Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and pull from your own unique experiences.

I aim to inspire the next generation to see clearing as a dynamic engine of global financial stability.

Define achievement on your own terms, choose the path that resonates most deeply, and commit to it with conviction.

Islam Abdel Azim Azzam, Chairman of the Egyptian Stock Exchange, tells us what has changed in the business over the past year and what he is looking forward to in 2026.

Ilia Prozorov, Lead Product Development at Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, discusses how product innovation, market infrastructure development and a focus on international accessibility are supporting the evolution and global positioning of Abu Dhabi’s capital markets.

Jae Kwang Jung, Senior Manager at Korea Exchange, reflects on how the Market Infrastructure Certificate programme reshaped his thinking on market regulation and microstructure, and how questioning long-standing assumptions has become essential as Korea’s capital markets enter a new era of competition and structural change.

Jaime Swartz, Director of Derivatives Market Structure at Cboe Global Markets, reflects on her experience of the WFE Market Infrastructure Certificate Programme, exploring how the global classroom, blended learning model and industry immersion deepened her understanding of market infrastructure and reshaped how she approaches the interconnected challenges of modern capital markets.

Assel Mukazhanova, CEO, Astana International Exchange, shares how AIX’s Gold Coin initiative combines trust and technology to make gold investment digital, secure and inclusive.

As Taiwan’s ETF market becomes one of the fastest-growing globally, Christine Cho, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications Department, Taiwan Stock Exchange, outlines how the TWSE is driving innovation.