2026 Speakers
2026 Distinguished Speakers
Sopnendu Mohanty
Group Chief Executive Officer
Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)
Sopnendu Mohanty is the Co-founder and Group CEO of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a global advisory and investment firm. At GFTN, he leads innovative strategies that drive development and transformation in the financial sector through four operating arms: Forums, Advisory, Platform, and Capital.
He served at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as its first Chief Fintech Officer for nearly a decade, establishing Singapore on the global map as a leading center for innovation in the financial sector and a dynamic hub for fintech development. He continues to advise MAS on technology and innovation.
He currently serves on several boards, including the board of A*STAR, Singapore’s leading public sector agency dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and technological innovation. Before his leadership role in the public sector, he spent nearly two decades at Citigroup. He is credited with developing many public goods, including the notable PayNow, Singapore’s digital public infrastructure for payments. He conceptualized the globally well-known Singapore Fintech Festival and its global network of forums; today, the GFTN forum is the world’s largest convenor of tech, policymakers, and the financial sector community. Mr. Mohanty has co-authored several patented works in digital finance and received numerous industry accolades. He advises governments and various institutions on policies and implementation strategies for innovation, infrastructure, and ecosystem development in the financial sector.
Speaking at
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10:20–11:00amTue 24 MarSummit StageWinthrop HallOpenModerator
Roadmap for AI and Quantum
The Race for Quantum Resilience & First-Mover Advantage - How Industry & Governments Should Act
Summit StageWinthrop HallOpenModerator
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Prof. Jingbo WangProfessor, Founder and DirectorResearch Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms, The University of Western Australia
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Mark StickellsChief Executive OfficerPawsey Supercomputing Research Centre
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Dr. Michelle SimmonsFounder & Chief Executive OfficerSilicon Quantum Computing
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Tan Bin RuPresident, Enterprise DigitalST Engineering
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Sopnendu MohantyGroup Chief Executive OfficerGlobal Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)Moderator
About this session
Quantum isn’t just a future promise - it is a revolutionary technology that reshapes industries & places governments in competition to adopt & control it first. This session cuts through hype to focus on where quantum delivers practical advantage, what “quantum-ready” infrastructure means & what preparations must begin immediately for long-lifecycle systems & security. Attendees will gain clarity on what’s real, what’s next & how quantum intersects with AI, digital assets & critical infrastructure.
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11:00–11:10amTue 24 MarSummit StageWinthrop HallOpen
Roadmap for AI and Quantum
Launch of Q-FINEX (Quantum Finance Industry Experimentation)
Summit StageWinthrop HallOpen
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Prof. Jingbo WangProfessor, Founder and DirectorResearch Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms, The University of Western Australia
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Sopnendu MohantyGroup Chief Executive OfficerGlobal Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)
About this session
Black Swan Summit will host the global premiere of Q-FINEX (Quantum Finance Industry Experimentation), Western Australia’s first dedicated quantum testbed for finance. Created through a partnership between GFTN & UWA QUISA, Q-FINEX is designed to move quantum finance beyond hype to practical, evidence-based experimentation for industry.
In this special segment, Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of GFTN & Professor Jingbo Wang, Director of UWA QUISA, will launch this platform at the cutting edge of quantum innovation, linking world-class research with real financial applications.
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