Dr. The Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley, a distinguished political figure in the British Virgin Islands, currently serves as the Premier and holds multiple vital ministerial portfolios. Dr. Wheatley represents the Seventh District and is a dedicated member of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP). He was first appointed to the British Virgin Islands Parliament in 2019 as the Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture and Representative for the Seventh District. 

Dr. Wheatley’s educational background is marked by his 2016 Ph.D. in Languages and Cultures of Africa from the University of London. He also holds a Master of Arts in Literary Studies from Purdue University and an undergraduate degree in English from Clark Atlanta University.  

In his current capacity as Premier, Dr. Wheatley simultaneously serves as the Minister of Finance, the Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Sustainable Development. His diverse portfolio highlights his commitment to driving economic development, environmental sustainability, and cultural enrichment in the British Virgin Islands. 

Dr. The Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley’s multifaceted background and his unwavering dedication to the betterment of the British Virgin Islands establish him as a respected and highly capable leader in the region, entrusted with multiple critical ministerial responsibilities. 

Lorna Smith, OBE, MA, TEP, FCIS, is a distinguished public servant and business leader with decades of experience shaping the British Virgin Islands’ financial services and tourism sectors. She played a pivotal role in establishing BVI Finance and has been instrumental in promoting the BVI as a leading international finance centre and premier tourism destination.

Elected to the House of Assembly in 2023, Lorna served as Deputy Premier and Minister for Financial Services, Labour and Trade. Throughout her career, she has built strong relationships across government, business, and non-profit sectors, providing strategic leadership on economic development and international engagement.

Lorna also played a key role in the BVI’s recovery following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, supporting both government-led and community recovery initiatives. She was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her outstanding contribution to public service in the British Virgin Islands.

Sir Richard Branson is the Founder of the Virgin Group, one of the world’s most recognized and admired brands, with businesses spanning travel, telecommunications, health, banking, leisure, and space tourism. He launched Virgin in 1970 as a mail-order record retailer before building Virgin Records into the world’s largest independent record label.

A lifelong entrepreneur and innovator, Richard has spent more than five decades using business as a force for positive change. In 2004, he established Virgin Unite, the Virgin Group’s non-profit foundation dedicated to tackling global challenges and creating opportunities for a better world.

In 2021, Richard fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming an astronaut, flying aboard Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 mission. He is also a bestselling author, speaker, and advocate for entrepreneurship, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership.

Knighted in 1999 for services to entrepreneurship, Richard lives in the British Virgin Islands and remains one of the world’s most influential business leaders.

Mr Glenford Malone was appointed Deputy Managing Director, Regulation in January 2022 and is responsible for implementing the Commission’s overall regulatory strategy. Mr Malone has over two decades of experience within the regulatory environment, having served many roles, such as Senior Regulator, Deputy Director, Investment Business and prior to 2002, assistant Registrar of Mutual Funds with the former Financial Services Department, now BVI Financial Services Commission. Mr Malone is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and is a trained Financial Examiner in the FATF Methodology of Assessing Compliance with the FATF 40 Recommendations. 

Professional Qualifications 

• Master of Laws (Distinction) in Law and Finance, 2005 

• Bachelor of Business Administration (Economics and International Business), 1997

Kishelle Cameron is the Deputy Director of the Specialised Supervision Unit of the Financial Services Commission. She is responsible for the oversight of high-risk licensees, and those of systemic importance in the jurisdiction. This includes all banks, systemically important TCSPs, Insurance Companies and all high-risk Investment Businesses and Virtual Asset Service Providers. Kishelle leads the Commission’s FinTech Working Group and serves as the Deputy Chair of the Risk Monitoring Committee. She is also the former Deputy Director of the Investment Business Division. In her previous capacity as the Deputy Director of the Investment Business Division, Kishelle gained significant experience in supervising high-risk financial entities and has been instrumental in shaping policies and strategies within the financial regulatory framework. Kishelle is a certified member of several prestigious institutions and has completed various specialised training programs, demonstrating her commitment to continuous learning and expertise in her field. 

Professional Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in Corporate Finance from the EADA Business School, Spain 

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, University of Maryland 

• International Studies certification, Shanghai University 

• Diploma in Compliance and Risk Management, International Compliance Association 

 

Claire Abrehart is a Managing Director of the BVI office and is also globally responsible for the directors, trusts and liquidation product service lines.

She is a professional director and serves on the boards of companies including private equity investment entities, real estate investment companies and, more recently, companies involved in the virtual asset and DeFi industry. She also sits on the board of regulated entities, including approved managers and fund structures.

Claire has many years of experience acting as a trustee and working closely with families to ensure their wealth is passed from generation to generation.

She has lived and worked in the British Virgin Islands for over 25 years. Prior to joining the company, she worked for other trust companies, large and small, and has held senior management roles for the last 18 years.

Claire holds a degree in business and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, having gained her TEP designation in 2006. She is also a full member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

David Byrd is a Partner at EY and serves as the firm’s Global Digital Asset Assurance Leader. Based in San Francisco, he specializes in audit, compliance, and assurance services for digital asset businesses, including funds, exchanges, custodians, miners, validators, and token issuers. David leads EY’s Digital Asset Research Center, helping clients navigate accounting, auditing, valuation, and regulatory considerations across the digital asset ecosystem. He regularly collaborates with regulators and industry groups worldwide to advance best practices in digital asset assurance and governance. Before joining the profession, he earned a PhD in Philosophy with a focus on Cognitive Science from the University of California, Davis, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California.

Patrick White is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bitwave, the #1 enterprise finance platform for digital assets. With a deep technical background in crypto payments, accounting, and compliance, he is a leading expert on B2B stablecoin payments and the broader enterprise adoption of blockchain technology.

Pat’s involvement in crypto goes back to its earliest days, with contributions to the Bitcoin and Ethereum codebases.

His opinions and insights have been featured in Axios, Accounting Today, Cointelegraph, Blockworks, and other top publications, where he continues to advocate for stablecoin B2B payments and the power of on-chain technologies to reshape the future of finance.

As businesses rethink payments for a digital-first world, Pat is driving innovation and real-world adoption.

Amy Kalnoki is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bitwave, the #1 digital asset finance platform for enterprises.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and operator, Amy is a leading voice at the intersection of crypto accounting, on-chain tax reporting, and financial compliance.

Amy has spent years helping crypto-native and traditional businesses scale their finance operations to meet the demands of on-chain complexity. Her expertise spans everything from tax automation to ERP integration, making her a sought-after authority on how enterprises can stay compliant while moving fast.

Before Bitwave, Amy co-founded and led Synata, an enterprise search startup acquired by Cisco in 2016. Today, she brings that same focus on innovation and enterprise scalability to Bitwave, empowering finance teams to manage digital assets with the same confidence and clarity as fiat.

Ashley Wright is a digital assets strategist, entrepreneur, and global speaker with over 8 years of experience in blockchain, fintech, and emerging technologies. She is the founder of The Wright Success and FemT3ch, organizations focused on advancing financial literacy, innovation, and opportunities in the digital economy.

Ashley has collaborated with leading organizations including CoinDesk, Chainlink, Stellar, Polkadot, and Near Protocol, and has spoken at major conferences across North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East. Her work focuses on the future of payments, digital assets, AI, and building more inclusive pathways into technology and entrepreneurship.

Ashley is currently building a new venture at the intersection of blockchain and AI data infrastructure.

Gbenga Omosuyi is Head of Global Business Development at Sphere Labs, a payments infrastructure company at the forefront of compliant cross-border money movement. He focuses on expanding the company’s global presence and forging partnerships that accelerate stablecoin innovation and adoption across global institutions. With over a decade of experience bridging traditional finance and crypto, Gbenga has held senior business development roles across some of the industry’s most influential companies: at BitGo, as Head of Strategic Partnerships, and at Fireblocks, as Strategic and Enterprise Business Clients Development for North America. He began his career began at Deutsche Bank, where he progressed through roles in OTC Derivatives Clearing, Prime Brokerage, and Wealth Management. Beyond his operational work, Gbenga is a Venture Partner at WAGMI Ventures, where he hosts the WAGMI Ventures Podcast. He holds an MBA from Yale University. 
 
 

Debra Brookes is the inaugural Chief Risk and Compliance Officer of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission. Since October 2024, Debra created a risk and compliance program for the first U.S. dollar-based stable token issued by a state agency: the Frontier (FRNT) Token. Previously, she worked at the New York State Department of Financial Services, where she held several roles, including Deputy Virtual Currency Chief and Head of Supervision, overseeing more than 30 licensed virtual currency entities conducting virtual currency business activities in New York (e.g., Gemini and Coinbase). Previously, Debra was a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice through the competitive Attorney General’s Honors Program, where she investigated and criminally prosecuted white-collar crimes for nearly 15 years. Debra earned an M.A., B.A., and A.A. from New York University and graduated cum laude from Albany Law School, where she served as the Note and Comment Editor for the Albany Law Review.

Michael Killourhy is a Partner at Ogier and a leading adviser on British Virgin Islands corporate, finance, and regulatory matters. He has extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, private equity investments, corporate restructurings, and financial services regulation. Michael is particularly recognized for his expertise in fintech, digital assets, Web3 businesses, and innovative financial services, and has played a significant role in supporting the development of the BVI as a leading international financial centre. He regularly advises multinational corporations, investment funds, financial institutions, and technology companies on complex cross-border transactions and regulatory issues.

Liz Barahona is a recognised expert in blockchain technology, virtual asset regulation, and AML standards for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). As Associate Director at FFP BVI Limited, she leads the firm’s VASP and SIBA practice and has played a pivotal role in shaping the British Virgin Islands’ digital asset regulatory framework.

She serves on the advisory committee for the revision of the BVI Virtual Assets Service Providers Act, advising the BVI Financial Services Commission on emerging regulatory developments. Liz is also the only BVI member of the Blockchain Lawyers Group, a global network of legal professionals dedicated to advancing digital asset regulation.

An internationally sought-after speaker and educator, she has participated in leading industry events including ETHCC Brussels, ETH Milan, Devcon Thailand, and the Fordham Law Blockchain Regulatory Symposium. A pioneer in blockchain education in the BVI, she developed and delivered the territory’s first VASP and Blockchain Technology course and continues to champion regulatory clarity, innovation, and the growth of the global Web3 ecosystem.

Amanda Wick served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice for nearly a decade, specializing in money laundering and cryptocurrency. After detailing at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), she left the government to serve as the Chief of Legal Affairs at Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics company. She then returned to government service to lead the financial investigation for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. After serving on the Committee, she founded and became the CEO of the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency, growing it to over 750 members across 22 countries in just three years. The Association was established to build a global network of women and male allies in the cryptocurrency, blockchain, and web3 industries who will advocate for the equal inclusion of women in the future of digital finance. In December 2025, she transitioned from CEO of the Association to become a Board Director and Strategic Advisor. She currently serves as the Head of Americas for VerifyVASP, a blockchain-native Travel Rule and compliance network that connects exchanges, VASPs, and regulators. Her debut book, “The Catalysts: The Accelerating Forces Forging the New World Financial Order,” was released in May 2025 and was a Montaigne Medal Finalist, in addition to winning the Silver IBPA Award in Politics/Current Events, and the Gold Medal AXIOM Business Book Award in the International Business/Globalization category.

Aki Corsoni-Husain is a Partner and Global Head of Regulatory & Tax at Harneys, based in London. He advises on a broad range of financial services regulatory matters, with particular expertise in digital assets, fintech, sanctions, anti-money laundering, and tax information exchange. Aki regularly counsels financial institutions, digital asset businesses, and regulatory authorities on licensing, compliance, and emerging regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions. Recognized for his leadership in financial regulation and fintech, he is ranked by Chambers and has been recognized in Lexology’s Client Choice Awards for his work in corporate tax and regulatory advisory.

Ayana Hull is a Partner and Head of the Regulatory & Financial Services practice at the Maples Group in the British Virgin Islands. With more than 20 years of experience in BVI commercial and regulatory law, she advises clients on investment funds, regulatory compliance, licensing, digital assets, and financial services regulation. Widely recognized as a leading regulatory lawyer, Ayana serves on several industry and government advisory bodies, including the BVI FSC’s Virtual Assets Service Providers Act Advisory Committee and the Fintech on the Seas Steering Committee. In 2026, she was awarded Gold as Caribbean Woman of the Year at the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards USA, reflecting her significant contributions to the financial services industry and public service in the Virgin Islands.

James Knox is the Regional Managing Director of Aon’s Blockchain and Technology Practice, leading growth across the technology and digital asset sectors. He advises many of the world’s leading blockchain and technology companies and has supported over 100 firms with insurance strategies for IPOs on U.S. and international exchanges.

A trained attorney, James previously served as CEO of Nasdaq’s international insurance division, Carpenter Moore PLC, and as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City. He is also a recognized speaker and moderator on blockchain, digital assets, and regulatory trends across global markets.

Elise Donovan is the Chief Executive Officer of BVI Finance, the organisation that promotes the British Virgin Islands as a premier international finance centre (IFC). She leads global outreach for a jurisdiction that facilitates roughly US $1.4 trillion in cross-border trade and investment, working closely with industry practitioners and policymakers on emerging trends.

Her career includes senior posts at the BVI Government, the BVI Financial Services Commission, and representative offices in London and Hong Kong—experience that gives her a broad perspective on policy, regulation and market development. Donovan’s work routinely takes her to major financial hubs in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa, where she strengthens relationships and advances dialogue on fintech, sustainable finance, global trade and evolving regulation.

A frequent contributor to industry forums and journals, she writes and speaks widely on IFCs and the BVI’s role in the global economy.

Nia Statham is a Senior Associate at Baker & Partners in the Cayman Islands and is admitted to practise in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and England & Wales.

She specialises in cross-border digital asset recovery, fraud and asset tracing, with a particular focus on DAOs, Web3 projects, and Cayman Islands Foundation Companies. Nia has advised on high-value cryptocurrency thefts, asset recovery strategies, insolvency proceedings involving digital asset businesses, and complex cross-border investigations.

A recognised speaker on digital asset recovery and crypto-related disputes, she has presented for organisations including the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Association of Women in Cryptocurrency, and the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery (CFAAR) network.

Stuart Cullen is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution & Insolvency team at Maples and Calder’s British Virgin Islands office. He specializes in complex cross-border disputes, financial litigation, insolvency matters, and regulatory investigations, with experience spanning Europe, Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, and other international jurisdictions. Prior to joining the Maples Group in 2021, Stuart was Of Counsel at Allen & Overy in London and Hong Kong. Recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by Legal 500, he is known for delivering pragmatic, thorough, and commercially focused advice on high-value contentious matters.

Shan Greer is an international arbitrator and mediator associated with ArbitraInternational in London and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the BVI International Arbitration Centre. Since assuming this role in January 2023, she has leveraged over two decades of experience to promote excellence in arbitration and dispute resolution globally.

Renowned for her pragmatic and commercially astute approach, Shan has advised and represented clients across a broad range of industries in diverse jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. Her ability to handlecomplex disputes with efficiency and fairness has positioned her as a trusted leader in the field.

Shan holds a Master’s degree in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from King’s College London and is dually qualified as a barrister and solicitor in England, with admissions to practice in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Belize.

A sought-after arbitrator, adjudicator, and mediator, Shan’s practice includes ad hoc, institutional, international, and domestic arbitrations, seamlessly bridging civil and common law systems. Her dedication to equitable and effective dispute resolution has earned her widespread recognition and respect.

Shan’s deep expertise and strategic insights make her a valuable voice in advancing arbitration and dispute resolution, particularly within the offshore sector.

Kingsley Advani is Chairman of Advani Family Office and CEO of Allocations, where he oversees $2BN+ in assets. An active investor since 2013, he has completed over 200 investments including SpaceX, Anthropic, Coinbase and Robinhood. Kingsley is a prominent voice in finance and technology, appearing regularly on CNBC and featured in Bloomberg, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, The Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo Finance. 

George Alayon is the Deputy Director, Supervision (FinTech) at the Bermuda Monetary Authority, where he leads initiatives supporting the supervision of Bermuda’s fintech sector, including the regulatory sandbox and innovation hub. He also serves on the Authority’s Insurance and FinTech Assessment and Licensing Committees, overseeing licensing for InsurTech and FinTech entities.

Before joining the Authority in 2015, George held senior roles at CTC Insurance Management, Caceis (Bermuda) Limited, and Ernst & Young Philippines. He is a Certified Public Accountant in both the Philippines and Bermuda, a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, and holds certifications in cyber risk, compliance, data analytics, blockchain, and AI.

Trevaughn Smith is an experienced financial services professional with a diverse skill set spanning banking, insurance, and corporate administration. As a Senior Administrative Officer, he has a reputation for being resourceful and a problem solver, with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions.

Recently, Trevaughn completed the Fintech Training Programme at the Robert Mathavious Institute for Financial Services at HLSCC, which has equipped him with the latest knowledge and expertise in the field of fintech. This training has positioned him to promote the British Virgin Islands as a jurisdiction ripe for digital transformation, and he is committed to supporting BVI Finance and its goals.

Trevaughn is dedicated to staying at the forefront of the latest fintech trends, ensuring that he remains an asset to his organization and the wider industry. His combination of experience, expertise, and commitment makes him an excellent candidate for roles that require a deep understanding of the financial services industry and an ability to navigate the challenges of digital transformation.