The Emerging Banking Leaders Programme

Overview
Programme at a glance
Programme Outline
Programme Faculty
Programme Venue

Overview
Welcome
I am pleased to see the Asian Banking School and the University of Edinburgh Business School collaborating once more in 2024. This is the third time this innovative and exciting programme, focusing on the strategic implications of technology developments for global banking leaders, will be held. With the rapid advances in AI and other fields over the past 12 months, there will be a great deal to consider and discuss as technology continues to shape the landscape and practice of banking and finance globally.

There is also no better place to consider these issues than with fellow banking leaders. Scotland is a pivotal hub for the evolution of contemporary banking and finance. It boasts a flourishing FinTech sector, supported by the expertise and guidance of respected academic institutions like the University of Edinburgh, celebrated for its groundbreaking research in fields including AI, data science, and quantum computing. It is also home to the Chartered Banker Institute, the oldest institute of bankers in the world, founded and headquartered in Edinburgh.

This is therefore an excellent environment for you to explore the latest developments in technology in the banking sector, and consider the opportunities and challenges created by digital disruption with leading academics and practitioners in the field. Despite major investments in technological capital, however, banks and financial institutions still rely on human capital too; it is the banking leaders and executives who determine the deployment of technology. This programme will help you, and your fellow senior executives, shape the future of banking.

Both personally, as a proud alumnus of the University of Edinburgh Business School, and on behalf of the Chartered Banker Institute, I would like to extend an invitation to join us in Edinburgh in September, therefore. I am confident that your visit will be both informative and enjoyable, and that you will return with valuable insights to support your professional growth and the growth of your institutions in our digital and technology-driven era.

Simon Thompson FCBI
Chief Executive
Chartered Banker Institute
THE EMERGING BANKING LEADERS PROGRAMME
Preparing Future Leaders for a Digital World
Technological innovations allow us not only to change the way we do things but also to do things we could not do before. Historically, the banking industry was one of the first sectors to adopt some of these innovations. The first mainframe built for commercial use, for instance, was bought by a bank.

In its essence, the banking business remains the same but the environment around it is constantly evolving. Technology has affected the way customers engage with banks, investment opportunities, the risks faced by banks, and the relationship with employees. More and more people have access to the financial system. New types of currencies have been created. The number of tech-based firms has gotten higher and higher, bringing novel digital functionalities that considerably affect how we perform tasks and interact with each other. Social awareness, ethical issues, and equality and diversity debates propelled by social media may affect banks’ reputation and their ability to attract funding at reasonable costs. Applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in finance and related areas take advantage of abundant data easily available to some players that can become new competitors to traditional banks.

The advances in technology have made us aware of new possibilities that we would not have considered otherwise. Simply keeping abreast of all these changes is not enough for banking leaders to deal with the multiple factors influencing the sector - understanding them and acting accordingly is essential to identifying business opportunities and avoiding losses for their institutions.

Looking at the rapid growth of applications of technology in banking over the past decade or so makes us wonder what is coming next. The future is uncertain but those better prepared for the potential impact of technological innovations will be at an advantage. Even in the early stages of their careers, banking leaders can make a difference.

The Emerging Banking Leaders Programme will allow participants to not only face the aforementioned challenges in a more efficient way but also to explore opportunities arising from new business, professional and social practices. It combines a number of different activities such as seminars with academics and guest speakers from financial firms, case studies, networking events with practitioners, and a visit to a financial institution. Such a variety of delivery methods will help participants take their learning experience to the highest possible level so that the topics discussed in the programme can be converted into practical actions in their organisations.

Designed specifically for high potential talent on a fast track to a leadership position from banking and finance-related institutions, the Emerging Banking Leaders Programme is organised by the Asian Banking School in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Supported by:
PROGRAMME DETAILS
DATE
2 – 6 SEPTEMBER 2024
VENUE
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH BUSINESS SCHOOL, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
HRDC PROG NO
10001300336
PROGRAMME FEE*
MYR
45,000 /
SGD
12,900 /
GBP
7,700
per participant
* Fee includes all training activities and materials, company visits, lunches during training days, special dinners, social programme and accommodation (from 1 – 7 September 2024) based on single occupancy in a 4-star hotel. It is not inclusive of any applicable taxes.
This programme is an approved HRD Corp claimable course and employers can claim 100% of the programme fee.
The programme fee and roundtrip airfare is STF credit claimable by qualifying Malaysian banks.
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Programme at a glance

Sunday 1 September	Monday 2 September	Tuesday 3 September	Wednesday 4 September	Thursday 5 September	Friday 6 September
Arrival in Edinburgh	Introduction and Programme Overview The Use of Technology in Banks: Overview and Reflections	Finance and Cyber Security: Emerging Threats, Challenges and Solutions Finance Regulation and Technology	Ethical Dimensions of AI and Big Data Innovations in Payment Systems	Blockchain Applications in Corporate Governance and Banking Open Banking: From Concept to Reality – Lessons from the UK Experience	Case Studies on the use of Financial Technology Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Era
Free Time	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
Guided Tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town, followed by Welcome Drinks at the Glasshouse Hotel	The Use of Technology in the Engagement with Customers Applications of Large Language Models in Banking Risk Analytics	Cloud Transformation in Financial Services Practical Session (Hackathon): Finding Solutions to Actual Problems Faced by Banks	Company Visit to the Royal Bank of Scotland/Natwest Headquarters with a Talk on Data Science	The Next Innovations in FinTech Technology as an Enabler for Financial Inclusion and Wellbeing	Visit to the University shop Knowledge Sharing and Integration of Learnings Certificate Ceremony
Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening	Evening
Free Time	Welcome Dinner at the Royal College of Physicians with talk by guest speaker	Free Time	Free Time	Farewell Dinner at the St Leonard’s Hall with talk by the guest speaker	Free Time

Programme Outline
SUNDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2024
Pre-Programme : Walking Tour of Edinburgh & Welcome Drinks
A guided walking tour in the afternoon will take you from your hotel around the city’s old town. This will be followed by a Welcome Drinks Reception on the rooftop of the Glasshouse Hotel.
SUNDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2024
Pre-Programme : Walking Tour of Edinburgh & Welcome Drinks
A guided walking tour in the afternoon will take you from your hotel around the city’s old town. This will be followed by a Welcome Drinks Reception on the rooftop of the Glasshouse Hotel.
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Learning Objective
This programme aims at developing participants’ ability to:
Understand the opportunities, risks and ethical issues related to the use of technology in banking;
Assess the impact of the advent of new technologies on financial institutions;
Respond to the main challenges in the digital world affecting financial institutions;
Anticipate the application of technological advances in the banking sector; and
Lead and foster technology-based innovation in their organisations.
MONDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2024
Morning Session:
Introduction and Programme Overview
Learning Objective : Understand the programme structure and to have a broad view of the key issues covered in the programme
In this session, we will welcome participants and will explain how the programme is organised. This will include information on the key topics to be discussed over the week and the activities we have prepared. The primary goal will be to set the scene for helping participants make the most of the programme.

Morning Session:
The Use of Technology in Banks: Overview and Reflections
Learning Objective : Comprehend the key implications of the use of technology in banking
This session will review recent applications of financial technology by banks and how they have brought about innovative solutions that result in business opportunities and better customer experience. In an interactive environment, we will discuss the consequences of the use of technology for different stakeholders, including bank employees. We will then delve into the trends and potential further innovations in the area.

Afternoon Session:
The Use of Technology in the Engagement with Customers
Learning Objective: Build awareness of applications of technology to strengthen customer relationships
More and more customers have interacted with financial institutions by means of digital tools. These interactions include not only financial transactions but also requests for information and comments on the quality of the services provided. This scenario has created opportunities for personalised and quick services, which have become core customer expectation. In this session, we will introduce and discuss some of the key tools that can strengthen the connection between banks and their customers while allowing the former to better understand the needs of the latter.

Afternoon Session:
Applications of Large Language Models in Banking Risk Analytics
Learning Objective: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the transformative potential of LLMs in enhancing risk analytics practices within the banking industry
Large language models (LLMs) are reshaping the landscape of financial services by offering unprecedented capabilities in natural language processing (NLP). In banking, where vast amounts of textual data are generated daily from customer interactions, financial reports, regulatory documents, and more, LLMs can have numerous applications. In this session, we will see examples of how LLMs have enabled banks to extract actionable insights from unstructured data, enhancing risk management and decision-making processes.

TuesDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2024
Morning Session:
Finance and Cybersecurity : Emerging Threats, Challenges and Solutions
Learning Objective : Learn how the cyber threat landscape is currently evolving, how this may impact the financial sector, and identify potential solutions
Cybercrime and cyber threats are constantly evolving, with threat actors ranging from petty fraudsters, to organised cybercriminal gangs, terrorist groups, and hostile nation states. The finance sector and its customers may be targeted by these actors for a variety of reasons including financial gain, corporate espionage or geopolitical strategic purposes. Issues involved range from customer fraud, insider threats, regulatory compliance, reputational risk, ransomware, and weak encryption. This session will explore some emerging threats, organisational challenges, and possible future cyber security solutions.

Morning Session:
Financial Regulation and Technology
Learning Objective : Develop awareness of the actions taken by regulations in response to the use of technology in the financial sector
Regulation is one of the aspects impacted by technological innovations in the financial sector. This session will cover the responses of regulators to prevent negative effects of technological innovations on the customers of financial firms, providing examples related to the UK market. The trends in financial regulation given the advances in technology will also be discussed.

Afternoon Session:
Cloud Transformation in Financial Services
Learning Objective: Raise awareness about the benefits and risks of Cloud adoption
Remote access to technology services (Cloud) such as data storage or computing power can contribute to the increase of profitability and the improvement in customer experience. This session will explain the role of Cloud services in supporting Business outcomes and will show how digital transformation can be enabled through Cloud adoption. Then, the speakers will discuss innovative ways Cloud can deliver existing services and access new capabilities with improved cadence and agility. While the session will focus on the benefits of Cloud computing, its risks will also be addressed.

Afternoon Session:
Practical Session (Hackathon): Finding Solutions to Actual Problems Faced by Banks
Learning Objective: Bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications regarding Cloud transformation
In this hands-on session, you will have the opportunity to act as consultant and propose solutions to actual problems faced by banks in terms of implementing Cloud initiatives. Your ideas will be discussed with experienced consultants and other participants in the programme.

WednesDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2024
Morning Session:
Ethical Dimensions of AI and Big Data
Learning Objective: Understand foundational issues in design and deployment of AI systems in automated decision making
AI systems are increasingly used to aid decision making. AI decision-making systems offer opportunities for greater efficiency, accuracy, and reduction in human-based cognitive biases. However, these systems also raise serious worries: their outputs are not always easy to understand or justify, they can fail to be accurate in ways that are hard to anticipate, and they may systematically introduce discriminatory considerations into decision making. In this session, we will consider some of the challenges facing the design and deployment of AI systems in decision making and the difficulties of rendering future decision making fair and transparent.

Morning Session:
Innovations in Payment Systems
Learning Objective: Identify recent innovations in payment systems and appropriate responses by banks
Technological innovations are transforming the way payments are made and are contributing to a more efficient, secure, and convenient payment ecosystem. They have also brought about more competition for traditional banks, pressure to innovate, shift in revenue types, and the need for further investments in security. This session will discuss the latest innovations in the area (e.g., mobile wallets, instant payments and tokenisation) and their implications for customers and banks.

Afternoon Session:
Visit to the Royal Bank of Scotland / Natwest Headquarters
Talks on banking innovations and network session with staff members of NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland.

ThursDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2024
Morning Session:
Blockchain Applications in Corporate Governance and Banking
Learning Objective: Understand the potential of blockchain technology in enhancing corporate governance practices within the banking sector
Blockchain technology has emerged as a disruptive force in the financial industry, offering the ability to validate information automatically while maintaining the confidentiality of data. Key stakeholders in the financial industry, including regulators and central banks, are actively investing in this innovative technology. This session aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the role and implications of blockchain within the context of banking and finance. Participants will be introduced to the essential technical concepts of blockchain and their real-world applications. The session will further explore the potential impact of blockchain on the existing framework of financial services, corporate governance structures, and regulatory environments.

Morning Session:
Open Banking: From Concept to Reality – Lessons from the UK Experience
Learning Objective: Gain a deep understanding of how Open Banking can fuel innovation, enhance customer experience, and foster collaboration between banks and third-party providers
This session will cover the fundamental principles of Open Banking and explore its potential for transforming financial services. It will include successful case studies from the UK’s advanced Open Banking ecosystem and discuss the benefits and potential impacts on the banking industry and the consumers.

Afternoon Session:
The Next Innovations in FinTech
Learning Objective: Build awareness of the potential application of upcoming technology innovations in the financial sector
We will take participants on a journey through technological trends and explore their potential applications in financial institutions. Even initiatives that, in principle, do not appear to be directly related to banks can, in the near future, impact their work by bringing both opportunities and threats. Further developments in Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, and Quantum Computing are some good examples.

Afternoon Session:
Technology as an Enabler for Financial Inclusion and Wellbeing
Learning Objective: Identify technology tools that can contribute to financial inclusion and well-being
An increase in the number of people engaged with financial institutions can lead to the development of banking systems. Access to financial services can also help improve quality of life. New technologies have made it possible to achieve these objectives. This session will present an overview of technology tools used for promoting financial inclusion and well-being in different countries. Participants will be invited to reflect on how incumbent banks can take part in this process.

Friday, 6 SEPTEMBER 2024
Morning Session:
Case Studies on the Use of Financial Technology
Learning Objective: Enhance participants’ ability to evaluate actions taken by institutions and decide whether such actions could be applied to their own organisations
This session will make use of case studies to stimulate discussions among participants and personal reflections about challenging situations faced by financial institutions in the context of the previous sessions in the programme. At first, the participants will discuss the cases in groups. Then, the facilitator will present the solutions adopted by the institutions described in the cases. Next, the whole class and the facilitator will discuss the pros and cons of possible solutions to the cases. To conclude, the participants will be asked to build a link between the cases analysed and specific challenges faced by them in their own institutions.

Morning Session:
Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Era
Learning Objective: Understand how banks can successfully implement transformation by taking advantage of technology innovation
For thousands of years, we have seen technology innovation change many aspects of our lives and businesses. In examining this historical context, we will discuss valuable insights into the technological progress and its implications for existing banks as they face the challenge of remaining relevant in an increasingly digital age. We will then look at how banks can undertake effective transformation not only to survive but to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Afternoon Session:
Knowledge Sharing and Integration of Learnings
Learning Objective: Make connections between the topics seen in different sessions of the programme and identify their applications in participants’ jobs
This session will be focused on facilitated group discussions to share reflections of the participants based on the topics seen in the programme. This will allow participants to review the knowledge acquired over the week and connect pieces of information even when they do not seem to be related to each other. We will also consider possible scenarios and changes brought about by new technologies that may affect the banking industry.
Programme Faculty

Dr Fernando Moreira
Programme Director, Emerging Banking Leaders Programme
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Banking and MSc Management Director, UEBS
Fernando acted as the director of the MSc in Banking and Risk from 2015 to 2017. He sits on the Quality and Standards Committee of the Chartered Banker Institute. His research interests are related to the impact of government interventions (including financial regulation) on a number of issues (e.g., financial stability and banks’ risk-taking) and to methodological approaches to assess causality. He teaches banking-related issues (which include applications of technology in banking) and econometrics. Fernando has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented papers at several conferences. He holds a PhD in Management Science and Business Economics from the University of Edinburgh and has previously worked at Keele University (UK) as a Lecturer in Finance and at the Central Bank of Brazil (Supervision Department).
Dr Ben Marder
Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Director of PGR Programmes, UEBS
Ben Marder is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Director of Postgraduate Research Programmes at the University of Edinburgh Business School. His research interest surrounds social and commercial consumer behaviour linked to the use of digital technologies (social media). Since 2015 he has had 35+ articles accepted at well-known journals, such as the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising Research, European Journal of Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, International Marketing Review, Computers in Human Behaviour, Journal of Travel Research, New Technology, Work and Employment, Journal of Health Psychology, and the Journal of Business Research. This work has received quite a lot of media attention, including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Harvard Business Review and the BBC.

Dr Yizhe Dong
Senior Lecturer in Banking and Business Economics, UEBS
Prior to joining Edinburgh, Yizhe worked for Aberdeen as an Associate Professor, for Aberystwyth University as a Lecturer, and for Durham University as a post-doctoral fellow. He received his PhD from Loughborough University, MSc and MA from Cardiff University and Nottingham University, respectively, and BSc from South China University of Technology. Yizhe has co-organised a number of international conferences and currently serves as a Joint Editor of the Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies and Associate Editor of the European Journal of Finance. He also served as 33rd President of the Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe).
Dr Richard Jones
Senior Lecturer in Criminology, School of Law, University of Edinburgh
Dr Richard Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the School of Law, University of Edinburgh. He is an expert in topics including cybercrime, cyber security, surveillance and crime prevention. He obtained his PhD in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, has been a Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford, and has served as a member of the Editorial Boards both of the British Journal of Criminology and the European Journal of Criminology. He is an Expert Fellow of the UK’s Security, Privacy, Identity and Trust in the Digital Economy network, and is currently involved in cyber security projects researching new ways of keeping vulnerable users safe online and scoping potential cyber risks introduced by smart products.
Dr Mark Sprevak
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Philosophy at the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences (PPLS), University of Edinburgh
Mark Sprevak is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. His primary research interests are in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and artificial intelligence. He has published on the foundations of computational models of human cognition, distributed cognition, as well as on the history of computational models.
Dr Tong Wang
Senior Lecturer in Business Economics, UEBS
Dr. Tong Wang serves as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh's Business School. He is a PhD graduate from the Toulouse School of Economics and has a keen interest in the dynamic fields of FinTech and Digital Economics. Dr. Wang's research is well-recognized, featured in top-tier international journals such as the Journal of Economic Theory and Journal of Industrial Economics. He has also expanded his influence through his book, "History in Economics", which has been published in three languages. As a dedicated educator and researcher, Dr. Wang continues to contribute to the evolving landscape of Business Economics.
Programme Speakers
Val Smith
Head of Authorisations, Payments and Digital Assets, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Val is an experienced regulator who has worked with new financial services firms for the last ten years, focusing on banking, insurance, payments, and now digital assets. Val helped design and implement the New Bank Start Up Unit, a joint endeavour between the FCA and Prudential that changed the way in which new banks come to market. During her career, she has led a number of regulatory change programmes and led the work on the UK’s Temporary Permissions Regime to transition the formerly passported EEA firms into the UK, providing continuity and certainty to their UK customers. More recently Val has overseen the transition of cryptoasset firms into the world of regulation. Val lives in the north-east of Scotland and is one of the co-heads of the FCA’s Scotland Office.
John Gasparini
Cloud Transformation Director, KPMG
Jon Gasparini has a unique blend of over 20 years’ experience of enterprise technology environments and over 10 years’ experience enabling organisations to successfully exploit public cloud services. He has led global teams to design, build, operate and optimise public cloud solutions exploiting DevOps blended with strong controls, governance, and financial insight to drive innovation and leverage optimal cloud provider commercial models. Jon has held senior technology roles within retail banking and asset management and recently joined KPMG as a Cloud Transformation Director where he is supporting financial services clients successfully adopt cloud-based solutions.
Kate Ramsay
Senior Manager, KPMG
Kate Ramsay has over 25 years of IT delivery experience within Financial Services, her experience within Retail Banking spans Infrastructure Delivery, Lean Management, Assurance Roles, and Programme Delivery. Kate has led a strategic review of a Core Banking Legacy Estate and Approach for a major UK Retail Bank, aligning senior business and technology stakeholders to ensure an agreed roadmap and approach. Having enjoyed working at a strategic level Kate made the switch to Consultancy and has moved from Banking to join KPMG’s Cloud Practice as a Senior Manager, bringing her extensive Industry experience to support Clients in their Cloud Adoption Journey.
Marilena Karanika
Head of Data Innovation, Experian
Marilena Karanika is the Head of Data Innovation at Experian, providing data and analytics support across different product domains such as affordability, credit risk and insurance. With more than 10 years of experience in Credit Risk Modelling and Analytics in financial services, a key area of her expertise is enabling organisations to make better use of data, reach more informed decisions and support consumers throughout the customer lifecycle. In the recent years, Marilena and her team created and launched products utilising Open Banking and own-bank transactional data to help organisations understand the impact of events such as Cost of Living crisis and COVID on their portfolios and support their customers accordingly. Marilena is passionate about the power of financial education and works with universities and professional bodies to deliver guest lectures and industry talks promoting a better and wider understanding of analytics in financial services. She has been voted Innovator of the Year 2021 in the Women in Credit Awards.
Michael Robinson
Head of Digital Banking and CTO, Deloitte Digital
Michael has significant experience in designing and launching new banking propositions to the market, as well as helping large organisations to deliver end-to-end agile transformation at scale. He has over 15 years’ experience delivering innovative digital propositions in financial services that not only excite customers but are underpinned by the right technologies’ choices, integrations, and operational processes. He has helped large financial services organisations to transform the way they think about and deliver innovative digital solutions at scale. Michael has been a leading advocate of innovative scaled approaches to delivering digital transformation. He is a subject matter expert in distributive technologies, application development, FinTech, digital technologies, and scaled Agile processes.
Programme Venue

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH BUSINESS SCHOOL
The University of Edinburgh Business School enjoys a long tradition of teaching and research, opening the doors to its first cohort of students in October 1919. The School offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education programmes in business and management and provides a platform for research, discussion, and debate on a wide range of business issues.
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH BUSINESS SCHOOL
The University of Edinburgh Business School enjoys a long tradition of teaching and research, opening the doors to its first cohort of students in October 1919. The School offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education programmes in business and management and provides a platform for research, discussion, and debate on a wide range of business issues.
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Classes will be held in the Conference Room of the University of Edinburgh Business School building situated on the top floor. It offers unobscured views over George Square and Edinburgh’s Old Town. The adjoining Roof Terrace will be used for daytime refreshments and lunch breaks.
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH BUSINESS SCHOOL
Classes will be held in the MBA Suite on the 1st floor of the University of Edinburgh Business School building, which offers views over the George Square Gardens. The adjoining foyer area will be used for daytime refreshments and the ground floor concourse for lunch breaks.
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ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation will be provided from 1 – 7 September 2024 based on single occupancy at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre on the Royal Mile. The hotel is well located, just 15 minutes’ walk from the University of Edinburgh Business School and 30 minutes from Edinburgh Airport by car/taxi. On foot, Princes Street, Waverley Train Station and the Edinburgh Airport bus and tram stop ‘St Andrew Square’ can be reached in less than 10 minutes' walk.
WELCOME DRINKS RECEPTION
SUNDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2024

This will be held at the Calton Suite of the Glasshouse Hotel. Situated atop the hotel’s two-acre roof-top garden, participants will be able to enjoy a stunning view of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill. Built from a former chapel constructed in 1846, the Glasshouse is part of the YTL Luxury Hotels collection - the hospitality arm of one of Malaysia's most dynamic conglomerates, YTL Corporation Berhad.
WELCOME DINNER
MONDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2024

Set in a stunning city centre location, in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town, the Cullen Suite at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh will be the venue for the Welcome Dinner. It has a rich heritage which spans over 300 years and has stunning views across the rooftops of Edinburgh’s New Town out to the Firth of Forth.
FAREWELL DINNER
THURSDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2024

St Leonard's Hall is a stately nineteenth-century mansion within the grounds of the Pollock Estate and with the iconic Arthur's Seat as its backdrop. It will be the venue of the Welcome Dinner as well as a special activity where prior to dinner, participants will be led through the traditional Scottish group dance called Ceilidh by an experienced Highland dancer and an accordion player.