Unleashing Innovation: FinTech Forward

8:00 – 8:30 AM: Networking & Registration

8:30 – 8:45 AM: Opening Remarks

Toronto's financial ecosystem is evolving—hear how it’s fostering innovation and driving competitiveness for the business community.

• Giles Gherson – President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade

8:45 – 9:00 AM: Keynote: Accelerating Change: Building a Growth-Oriented Financial System

Explore how technology bridges traditional banking with fintech, creating an inclusive and resilient financial system.

• Andrew Dale – Chief Financial Services Officer, Float

9:00 – 9:20 AM: Challenges & Opportunities of the AI Revolution in Finance

Insights from one of the world’s largest institutional investors on implementing AI and machine learning in institutional finance and navigating associated risks.

• Prof. Marcos López de Prado OMC – Global Head of Quantitative R&D at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority & Professor of Practice, Cornell University (Virtual)

9:20 – 10:00 AM: Connecting Capital & Opportunity: Deepening Markets through FinTech

Discover how digital lending, crowdfunding, and AI tools are boosting liquidity, breaking down barriers, and unlocking new opportunities in underserved markets – and how your business can capitalize on them.

• Som Seif – CEO, Purpose Unlimited
• Susan Christoffersen – Dean, Rotman School of Management
• Brent Allen – Executive Vice-President, Head of Sales and Distribution, IG Private Wealth Management
• Uzayr Jeenah – Partner, McKinsey & Company   

10:00 – 11:00 AM: Mid-Morning Networking & Exploration Hour

Choose your own experience during this power-packed exploration hour: join an intimate breakout discussion, catch quick-fire tech demos, or network with peers – all happening concurrently across our state-of-the-art event space.

11:00 – 11:40 AM: The Digital Knife Edge: Fueling Innovation While Ensuring Stability

Understand how regulators are adapting policies that foster innovation while protecting market stability.

• Hester Peirce – Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (Virtual)
• Andreas Park – Professor at the University of Toronto and Academic Director, Rotman FinHub
• David Reid - VP, Technology Operational Risk, CIBC

11:40 AM – 12:20 PM: The AI Frontier in Finance: Balancing Innovation, Efficiency & Stability

Learn how to harness the AI that is revolutionizing financial operations and market dynamics, enabling your business to drive efficiency and innovation while tackling key ethical and stability challenges.

• Shelby Austin – Founder and CEO, Arteria AI
• Tony Gaffney – President & CEO, Vector Institute
• Malay Upadhyay – COO, SalesChoice Inc.

12:20 – 1:20 PM: Lunch, Networking & Exploration Hour

Feel free to move between spaces as inspiration strikes during this exploration hour: enjoy lunch, join a breakout session, catch quick-fire tech demos, continue conversations from the morning’s sessions, or network with peers.

1:20 – 2:00 PM: Seamless Finance: Harnessing Open Banking for Growth

Unlock the potential of Open Banking to innovate, enhance customer experiences and create competitive opportunities for businesses and institutions.

• Eyal Sivan – GM of North America, Ozone API and Podcaster, Mr. Open Banking
• Cato Pastoll – CEO and Co-Founder, Loop Financial
• Abraham Tachjian – Director, Head of Open Banking, Financial Services, PwC Canada

2:00 – 2:40 PM: Canada in Real-Time: Transforming Finance with Instant Payments

The era of instant payments is near. Get ready for Canada’s Real-Time Rail payment system and discover how instant payments can boost inclusion, streamline operations, and fuel business growth.

• Patricia Meredith – Author, Teacher, Director and Consultant
• Jude Pinto – Chief Delivery Officer, Payments Canada
• Dorothee Delort – Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank (Virtual)
• Jeff Mulholland – Partner, IBM Payments Centre Canada

2:40 – 2:45 PM: Closing Remarks

• Giles Gherson – President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade

2:45 – 3:45 PM: Cocktail Reception: Bytes & Bubbles

Wrap up the day with networking at the bar—exchange insights, celebrate new connections, and toast to the future of FinTech.