Shaping the cash cycle of the future

Mikael is a senior financial services leader with over 15 years of experience in banking, capital markets, and financial technology innovation. His career spans central banking, global consulting, and strategic advisory, equipping him with deep expertise in financial market infrastructures, digital transformation, and regulatory-driven innovation.

A managing consultant at PA Consulting, Mikael is recognized for his ability to lead large transformation programmes, shaping strategies that drive efficiency, transparency, and resilience in the financial ecosystem.

Marc Schwartz, born in 1963 in Paris, is Chairman and CEO of La Monnaie de Paris, the French National Mint. He is also a lecturer in media and cultural economics at Sciences Po, a leading Social Sciences University in Paris.

Marc Schwartz started his career as an Auditor with the National Court of Audit (Cour des comptes) in 1988 and joined the Treasury Department in 1992. He became, in 1997, special advisor to the minister for Economy, Finance and Industry and to the secretary of State for Budget.

He joined the media group France Télévisions in 2000, as CFO, then deputy CEO. In 2010, he became a senior partner with the international audit and consulting firm Forvis-Mazars, in charge of Public Sector and Media. He returned to the Cour des Comptes in 2014 and was appointed Chief of Staff to the minister of Culture in 2017, before joining Monnaie de Paris in 2018.

He holds a BA’s in economics and public finance (Sciences Po), certificates of finance and international finance from the London School of Economics (LSE), a master in corporate finance from Conservatoire national des Arts et métiers (CNAM), and a master of public administration from Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

Marc Schwartz is the author of various articles on monetary and financial issues and of two books: The French Financial System (Montchrestien, 1992) and The New Currency War (Odile Jacob, 2025), co-authored with Pr. Christian de Boissieu.

Barbara has been working at Narodowy Bank Polski for thirteen years. She began her career at Poland’s central bank as Deputy Director of the Cash and Issue Department, where she currently holds the position of Director.

Throughout her work at NBP, she has been involved in the introduction of a new series of circulation banknotes, changes in the denominational structure, and the development of new regulations governing cooperation with the cash market. She was responsible for the Hryvnia Exchange Program in Poland, which was later adopted as a model by other European countries. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) and serves as the Chair of the Cash Circulation Council in Poland. She graduated from the University of Szczecin and completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw.

Scott is a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience in the cash management industry, including leadership roles in operations, strategy, and business development.

With overarching responsibility for group transformation and growth at Australia’s largest cash management organisation, Scott played a pivotal role in driving strategic transformation programs and overseeing key divisions such as precious cargo and security fleet innovation. Scott was key to the transformation of the cash industry in Australia. He has also been actively involved in industry leadership, including as Chair of the Asian Cash Management Association’s Security Committee.

Scott holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and is known for his pragmatic leadership and commitment to best practices.

Olivier has been holding an expert position at that banknote issue and circulation section of the European Central Bank since 2001. He has been responsible for determining the annual banknote requirements and print volumes of the Eurosystem. He is coordinating banknote transfers among central banks with the objective to ensure that banknote demand is met efficiently. Olivier is in charge of coordinating cash-related matters in preparation of new Member States joining the euro area. Olivier holds a degree in business administration. Before he joined the ECB, he worked at Deutsche Bundesbank branches and at the Bundesbank’s cash policy department.

Shaun O’Brien, a Lead Analyst in FedCash Services at the Federal Reserve Financial Services, specializes in researching consumer payment behavior and forecasting cash payment and receipt volumes. He has authored and co-authored numerous papers on payment usage, including the recent "2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice" and several studies on consumer payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. O’Brien began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in 2011 within Economic Research and transitioned to Federal Reserve Financial Services in 2013

Guillaume Lepecq is a globally recognized expert in payments and cash, with over three decades of experience shaping the future of monetary systems. As the co-founder of CashEssentials (est. 2018), he established a leading think tank dedicated to exploring the evolving role of cash in society, advocating for its continued relevance. CashEssentials has become a trusted platform for research, policy analysis, and dialogue on the future of cash, engaging with central banks, financial institutions, and policymakers worldwide. Guillaume’s career spans consulting, corporate leadership, and thought leadership. For 20 years, he has advised European financial institutions on cash and payment strategies. Earlier, as Director of Corporate Relations at the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe (1993–2001), he contributed to the strategic efforts That led to the adoption of the euro. Guillaume has written influential publications, including "Cash Essentials – Beyond Payments," "The Future of Cash," and "Managing the Changeover to the Euro."

Professor Franz Seitz teaches Economics with a special focus on Monetary Policy and Financial Markets at Weiden Technical University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He is author of numerous articles in national and international journals. His main fields of research are monetary theory and policy, financial markets as well as payments markets, especially cash in circulation. For many years, Professor Seitz has been acting as a consultant in different projects for central banks, commercial banks and financial as well as non-financial corporations.