Valerie Bannert-Thurner (Ph.D.) is Senior Vice President and Head of Anti-Financial-Crime Technology within Nasdaq Market Technology, overseeing Nasdaq’s development of anti-financial-crime technology to the capital markets and financial services sector. In her most recent role, she was responsible for the overall growth of market-leading risk and surveillance technology solutions to buy-side firms, broker dealers, clearing firms, exchanges and regulators worldwide. Previously, Valerie oversaw the European Market Technology division and drove expansion into new business segments.

Before joining the Market Technology business, Valerie held the position of Managing Director at FTEN, a Nasdaq subsidiary, where she ran the FTEN trading and risk management business across Europe and Asia. Previous roles included various leadership positions at fintech companies on the West Coast, U.S. and London.

Valerie is an expert in the fintech space with a deep understanding of the underlying trading, risk and compliance technologies, market structure and business models. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, a master’s degree in Business Engineering and Industrial Management, and Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich. Valerie has authored several articles on finance, risk and technology, as well as published a book on strategic acquisition management. She regularly speaks at industry conferences worldwide and has lectured at Cambridge University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been voted as one of the 100 most influential women in finance by Financial News.