Speaker Profiles
Adriana Rojas
SAS Global Academic Program Manager
Adriana Rojas leads the SAS Academic Program for Iberia, supporting universities in integrating analytics and AI into their curricula. With a background in Business Administration and professional experience at IBM, Lenovo, Symantec, and SAS, she is passionate about preparing students for data-driven careers. Adriana works to bridge the gap between academia and industry through certification, hands-on learning, and strategic collaboration.
Alexandra Raskin
Global Lead Sanctions Solutions, SAS Risk, Fraud & Compliance Solutions
Alexandra Raskin is an expert in financial crime and compliance solutions. She joined SAS recently with a focus on our new solution: SAS Real-Time Watchlist Screening. She has more than twenty (20) years experience in the field and has developed previously, screening solutions for payment and customer name, behavior analysis engine as well as fraud detection system as product manager. She gained extensive banking industry and compliance experience supporting customers from regulatory analysis to solution fine tuning phases. She spent 11 years at Swift growing her knowledge on payments, transaction channel and formats. She is customer oriented and passionate about finding solution that would help our customer navigate in their continuously strengthening sanctions and regulatory context. Alexandra holds a complementary Master’s degree in computational linguistic as well as multiple certification in AML (CAMS),product management and Agile methodology.
Amir-Erfan Izadi
SAS Fraud & Security Intelligence
Amir is an Associate Systems Engineer on the Fraud and Security pre-sales team at SAS Spain. Over the past three years, he has supported clients across both the public and private sectors, working on diverse use cases including anti-money laundering, insurance fraud, healthcare, law enforcement, tax fraud, and application fraud.
Amir is excited to contribute to the SAS Finance Analytics School, where he looks forward to sharing real-world insights and exploring these applications in greater depth with students.
Ana Collado
Sr. Expert of Fraud, Anti-Money Laundering & Security Intelligence solutions
Ana is a Sr. Expert of Fraud, Anti-Money Laundering & Security Intelligence solutions at SAS customer advisory department in Spain. Ana collaborates with local and international SAS teams as well as SAS customers and partners in the definition, scope and usage of first-class analytical solutions to solve challenges related to fraud, waste, abuse and compliance in our customers from different industries, including government, banking, insurance, communications, retail, services and more. Prior to SAS, Ana has held Risk Management Sr. Analytical roles for more than ten years in different sectors and countries: Bank Of America (SP, US, UK) and Vodafone (SP). Ana has a degree in Economics, specialized in Economic Analysis and Quantitative Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid and holds a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) certification.
André Zitzke
Sr Global Academic Program Manager
André Zitzke is Manager of Global Academic Programs: Africa at SAS, working closely with universities across the continent to promote analytics education. He supports institutions with awareness, resources, training, and partnerships to help develop industry-ready analytics talent.
Since joining SAS in 1995, André has held roles including Risk Practice Lead and Analytics Solutions Specialist, where he supported sales teams with deep technical expertise. This experience makes him a valuable advisor to universities on initiatives such as free SAS software, Academic Specialization programs, and master’s-level data science offerings.
He also serves on several university advisory boards, sharing industry insights to help align academic programs with current and future workforce needs.
André holds a BSc Honours in Mathematical Statistics from the University of the Free State.
Arno Strauss
Fraud Analytics Director at Facts Consulting
Arno Strauss has almost 2 decades of experience using advanced data analytics and programming to identify, track and prevent fraud. As the Fraud Analytics Specialist at FACTS Consulting, Arno is responsible for helping a variety of organisations assess their fraud risks, develop analytical forensic tools, automate relevant business processes and use data analytics to catch fraudsters. He holds various SAS certifications and is certified by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Arno was most recently made FACTS’s technical lead on the development of a Procurement Integrity Solution for SAS, a global leader in analytics software. The solution, which monitors procurement data to detect potential fraud, has since been implemented in two of South Africa’s major banks and one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. It has also been adopted as a formal SAS product, making FACTS one of the first small businesses to become a premier SAS partner
Celia Martín
SAS AI Initiatives for Solutions (Risk & Fraud)
Celia Martín is a Data Scientist specialized in innovation using AI for business challenges like Fraud and FinCrime detection or risk assessment, and has worked with advanced analytics and machine learning since 2019 after joining SAS. Celia graduated in Applied Statistics in Universidad Complutense de Madrid, has a master in ciber-security and 6 years of experience helping customers transform data into intelligence covering topics such as Real-Time Supervised Learning, Network Analytics, Generative AI and AI Governance. She is also certified in Anti-Money Laundering (CAMS), SAS Programming and SAS Visual Business Analytics.
Clark Lawson
Data & Analytics Lead, Nationwide Building Society
Clark Lawson is an experienced Data & AI leader at Nationwide Building Society, where they lead the transformation of analytics platforms, including the migration from SAS9 GRID to SAS Viya—supporting over 2,000 users. With deep expertise in data governance, advanced analytics, and platform engineering, they combine strategic vision with hands-on technical delivery.
A recognised SAS Community Lead and thought leader, they’ve shared their insights at SAS Innovate events in Las Vegas and London. Passionate about inspiring future talent, they also serve as a dedicated STEM Ambassador—delivering career talks, financial education, and hackathons for students across the UK.
Cristina Puerta
Head of the Department of Technological Innovation and Information Analysis, Andalusian Tax Agency
Born in Seville, Cristina holds degrees in Law and Business Administration and Management from the Pablo de Olavide University. She is a civil servant in the Senior Corps of Financial Management Administrators of the Andalusian Regional Government.
Since 2024, she has held the position of Head of the Department of Technological Innovation and Information Analysis at the central offices of the Andalusian Tax Agency.
Previously, she served as Head of the Procedures Service of the Andalusian Tax Agency, as well as other roles in the collections area at the Provincial Directorate of the Andalusian Tax Agency in Seville, where she began her career as a civil servant in 2016. In 2019, she was appointed as a National Expert for a five-month period at the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in Brussels.
Glyn Townsend
Sr. Director, Education & Academic Services, SAS EMEA
Glyn Townsend is the Senior Director of Education and Academic Services at SAS, where he leads the company’s training and academic initiatives across the EMEA region. Glyn collaborates with customers, governments, and universities to deliver impactful, large-scale skills programmes in AI and data science. His work is helping to redefine how economies prepare for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driving digital transformation, promoting ethical AI, and expanding inclusive access to future-critical careers.
Ian Holmes
Global Lead for Enterprise Fraud Solutions with the SAS Risk, Fraud and Solutions.
Ian most recently gained a Master Of Business Administration from SASIN School of Management, Thailand. As part of his career, he has worked and lived in the US, Europe and Asia making him a truly global expert.
Through his career, Ian’s role and expertise has grown from Financial Institutions to cover other industries including Telecommunications and Insurance fraud as the risk, fraud and financial crimes intersection becomes magnified.
Previously, Ian gained extensive banking industry leading experience through fraud strategy roles, with specific expertise in payments fraud and application fraud. His career developed from the ‘ground up’ to embrace a customer focussed approach alongside analytics and strategy. Ensuring the bank was best placed to prevent fraud attack Ian gained deep expertise of industry decisioning systems. Ultimately, Ian became Head of Fraud in a UK division of HSBC and was recognised globally by his contemporaries.
Joining SAS in 2011, Ian’s global role is to provide fraud expertise to drive the product enhancement; pre-sales and business implementation of the banking fraud solution globally. Ian’s team are SME’s and solution experts whom support new and current customers to maximise fraud performance as well as presenting business case capability to potential clients.
Ian’s fraud expertise is pivotal in retaining SAS’ recognition and reputation in the industry by customers and analysts; supporting marketing initiatives and strategic collaboration with key third party vendors and partners. Through these activities he ensures stability for current clients as well as growth in new initiatives.
Louis Guilbaud
SAS Industry Consultant - Compliance Analytics Pre-Sales | Global Risk Fraud & Compliance
Louis holds a Master's degree in Econometrics and Applied Statistics of the University of Orleans (France). With these studies, Louis has learned to apply statistical and machine learning methods to meet credit risk and compliance regulations. His Master’s thesis focuses on the evaluation and governance of artificial intelligence for compliance.
Louis has joined SAS in March 2021, initially based in London he is currently based in Paris. He provides domain expertise in the development, sales support and implementation of the practice’s financial crime banking solutions. His main focus is on the application of analytical tools for the detection of financial crime.
Mihai Gaicu
Global AML Presales Consultant ,SAS
With a strong educational background and years of experience in the financial sector, Mihai brings a unique blend of business engineering and data science expertise to his role as a specialist in anti-money laundering solutions.
Mihai holds a Master's degree in Business Engineering from Solvay Brussels School, where he gained a solid foundation in business principles and management strategies. Building upon this foundation, he pursued an Advanced Master's degree in Data Science from ULB, equipping him with advanced analytical skills and knowledge in leveraging data for strategic decision-making.
Currently, Mihai is a key contributor at SAS, where he plays a crucial role in assisting banks in their fight against money laundering through the application of AI-powered solutions. Collaborating closely with R&D, account executives, and delivery teams, Mihai deploys industry best practices for AML solutions, ensuring that financial institutions are equipped with robust systems to detect and prevent illicit financial activities.
Throughout his career, Mihai has worked with numerous financial institutions worldwide, offering his expertise and guidance on AML advisory matters. His in-depth knowledge of AML regulations, coupled with his proficiency in leveraging data science techniques, enables him to provide comprehensive solutions tailored to the specific needs of each institution. Mihai's commitment to excellence, attention to detail, and ability to stay abreast of emerging trends in the financial sector have made him a trusted advisor in the field of AML. He is driven by a passion for leveraging technology and data-driven approaches to combat financial crimes effectively.
Stephanie Ora
SAS Global Lead for Financial Crimes Analytics
Stephanie is the Global Lead for Financial Crimes Analytics, and has over a decade of experience in combatting money laundering and fraud. In her role in SAS, she helps customers worldwide to apply advanced analytics and AI to achieve effectiveness in detecting financial crime; and she also works with product management and R&D teams to define customer requirements. Prior to this role, she worked in financial crime surveillance teams in global banks and as a management consultant for anti-financial crime programs.
Vasile Anton
Data Science Delivery Manager
Vasile Anton is seasoned data analytics professional with over a decade of experience in the banking and retail sectors. Currently serving as Delivery Manager Data Analysis & Modelling Retail at Banca Transilvania, Vasile leads a high-performing team dedicated to transforming data into actionable insights that drive strategic business decisions. His expertise spans statistical modeling, customer behavior analysis, and campaign performance evaluation, with a foundation in econometrics and applied statistics.
Vasile is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Maastricht University (2024–2026), further strengthening his business acumen and leadership capabilities. Passionate about bridging the gap between data and decision-making, he is committed to fostering a collaborative environment where analytics empower business growth and innovation.