ONLY TAKE THE RISKS WORTH TAKING

An experienced sales strategist with over 30 years’ expertise in the financial and credit insurance sector and more than 25 years with the Euler Hermes / Allianz Trade Group. In his role as Head of the Allianz Trade office in Frankfurt, he is responsible for further developing regional growth strategies and building robust client partnerships in an increasingly complex economic environment. His focus is on the intelligent integration of sales, risk management and market insight – with the aim of offering companies guidance and stability in uncertain times. In doing so, he actively drives forward initiatives such as sustainable client development, data-driven sales management and the transformation of business models.

As a prominent thought leader, he combines many years of market experience with a clear vision of future developments in international trade and credit insurance.

After completing a master’s degree in economics, Richard Wulff started his career in 1989 as trade credit insurance underwriting manager and reinsurance director of NCM (a precursor of Atradius) in his native country, the Netherlands. He founded a reinsurance captive for the company in Ireland prior to moving on to Munich Re in Germany.

At Munich Re, he managed the non-European credit, surety and political risk reinsurance department until 2008. He then moved to India to become chief underwriting officer of HDFC-ERGO Insurance Company in India, a general lines insurance business.

Richard subsequently became group general manager, heading up the world-wide credit lines at QBE Insurance in Australia, before moving to Hong Kong in that role.

He returned to Holland in 2017 to found RW Consulting, a consultancy company for trade credit insurance, surety and political risk (re)insurance. In February 2021, Richard joined the International Credit Insurance and Surety Association (ICISA), an association with which Richard has been actively involved throughout his career in trade credit insurance, surety and political risk insurance, where he currently holds the title of executive director.

Dr David Beier has been Vice President of Credit Risk at the SEFE Group since 2023, where he is responsible for key risk management functions. Prior to this, he worked at WINGAS as Head of the Risk and Mid-Office Department, Senior Analyst for Operational Risk and Senior Analyst for Financial Market Regulation. From 2018 to 2019, he served as interim Head of Compliance for Financial Market Regulation at the GPG Group (GM&T). He began his career in 2008 as a Credit Risk Analyst at WINGAS, having previously worked as a bank clerk at Deutsche Kreditbank AG. He obtained his PhD following a Master’s degree in Economics and a degree in Economics from the University of Kassel, where he worked as a research assistant from 2004 to 2008.

Matthias Sandfort brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the banking and financial services industry. Prior to joining Tokio Marine HCC (TMHCC) in 2023, he served as Managing Director at Corestate Bank, where he spent the last five years of his banking career.

At TMHCC, Matthias is responsible for the Surety business in Germany and Austria, with a strong focus on risk management, client relationships, and market development.

Throughout his career, Matthias has built extensive expertise in leading international transaction teams across functional and cultural boundaries. His background combines deep knowledge of loan and security documentation, debt capital market products, and the full lifecycle of complex transactions.

Senior Treasurer & Global Head of Credit Management at Swiss Steel Group with over 15 years of experience in international manufacturing industries (steel and aluminium). His focus lies on credit risk and cash management, the development of credit policies, and the optimization of working capital and cash flow structures. His areas of expertise include the implementation of credit management systems (ETCM), the management of trade credit insurance programs, and structured financing solutions such as ABS. With additional experience in commercial roles, he brings a comprehensive understanding of the industrial value chain to credit and cash management.

Rainer Pietschmann is Head of Business Development, Product Management & Marketing at MLF Mercator-Leasing. He drives business development through new product lines, efficiency initiatives and customer‑centric solutions. Previously, he held senior roles in sales, credit and contract management, as well as major IT transformation projects. With more than 20 years of experience in leasing, finance and digitalization, he combines strategic vision with hands‑on execution.

Jens Marienfeld is Broker & Partner Manager at Nexus Trade Credit, with a focus on building and expanding international broker networks across Europe. Following roles at Creditreform and Coface, he is currently responsible at Nexus for strengthening strategic broker relationships and driving new business initiatives, including product development in structured credit and top-up solutions. His work combines market insight, strong relationship management and a hands-on approach to executing international growth strategies.

Frank Liebold has been working for Atradius since May 2014. Under his leadership, Atradius has successfully established itself as number 2 in the German credit insurance market. In his role, he is responsible for strategically important sales areas – from product development and marketing to all target-group-specific sales units, the Customer Service Center, and compliance topics.

With a degree in business administration, Frank Liebold brings around 40 years of experience in the credit insurance industry. Before joining Atradius, he held several management positions at Euler Hermes, now Allianz Trade.

Frank Liebold is also a long-standing member of the German Insurance Association (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e.V.).

Mike is an innovative, entrepreneurial Chartered Director with a strong track record of creating and growing businesses across Europe, USA and emerging markets.

Mike has 39 years’ experience in trade credit and political risk insurance, as well as in trade finance. He has been at the forefront of innovation in the industry and has been active in the Dutch and German markets as well as the UK and the US. He was a founder and CEO of trade credit insurer Equinox Global Limited.

Mike’s recent activities include being a director at Nexus Trade Credit, a consultant at Charles Taylor Adjusting, a director of a motor insurance MGA; providing advice to the Irish Government on credit insurance, and acting as Deputy Chair of the London Handel Festival (of classical music).

Mike recently became a Chartered Director after studying with the Irish Institute of Directors.

As a Commercial Director, the business information technology specialist is responsible for product- and business development for the business unit of Credit & Surety at SCHUMANN.

Marinko Prljic advises and supports industrial and trading companies in strengthening their credit management processes - from business partner onboarding to KYC checks and credit limit authorisation.

After studying business administration at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, he joined SCHUMANN, where he supports companies in implementing the credit management software CAM.

As Director at SCHUMANN International Services Limited Lara Biermann is advising and supporting international credit risk insurer and surety bond provider in digitizing and automating their risk and business process management. 
 

She studied business administration focused on finance, accounting and taxes and supervises international credit and surety insurance companies while implementing CAM Credit & Surety.