African Currency Forum

Towards a More Secure , Efficient and Sustainable Cash Cycle

by Zeina Abdo & Joe Saliba

The unprecedented accelerated rise of automation calls for innovative strategies that can support a sustainable and efficient ecosystem. Future-proof, durable and fully compatible machine-readable solutions must meet today’s demanding requirements, while reinforcing banknote security, enabling an optimal and sustainable cash cycle for the future.
Cash today continues to play an essential role in benefiting each member of society despite the increasing presence of contactless and digital payments in parallel to the general increase of banknotes in circulation. This serves as an opportunity for central banks, state print works, printers, banknote designers, cash-in-transit companies, retailers and other stakeholders to consider reinforced technologies and solutions that can further optimise their infrastructures and cash processes in order to reduce costs and keep counterfeits out of circulation.
This session will highlight the latest global trends shaping the cash cycles and present problem-targeted solutions and approaches as to how we can respond to it.

Zeina Abdo

Biography:
Zeina joined SICPA, Switzerland in the beginning of 2022 as the Head of the Marketing Department for Currency and Services Solutions.
Prior to joining SICPA, Zeina carried out various managerial roles internationally, spearheading marketing communication strategies and projects in world-leading companies of diverse backgrounds across several countries including UAE, Switzerland and the US. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management from the École hôtelière de Lausanne.
She held the position as the Industry Relations Associate Director for the École hôtelière de Lausanne and as the International Marketing Communications Manager at Crane Currency. She also worked as a Sustainability Consultant delivering and helping execute sustainability strategies. Alongside her corporate career, she is the Founder and Managing Director of the Smile for Hope Foundation, an NGO dedicated to addressing the needs of children battling cancer in remote and forgotten parts of Nepal.
With over 24 years of experience in corporate work and humanitarian activities, Zeina is passionate about bridging the gap between these two interconnected worlds through sustainable action and collaborative partnerships.

Joe Saliba

Joe Saliba joined the Currency Services & Solutions Division of SICPA in June 2012 as Regional Business Director. He is responsible for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
He has been active in these regions in the framework of currency industry and government security services throughout the years engaging with both the public and private sectors.

Alan Newman

Alan Newman is the Currency Product Director at De La Rue where he is responsible for the Research & Development of material science and the delivery of new innovative banknote security features, together with Currency Design, Customer Technical support, and Product Marketing.

He has over 35 years’ experience in the banknote industry and held a number of senior positions, in a range of banknote manufacturing processes, from concept design right through to finished banknotes delivered to customers. Including Manufacturing Director at De La Rue Kenya and Sri Lanka, and Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Director responsible for the efficient introduction of new banknote series into manufacturing.

He has led the De La Rue design team in the design and realisation of over 500 new banknote designs worldwide, including winning 14 international design awards since 2008, launching into circulation 30% of the world’s new banknote designs.

The Magic Triangle: Banknote Solutions Must be Sustainable

by Andrew Forbes

With the Green Banknote, unmatched security from within is not compromised. Constructed of sustainable materials and offering extended durability and environmentally friendly end-of-life scenarios, we are making the banknote a clever fit for a greener cash cycle. With an unrivalled low carbon footprint, the new substrate perfectly fulfils all essential requirements for modern banknotes and even sets a new benchmark for feature durability. Embedded security for uncompromised confidence in cash – a blueprint for sustainable currency solutions.

Andrew Forbes

Director of Sales at Louisenthal
Andrew received his Executive MBA from CASS Business School City University London.
Andrew joined Louisenthal in 2009 where he is now responsible for global sales of banknote and security paper as well as high security threads and foils. Prior to this, Andrew spent 12 years in international sales and marketing positions in the data security industry.

SUSTAINABILITY Advantages of Polymer Banknotes

by Lachlan McDonald

There has been much interest in the actions taken by leading central banks to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gasses and impact on the Environment. The key being the reuse and recycling of Banknotes. CCL has been privileged to have worked with a number of these leading Central banks and help them develop effective strategies which are now proven and available today for all Central Banks to adopt. We also report on our own progress in the reduction of Green House Gas emissions and look to the future of what is next

Lachlan McDonald

Lachlan McDonald is a Chemist and has over 26 years of international experience in banknote substrate and print. Over this time Lachlan has worked for Portals Ltd, De La Rue Currency and for the past 16 years CCL Secure. Lachlan graduated in Chemistry from University College, London University in the UK and is also a business graduate from the University of Melbourne in Australia.

After 8 years at De La Rue, Lachlan returned to Australia, and joined CCL Secure. For 8 years Lachlan was Head of CCL Secure’s PolyTeQ® Print Services division being responsible for the smooth transition from paper to Guardian® polymer banknote production at now 20 Banknote print works and leading central banks such as England. This involves all processes from design to end of life destruction and recycling.

Since 2014 Lachlan has lived in Zurich and is currently on the EMEA regional management team responsible for CCL Secure’s technical support to Banknote printers, technology partners and Central Banks. This cover all areas from Banknote design, production and destruction and recycling.

SHIELD, Protecting Your Banknotes to the African Climate(s)

by Gerben van Wijk, Gerben van Wijk

The African continent features a wide variety of climates with each their own challenges to keeping banknotes clean and well presentable. Also, there is an increased level of automation at Point of Sales with the general public using banknote acceptors to pay for their shopping or depositing their savings.
In today’s fast-paced society, torn, soiled or otherwise damaged banknotes will cause significant issues and frustration.

Applying a coating, also known as overprint varnish, has a significant effect on the quality of a banknote over a longer period of time. Secondly, the introduction of new, durable substrates has increased the need for coatings to be applied to protect the inks from being removed from the substrate during circulation. This presentation will look at these challenges and introduce Luminescence Sun Chemical Security’s SHIELD anti-soil coating as an answer to the above challenges, as it offers a cost-effective way of ensuring a longer lasting quality of banknotes in circulation.

Gerben van Wijk, Gerben van Wijk

Gerben van Wijk is Sales and Marketing Director at Luminescence Sun Chemical Security. Separately he is Chairman of the Board of the International Tax Stamp Association. In 2004 Gerben made his entry in the security printing industry when he joined Drent Goebel. In 2008 Gerben became an independent consultant and worked as Marketing Director for Currency Research as well as Membership Director for the International Association of Currency Affairs. In September 2010, Gerben joined KBA-NotaSys as Marketing and Communications Manager. Since March 2019 Gerben is Sales and Marketing Director at Luminescence Sun Chemical Security, a leading supplier of security inks, where he leads the global team of sales, marketing and product specialists for the security inks division., Gerben van Wijk is Sales and Marketing Director at Luminescence Sun Chemical Security. Separately he is Chairman of the Board of the International Tax Stamp Association. In 2004 Gerben made his entry in the security printing industry when he joined Drent Goebel. In 2008 Gerben became an independent consultant and worked as Marketing Director for Currency Research as well as Membership Director for the International Association of Currency Affairs. In September 2010, Gerben joined KBA-NotaSys as Marketing and Communications Manager. Since March 2019 Gerben is Sales and Marketing Director at Luminescence Sun Chemical Security, a leading supplier of security inks, where he leads the global team of sales, marketing and product specialists for the security inks division.