avramović

Pavle leads the Emerging Technologies Hub at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He focuses on providing insights and thought leadership on how emerging technologies could impact financial services markets, consumers and regulators. His areas of focus include quantum computing, privacy enhancing technologies, synthetic data and distributed ledger technologies.

Previously he was closely involved in FCA’s efforts across RegTech and SupTech, including the TechSprint work programme. He also leads the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) Horizon Scanning Workstream and is a member of the World Economic Forum Quantum Security Working Group.

He holds a MSc in Digital Innovation and Information Systems from the London School of Economics and is an Industrial Fellow at the University of East London. He has co-authored papers for the Harvard Data Science Review, Alan Turing Institute and other organisations, including presenting at major conferences and research seminars.

Kirby Brendsel

Kirby Brendsel is Flagstar Bank’s VP, Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Sustainability Director, where he leads Flagstar's strategic sustainability and initiatives and the company's goal to be a recognized global sustainability leader.  He is coming from Welltower Inc.’s (a real estate investment trust) where he headed their award-winning strategic sustainability and ESG initiatives.  Prior to joining Welltower in 2019, Mr. Brendsel worked at Nuveen as a Director of Responsible Investing.  Before Nuveen, he served as Associate Director of Sustainability for Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, where he supported the strategy, integration and management of Starwood’s sustainability program and worked collaboratively with the community programs/Starwood Foundation team on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy and reporting.  Previously, Mr. Brendsel consulted for Deloitte where he assisted in the creation of Deloitte’s Federal Sustainability practice and Diversity & Inclusion program.  Mr. Brendsel’s other past roles include active-duty service as a Military Intelligence Corps Major in the U.S. Army. 

Mr. Brendsel graduated with distinction and honors from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Business and the Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University with an M.B.A. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Green Associate (GA), and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.  Mr. Brendsel was recently recognized as an Honoree for 2020 by Environment + Energy Leader’s annual "best of" list of environment and energy professionals - the E+E 100.   

Mr. Brendsel is active in his local community, where he has served on the Board of Directors of the Aspetuck Land Trust and Lachat Town Farm Commission as well as on the Town of Weston’s Sustainability Committee, Historical Society, and Conservation and Parks & Recreation Commissions. 

Bridget Realmuto LaPerla