PRESS RELEASE</strong></p> Brussels, 6 June 2016 – Sibos announces that Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss psychiatrist and solar adventurer famous for circumventing the Earth in a hot-air balloon in 1999, will give the closing address at Sibos 2016 in Geneva</a>. </p> From an early age, Bertrand Piccard was destined to become a leading explorer and scientist. His grandfather was the balloonist Auguste Piccard, and his father, Jacques Piccard, was an undersea explorer. During his childhood, Bertrand became fascinated with how humans behave in extreme situations, which sparked his passion for exploration and psychology.</p> In 2003, Bertrand teamed up with fellow Swiss explorer and businessman André Borschberg to launch the Solar Impulse project, which combined his passion for exploration and environmentalism. The aim of the project is to complete the first round the world flight in a solar aircraft, whilst promoting technologies that can help conserve natural resources. By April 2016, the solar plane had travelled from Abu Dhabi to California with a plan to fly across the US to the Atlantic Ocean, then onto Europe or North Africa, returning to Abu Dhabi by late summer, completing the 27,000 mile trek around the globe.</p> “Bertrand encapsulates all of the qualities that financial leaders will need to deal with the opportunities and challenges in today’s financial ecosystem,” says Sven Bossu, Head of Sibos. “He takes his balloon flights as a metaphor for life and examines motivation, the spirit of adventure, the psychology of communication and team-work, including how to deal with crises, stress and the unpredictable. Bertrand’s speech will provide the perfect end to four days of financial exploration, and provide delegates with insight on how to manage the transformation of the industry.”</p> Commenting on Sibos, Bertrand Piccard says, “The global financial system, which is essential to the economic development of mankind, is undergoing a rapid evolution, and facing fresh challenges. There is now a greater need for financial decision makers who have the ability to harness disruptive forces, and to deal with the unknown. By closing Sibos 2016, I hope to impart my experience and knowledge of dealing with the unpredictable to help inform the financial community.” </p> In addition to being a record-breaker and environmentalist, Bertrand is also an explorer of the human spirit. In collaboration with his balloonist partner Brian Jones, and Breitling, he launched the Winds of Hope foundation</a>, whose purpose is to help children with Noma.</p> In 2012, the United Nations appointed Bertrand a goodwill ambassador for its Population Fund (UNFPA) and “Champion of the Earth”.</p> Bertrand attended the University of Lausanne and completed a double specialisation in psychiatry and psychotherapy. His doctoral thesis, entitled “Ordeal, a Learning Experience”, received a prize from the Lausanne Faculty of Medicine. </p> Bertrand Piccard’s speech will take place on Thursday, 29 September during Sibos 2016 at the Palexpo</a> in Geneva.</p> -- ENDS --</p> About Sibos</strong></p> Sibos is the world’s premier financial services event. Sibos is an annual conference, exhibition and networking event organised by SWIFT for the global financial industry. In just one week, some 8,000 decision makers and topic experts from financial institutions, market infrastructures, multinational corporations, and technology partners gather in one place to do business and collectively shape the future of payments, securities, cash management and trade.</p> For more information about Sibos, please visit www.sibos.com</a> or visit us on Twitter: @Sibos</a> #Sibos or LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/company/Sibos</a></p> For further media queries, please contact:</p> JoAnn Healy Sibos Press Office T: +1 212 455 1802</em></p>