Merdihan Ismailov is the Vice President of Solutions and Products for Fintech Institutions at Sirma Group. He has over 20 years of experience in leadership positions in the industry - he has led digital transformation and development of new digital services in a leading banking institution in Bulgaria.

As part of the management team of the first TPP in Bulgaria, he is directly involved in the introduction and establishment of open banking in the country. For the past three years, he has represented the Bulgarian Fintech Association in working groups on the development of the new payment directive PSD3 and open finance regulations. He is an established expert and European consultant in the fields of open banking, payment instruments and services, regulatory compliance, banking, credit cards, and commercial banking.

At DIGI PAY 2024, he will lead the discussion on the prospects for instant payments, the challenges facing the banking sector with fintech market leaders and new players, and the future of cross-border instant payments.