As if there needed to be an exclamation point to a high-level payments forum between Atlanta and the United Kingdom this week, the event will be headlined by former British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr. Cameron will speak at a dinner Wednesday at the Georgia Aquarium, providing further proof that the Payments 20 (P20) conference can bring together top officials from across the pond as it aims to use the financial technology heft of London and Atlanta to set global standards for the future of the electronic payments sector.
Mr. Cameron served as head of the U.K. government from 2010-16, stepping down after the Brexit referendum of that year.
P20 didn’t officially launch until October 2017, but many of the initial discussions the led to the forum took place with members of his government.
This year’s conference, coming to Atlanta for the first time as it alternates each year, is to focus heavily on the theme of cybersecurity and how it underpins global commerce.
A breadth of regulatory issues will also be discussed, including the effects of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation. Discussions will also touch on identity verification and the concept of “open banking,” where banks share data through application programming interfaces, or APIs, allowing outside companies to build solutions that improve service and transparency.
In addition to Gov. Nathan Deal and four Georgia congressional representatives, the event will draw a strong foreign contingent from the United Kingdom and beyond.
Antony Phillipson, British consul general of New York and trade commissioner for North America, will offer a keynote speech Wednesday at lunch on the importance of the transatlantic partnership the P20 represents. See an interview with Mr. Phillipson here
David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, will speak at a Tuesday night dinner. Canada is backing the event as it aims to be part of the equation. See Global Atlanta coverage of Ambassador MacNaughton’s last visit to Atlanta
More Global Atlanta coverage on P20: ‘Davos of Payments’ to Highlight Atlanta London Fintech Partnership
See the full slate of speakers and dignitaries at payments20.com.
Full agenda here.