Client User Group 2026

Worldline Financial Services Client User Group (CUG) brings together peers to explore Europe’s evolving payments landscape—from AI-driven transformation to cross-border interoperability and secure digital wallets. Discover practical strategies, high-impact insights, and live demonstrations that elevate your institution’s value and resilience. Join inspiring presentations, interactive sessions, and governance guidance to accelerate innovation and trusted collaboration.

Event

15 - 16 / 04 / 2026

09:00

Hilton Vienna Waterfront (Handelskai 269, 1020 Vienna, Austria)

Key Topics

The Shift to Cooperative, Interoperable Payments in Europe

Europe’s payment landscape is at a critical inflection point, transitioning from a fragmented collection of digital wallets to a unified, interoperable ecosystem. And cross-border cooperation serves as the essential foundation for achieving the scale and resilience required for true European payment sovereignty. This session brings into focus the shift toward cooperation as a foundation for scale and innovation.

How Will AI Redefine Payments in Uncertain Markets?

This session dives deep into AI's quiet, profound reshaping of banking – revealing surprising impacts you haven't anticipated. We'll dive into the critical shifts AI is driving within payments and provide actionable insights into how institutions can strategically adapt to thrive in this evolving ecosystem.

Risk, Fraud & Identity: Data-Driven Defenses for Payments

This session deep dives into the critical intersection of data analytics, advanced identity verification, and secure payments. It explores how to leverage data to proactively combat fraud, implement seamless authentication, and build a resilient framework that protects your institution and customers in the evolving digital landscape.

Beyond the Card: Issuing in a Multi-Rail World

The traditional card is evolving from a physical necessity into a versatile digital credential. As Europe’s payment landscape shifts toward sovereign solutions like WERO and the mainstreaming of Account-to-Account (A2A) rails, the definition of "issuing" is being rewritten. This session explores how institutions can pivot from card issuers to "wallet orchestrators," managing diverse payment flows across multiple rails while maintaining security and brand loyalty.

CBDC, digital assets and stablecoins – banking’s new frontier

How are stablecoins, tokenised deposits and deposit tokens reshaping the rails for global payments and settlement? In which ways will the coexistence of public and private digital money reshape trust and liquidity? Which technological frameworks will support scalable adoption?

Agenda

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

08:30 - 09:00	Client access and registrations
09:00 - 09:10	Opening – Introduction and expectations Sheri Brandon, Global Head of New Business, Worldline Financial Services
09:10 - 09:25	CEO welcome & market outlook Madalena Cascais Tomé, Chief Processing & Financial Institutions Officer, Worldline
09:25 - 9:45	Keynote: Payments developments Gijs Boudewijn, Chair of the European Payments Council (EPC)

Session 1: The shift to cooperative, interoperable payments in Europe

09:45 - 10:00	Wero: Shaping the future of European Payments Alexander Burkhard, Third Party Acquirers Relationship & Management Lead, EPI
10:00 - 10:15	Wallet interoperability in practice: Proven approaches: Kim Fuglsang Kristoffersen, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Vipps MobilePay
10:15 - 10:30	IRIS payments. Scaling Instant Payments in Greece Niki Andravidioti, Business Development & Innovation Specialist, DIAS S.A.
10:30 - 11:00	Panel: Europe wallet interoperability – Pathways to scale Moderator Madalena Cascais Tomé (Worldline) Speakers: Alexander Burkhard (EPI), Kim Fuglsang Kristoffersen (Vipps MobilePay), Niki Andravidioti (DIAS S.A.), Gijs Boudewijn (EPC)
11:00 - 11:30	Break

Session 2: How will AI redefine payments in uncertain markets?

11:30 - 11:50	AI-driven payments: External keynote overview Mehdi Esmail, Chief AI and Data Officer Worldline
11:50 - 12:10	Agentic AI in practice Emmanuelle Fenard, Head of Innovation, Cartes Bancaires, Thibault Pele, Head of Product Digital Currency, Worldline
12:10 - 12:30	AI in payments innovation Antoine Larmanjat, Sr. Technical Director, Google Luc Vighetti, Sales Manager, Google Cloud
12:30 - 13:30	Lunch
13:30 - 14:20	AI Impact: Best Practices Workshop Breakout rooms Pier 4, 5 and 6

Session 3: Risk, fraud & identity: Data-driven defenses for payments

14:20 - 14:40	The European perspective on risk, fraud & identity David Ostah, Managing Director, PSA Payment Services Austria
14:40 - 15:10	Data-driven defenses for payments Myles Simpson, Chapter Lead Fraud Management, Worldline
15:10 - 15:30	Break: Grand Waterfront Foyer
15:30 - 15:50	Panel session: Trust-identity & risk in payments Moderator:Tanguy Epale, Division Manager Fraud, Worldline Speakers: David Ostah, PSA; Myles Simpson, Worldline
15:50 - 16:00	Closing remarks Sheri Brandon, Global Head of New Business, Worldline Financial Services

Social event

16.00 - 16:30	Transportation
16:30 - 21:30	Social program at the Schönbrunn Palace World-class classical concert, historical palace visit, and exquisite Austrian dining

Thursday, 16 April 2026

08:30 - 08:45	Client access
08:45 - 08:50	Opening: Agenda and focus Sheri Brandon, Global Head of New Business, Worldline Financial Services
08:50 - 09:15	European Payments, more than a fistful of Euro: Olivier Denecker, Director, Firesti BV

Session 4: Beyond the card: Issuing in a multi-rail world

09:15 - 10:00	The next era of multi-rail card issuing Moderator: Christophe L'Helguen, Division Head Issuing, Worldline Speakers: Miente Bakker, Product Area Lead Cards, ING, Harald Flatscher, Managing Director, PSA Payment Services Austria
10:00 - 10:15	Break: Grand Waterfront Foyer

Session 5: CBDCs, digital assets and stablecoins – Payments new frontier

10:15 - 10:30	Global perspectives on stablecoins: Thibault Pele, Head of Product Digital Currency, Worldline Financial Services
10:30 - 10:45	Qivalis \| The European Bank Consortium Stablecoin Vid Hribar - Head of Institutional Partnerships, Qivalis
10:45 - 11:00	CBDCs & Digital Euro – Interoperability & governance Eric Tak, Head of Division, Digital Euro Product Proposition, European Central Bank
11:00 – 11:45	Panel CBDCs & Digital Euro - Interoperability & Governance Moderator: Madalena Cascais Tomé (Worldline) Speakers: Céu Pereira - Team leader Digital Euro at the European Commission, Eric Tak (European Central Bank), Vid Hribar (Qivalis), Thibault Pele (Worldline)
11:45 - 12:00	Summarising and closing up
12:00 - 13:00	Lunch

End of the event

Joining us at the Client User Group in Vienna?

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