Roy Vella – Keynote Speaker

Mr. Vella runs a management consultancy providing strategic advice and commercial services to digital leaders globally, particularly as an expert in the fintech and smart home industries. Recent clients include BoAomline Technologies (leading their insurtech strategy efforts), Awair Inc. (leading Enterprise Sales for an advanced Indoor Air Quality commercial offering) and Ripple Labs (guiding their global Business Development strategy in the crypto payments space.)

In EMEA, notable clients included: Aviva Insurance, Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson), Visa Europe, Vodafone, Bri;sh Gas/Centrica, Allianz Insurance, the GSM Association (Mobile World Congress Producer), Allergan Pharma, Lloyds Banking Group, CouAs & Company, Rabobank, MasterCard Advisors, Experian, Intuit, Camelot Group, Travelex, Bank Hapoalim, Saudi Britsh Bank, Nets and ABSA Capital as well as many London-based incubators and their fast-growing European startups.

Prior to that, Mr. Vella joined Centrica Connected Home as Managing Director/VP, North America in London relocating to Boston to guide the rollout of their Smart Home Services in US/CA. As a well-known professional speaker, digital services expert and independent Non-Exec Director, Advisor & Consultant to enterprises large and small, Mr. Vella brings a wealth of knowledge in digital experiences and connectivity.

Prior to offering his services-at-large, Mr. Vella was at RBS where he developed the overall strategy and hired a team of 30 to implement the global bank’s mobile efforts including the development of new products and services, stored value functionality, mobile enabled payments, customer acquisition and the management of joint venture partners. Previously to RBS he spent five years with PayPal starting out as Director of Business Development in the US Merchant Services group, and finally as Head of Mobile Payments leading the mobile payments initiative in Europe.

Previous to PayPal, Mr. Vella worked as the VP of Sales & Marketing at 4charity, Inc. (a soaware startup focusing on corporate philanthropy for the Fortune 500), and, prior to that, as a Partner at Quantum Technology Ventures (a corporate VC firm focusing on the storage industry). As an entrepreneur, Mr. Vella co-founded NetAbacus Corporation, a web-based purchasing service for small businesses, serving as the VP of Marke;ng/Strategic Rela;ons. When the market turned in mid-2000, he facilitated the acquisition of NetAbacus by Biztro and the combined entity became Rivio, where he was responsible for channel marketing and customer acquisition.

Before graduate school, he began his career in Client Service at the Leo BurneA Company in Chicago, working with such clients as Sony Consumer Electronics and Miller Brewing. Actively involved in the non-profit sector, Roy serves on the Board of Directors of the Stanford Business School Alumni Associa;on and is also the Board President Emeritus of Variety Children’s Charity of Northern California. Formerly, for over 8 years he was the Board Treasurer of BATS Improv, an improvisational school and theater company.

Roy received a BA in Mathema;cs (with High Honors and elected to Phi Beta Kappa) from the College of the Holy Cross, a JD from Stanford Law School, and an MBA (with cer;ficates in Global and Public Management) from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He currently lives in London with his family. While hobbies have truly taken a back seat to family life these days, he enjoys outdoor sports and travel adventures.