A Confluence session with Claudia Hussy
In our latest Confluence webinar, we were joined by a true industry leader and digital transformation champion: Claudia Hussy, Trade Finance Product Management & Development, Global Programs for Deutsche Bank’s documentary trade and guarantees business.
With over 26 years of experience across sales, structuring, and product roles at Deutsche Bank, Claudia shared a deeply insightful look at how one of the world’s largest trade finance institutions is transforming its most complex, paper-heavy processes through technology and partnership.
Why digitise trade? The tipping point
For Deutsche Bank, the shift toward automation began back in 2016, recognising early that the traditional ways of handling trade—reliant on paper, manual document checks, and deeply siloed processes—were unsustainable in the face of mounting operational complexity and regulatory pressure.
As Claudia explained:
“Trade is exposed to significant risks: sanctions, fraud, money laundering. With the sheer volume and complexity of data, it’s no longer possible for humans alone to manage this. We need intelligent systems.”
But the decision wasn’t just about risk or cost. It was also about preparing for the future.
Deutsche Bank faced a general industry challenge: increasingly experienced trade professionals were retiring, and newer talent was less likely to be attracted to repetitive, manual tasks. Automation became a strategic imperative—to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and evolve the very role of the trade professional.
From ambition to action: how the journey began
The bank’s approach was meticulous and measured. Claudia and her team focused on front-to-back integration from day one.
The team:
- Standardised and aligned internal processes globally
- Chose Export Letters of Credit—one of the most complex workflows—as their first use case for next level of automation
- Ran a three-month proof of concept to stress-test the technology in a real-world setting
Their partner of choice: Traydstream.
“We weren’t looking for just a vendor. We needed a partner who shared our vision and had the depth of trade and tech expertise to deliver. That’s why we chose Traydstream,” Claudia said.
Scaling success across 28 countries
What began as a pilot quickly grew. Today, Deutsche Bank’s trade automation solution is live in 28 countries, covering both export and import LCs.
Crucially, the rollout wasn’t treated as a pure tech project. It was a full business transformation.
Claudia credited the success to:
- Early and ongoing communication with all teams
- Agile development cycles to stay responsive
- Clear internal prioritisation to avoid overloading resources
- A shared mindset across Deutsche Bank and Traydstream teams—describing the collaboration as “glued to the hip”
And the impact is already visible.
“We now deliver faster turnaround times, real-time discrepancy notifications to clients, and consistent outcomes—regardless of where a transaction is processed.”
This isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about client experience, audit readiness, and long-term scalability.
The real change? Mindsets
One of the standout moments in the session was Claudia’s reflection on people—not technology—as the critical success factor.
“You need to engage users early, set realistic expectations, and show them the value of change. it’s about enabling smarter, more meaningful work.”
This mindset shift has been especially important for younger staff, who expect modern, digital tools—and for experienced operators, who now rely on AI to support their judgment rather than replace it.
Looking ahead: the future of digital trade
Claudia closed the session by looking to the future—and the industry’s collective responsibility to push forward.
“Digital standards will be a game changer. When we can issue, verify, and manage trade instruments fully digitally, we’ll unlock new levels of access, efficiency, and sustainability.”
She also reminded us of the environmental toll of paper-based trade:
“An estimated 4 billion trade documents are generated each year. If every document averages five pages, that’s 20 billion pages. That’s around 2.4 million trees. We can—and must—do better.”
Final thoughts: advice for other banks
For institutions beginning their trade automation journey, Claudia offered three key takeaways:
- Get full stakeholder alignment early – from ops to compliance to the Senior Management.
- Be ambitious, but realistic – set achievable milestones to maintain momentum.
- Start small, then scale – pilot intelligently before rolling out globally.
At Traydstream, we’re proud to partner with visionaries like Claudia and Deutsche Bank who are setting new standards in digital trade. The journey is ongoing—but the future is digital, intelligent, and sustainable.
🔗 Want to watch the full webinar?
Reach out to us at info@traydstream.konceptslab.com or follow us on LinkedIn for replay access.
