• Home
• Technology

Global financial messaging network Swift has announced the adoption of an updated governance model, establishing a Supervisory Board composed of 15 international financial leaders. The new structure aims to shape the next generation of the company’s strategy while enhancing resilience, security, and trust across the cross-border payments ecosystem to meet the evolving priorities of the global financial community.

Strategy to Harness Blockchain and Emerging Technologies

The establishment of the new Board coincides with Swift introducing a ledger based on Blockchain technology, enabling the financial industry to exchange tokenized assets and achieve interoperability for 24/7 money transfers.

Furthermore, the Board will collaborate with Swift management to address threats and opportunities arising from post-quantum cryptography and advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI). These efforts focus on accelerating transaction processing to minutes or seconds, delivering higher transparency and predictable execution times.

Two-Tier Governance Structure Aligned with Global Standards

The upgraded governance model aligns with international best practices for systemically important financial market infrastructures, featuring two main levels:

Supervisory Board: Comprises the Chair, 4 independent members heading specialized committees (Audit & Finance, Risk, Technology & Production, Governance & Nominations), and 10 members representing shareholders from across Swift's global network.

Executive Board & Representation: Led by Javier Pérez-Tasso, CEO of Swift, and supported by a 25-member Swift Board to ensure continuous representation of shareholder and user perspectives worldwide.

International Leadership and Deep Banking Expertise

The new Supervisory Board is chaired by Graeme Munro, Managing Director of Commercial & Investment Banking at JPMorgan. The Board brings together prominent regional and global figures, including:

Ahmed Abdelaal (CEO of Mashreq Bank Group).

Executives from major global institutions: Citi, BNP Paribas, HSBC, Bank of America, Société Générale, Standard Chartered, Bank of China (Hong Kong), and MUFG Bank.

Independent members: Dilip Asbe, Burkhard Balz, Inge Boets, and Rima Qureshi.

The Board held its first meeting on October 6, 2026, following approval at Swift's Annual General Meeting in June 2026.