EVP, Group Head of Strategic Partnerships, Digital Assets and Financial Markets
Northern Trust
Justin leads a global team focused on integrating traditional and digital market functions, along with group procurement and supply chain management, to help ensure clients have seamless access to cutting-edge financial solutions, industry expertise, and market advocacy.
With extensive experience in market structure, third-party risk management, global operations, and strategic partnerships, Justin is responsible for overseeing Northern Trust’s global network of third-party vendors, sub-custodians, financial market infrastructures (FMIs) and agent banks. He plays a key role in ensuring the safekeeping and administration of international client assets while championing best-in-class procurement, risk management and operational practices.
A recognized industry leader, Justin has held various senior leadership roles, including Global Head of Market Advocacy, Global Head of Change Management, and Global Head of Fixed Income Operations. His work has been instrumental in driving innovation across financial markets, particularly in the development of unified asset servicing solutions for institutional investors navigating both digital and traditional portfolios.
Justin’s strategic vision, supported by his global team, continues to shape the future of financial services, positioning Northern Trust at the forefront of digital asset adoption and market innovation. His leadership in regulatory advocacy and enterprise financial enablement reinforces Northern Trust’s commitment to excellence and technological advancement in global markets.
In recognition of his leadership in both the areas of regulatory advocacy and driving innovation across the industries, Justin was recognized at the Global Custodian awards as the GC Person of the Year 2017 and inducted into the GC Legends hall of fame in 2019. Justin represents the securities industry as a board member and director of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe’s (AFME) and International Securities Services Association's (ISSA). Justin has previously held the following industry positions: chairman of International Securities Association for Institutional Trade Communication (ISITC) Europe, also as founder and chairman of the SWIFT International Securities Advisory Group.
As digital assets move from the fringe into institutional portfolios and market infrastructure, custody has emerged as the critical control point in the value chain. For traditional financial institutions, digital asset custody is no longer a niche offering—it is the foundation that determines who owns client relationships, who controls risk, and who participates in the next phase of tokenized markets.
This panel will explore the biggest opportunities and unresolved issues facing TradFi executives as they evaluate digital asset custody strategies. Panelists will discuss how custody underpins trading, settlement, tokenization, and payments; where banks have a natural advantage—and where they face new forms of operational and regulatory risk; and what decisions leadership teams must make in the next 12–24 months to preserve relevance and optionality. The conversation will focus on strategic choices, governance, economics, and execution realities, equipping executives with a framework to assess whether—and how—to engage, including: