Our 2024 speakers

Talia Abramowitz

Managing Partner, Deloitte Ventures, Deloitte

• Talia is the managing partner of Deloitte Ventures and the driving force behind the launch of the $150M venture fund in 2022. A first-of-its-kind capital initiative for Deloitte Canada designed to make minority investments in emerging technology companies. Talia’s entrepreneurial roots underpin her passion for helping founders successfully establish and grow their businesses. Talia established the fund strategy and developed the associated operating and governance models and put them in place. Two and a half years in, Talia has overseen the deployment of $30M of capital into 7 companies and the commitment of $25M of capital into 5 funds. Talia is an observer on select Boards and Limited Partner Advisory Committees and has strong ties within the Venture Capital ecosystem. ​

• A committed business builder, Talia was also instrumental in the creation and growth of Omnia AI, Deloitte Canada’s artificial intelligence practice, where she served as chief operating officer, people and culture leader for Omnia AI from 2018 to 2021. Talia was part of the core team responsible for incubating and building the Omnia AI practice within Deloitte, which after a couple years was a ~100M business, with offshore capability, a standalone brand and a solid culture of innovation. ​

• Prior to that Talia was the chief operating officer of the Financial Advisory practice in Canada where she developed and executed business strategies, and harnessed strategic investments to drive operational improvements, margin uplift and topline growth. ​

• Talia was the Managing Partner of the Toronto Valuations practice from 2016 to 2018 which included managing a team of ~50, delivering over 300 engagements annually including valuations for financial reporting, dispute / litigation, M&A, tax, annually across all industries.​

• Talia also has more than 15 years of experience providing valuation and M&A advisory services to companies in a variety of industries, particularly in the technology, insurance and retail sectors. During her tenure at Deloitte, Talia has developed and delivered complex financial models, analyses, reports, presentations and advisory services related to valuations for financial reporting, tax, acquisitions and divestitures ranging in value from $10 million to $12 billion.​

• Talia graduated from the Ivey School of Business and is a Chartered Business Valuator.

Balinder Ahluwalia

Senior Vice President & Group Head, Market Development, Mastercard

-

Antoine Amend

Senior Technical Director, Financial Services, Databricks

Antoine Amend is a data practitioner passionate about distributed computing and advanced analytics. Graduated with a master's degree in astrophysics, author of “Mastering Spark for data science”, Antoine has been pushing both engineering and science disciplines side by side to extract commercial value from large datasets. Serving as director of data science at Barclays UK, Antoine led their AI practice and data and analytics transformation. With expertise in enterprise architecture and commercial experience delivering data science to production across regulated industries, he joined Databricks as the Sr. Technical Director for financial services, helping customers redefine the future of Banking, Insurance and Capital Markets. 

Alexie Amyotte

Associate, Fasken

Alexie Amyotte is a partner in the Corporate, Commercial and Emerging Technologies Group in Montreal, where she frequently advises clients on venture capital financing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. A 2014 graduate of Université Laval and admitted to the bar in 2016, she also has experience in wealth protection. Prior to joining Fasken, she practised with a provincial firm specializing in business law.

Hamed H. Arbabi

Founder and CEO, VoPay

The CEO and Founder of VoPay, Hamed Arbabi, is recognized as an innovative Thought Leader in the Fintech
Industry. Known for his drive to innovate and change how firms conduct business, Hamed has used his expertise to turn VoPay into a dominant force in the world of Financial Technology.

A serial entrepreneur, Hamed has successfully built and grown multiple startups and leveraged his knowledge
of business expansion to develop them into successful, disruptive ventures. With over fifteen years of
executive-level experience in spearheading comprehensive strategies and business developments, Hamed has a proven track record and an in-depth knowledge of the global financial industry.
Hamed’s overall vision for VoPay revolves around innovation and digital transformation. What began as a
simple idea ultimately founded the pillars of his venture: that financial services should be easy, affordable and
accessible to all.

Committed to his community, and dedicated to giving back, Hamed has founded and supported multiple
non-profit organizations that focus on helping children access technology. Given the educational tools they
need to succeed, young people can expand their skills and take control of their futures by opening doors to
new opportunities.

Shelby Austin

Co-Founder and CEO, Arteria AI

Shelby Austin is the founder and CEO of Arteria AI Inc., an award-winning digital documentation software that was incubated and then spun out of the world’s largest consulting firm.  Arteria works with large financial institutions around the world providing infrastructure for them to document and monitor deals with clients.  

Shelby was previously the Managing Partner of Growth & Investments and Omnia AI at Deloitte. Shelby had responsibility for the Canadian firm’s inorganic and accelerated growth investments through acquisitions, ventures, incubation and scale-up and asset development activities and its AI and data footprint. 

Shelby joined Deloitte through its acquisition of her first company, a high-growth startup that also focused on documentation. Previously, Shelby was a Partner at a Canadian “Seven Sister” law firm where her practice focused on complex corporate and commercial litigation matters. 

Shelby was named to the Maclean’s 2024 list of the 100 Most Powerful Canadians, one of 10 in the AI category. In the past, Shelby has received the Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 award given by The Women’s Executive Network (WXN) and the Rising Stars award given by Lexpert Magazine to Canada’s leading lawyers under 40. In 2023, Arteria was recognized by CB Insights in its AI 100 rankings and by Gartner as one of three identified “Cool Vendors in Applying Generative AI to Banking” report. 

Saloua Benkhouya

VP, Private Equity and Impact Investing, Fonds de solidarité FTQ

With the Fonds de solidarité FTQ since 2022, Saloua Benkhouya is Vice-President, Private Equity 
and Impact Investments. Responsible for the Services & Entertainment portfolio, she leads a 
team that invests in financial services, TMT and engineering sectors, as well as in entertainment, 
hotels and the gaming industries.

She holds an MBA and a B.Sc in Mathematics from McGill University. Saloua completed executive 
programs in Fintech and Artificial Intelligence at MIT and Harvard. She began her career 
internationally, notably as Vice-President, Investment Banking and Global Markets at HSBC, 
before joining SNC Lavalin as Senior Director, Structured Finance and Infrastructure Projects. In 
2012, she joined Royal Bank of Canada, holding several positions in Capital Markets in Toronto 
and New York, before joining the Personal & Commercial Banking group in 2016 where she held 
various management positions of increasing responsibility. 

Member of the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference 2022, and winner of the 
rising star awards from Women in Finance in Quebec, Saloua was appointed to the Finance 
Committee of McGill’s Board of Governors and to the advisory committee of the M&A club in 
2023. She also sits on several boards of directors, including Nesto and Montrusco Bolton 
Investments. In 2024, Saloua was named president of the Association of Québec Women in 
Finance (AFFQ). Mother of three young children, an EDI champion and a mentor, Saloua has been 
involved in women's leadership development and investing in innovative women-owned 
businesses and funds for many years. 

Surinderjit Kaur Bhatti

Founder and CEO, Fathom4Sight

Surinderjit Kaur Bhatti, also known as Jeet, is a recognized leader in the FinTech industry and
the visionary CEO and Founder of Fathom4sight, Canada’s premier knowledge-as-a-service
platform. She has led the company to provide unparalleled strategic foresight and online
intelligence, positioning Fathom4sight at the forefront of financial product innovation. Jeet has
revolutionized the market research and intelligence space through her groundbreaking platform,
establishing herself as a subject matter expert sought after by organizations looking to navigate
the future of financial services.

Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Jeet is a prominent figure in academia and industry
forums. She serves as a guest lecturer at prestigious univiersities, sharing her extensive
expertise with the next generation of FinTech leaders. Her insights and experience are highly
valued globally, leading to her roles as an Innovation Circle Judge at BAI and a BankingTech
Awards Judge at FinTech Futures. As a frequent speaker at major industry events, Jeet is
known for her thought leadership and ability to drive meaningful conversations around FinTech
innovation and transformation.

In her previous career, Jeet built world-leading fintech products for large financial institutions
and developed cutting-edge strategies that enabled the transformation of incumbent
organizations. She led comprehensive consulting projects and helped prominent banks and VC
firms globally to understand and engage with fintech ecosystems in various regions. Her work
has been instrumental in driving innovation and transformation within the financial services
industry.

Sebastian Boisjoly

Vice-President, Fintech and Technological Innovation, Finance Montréal

-

Stephanie Choo

Partner, Portage

TBD

Debby Cordeiro

Senior Vice-President, Communications, Public Affairs and ESG, National Bank of Canada

-

Philippe Daoust

Vice-President & Managing Director, NAVentures, National Bank of Canada

Philippe is the Managing Director for NAventures. He focuses on sourcing companies that will advance National Bank’s transformation. Before joining NAventures, Philippe developed and led the integration and separation advisory practice at a Big 4 firm. He played a varied role ranging from engagement sourcing to due diligence and integration advisory. He worked on large mergers and acquisition projects, including transformative deals for Canadian financial institutions. Philippe also practiced for several years in the United States, France, Latin America and New Zealand. 

Dax Dasilva

Founder and CEO, Lightspeed

Dax Dasilva is the creative mind behind Lightspeed Commerce. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed is the unified POS and payments platform for ambitious entrepreneurs to accelerate growth, provide the best customer experience and become a go-to destination in their space. It powers the world's best businesses in over 100 countries globally. 

Dasilva was reappointed as CEO on February 15, 2024. Prior to that, he served as Executive Chair of Lightspeed’s board of directors for two years, and previously led the company’s operations as Chief Executive Officer since its founding in 2005. 

Lightspeed employs thousands of staff, and powers hundreds of thousands of customer locations worldwide. During Dasilva’s leadership as CEO, the company went public in March 2019 on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LSPD, becoming one of Canada’s top 10 technology IPOs. In September 2020, the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Lightspeed also undertook 9 acquisitions over the course of a four year period to consolidate the global market and launch two, best-in-class flagship products: Lightspeed Retail and Lightspeed Restaurant. 

Corey B. Davis

Managing Director, Investment & Corporate Banking Technology Group - Head of Fintech, BMO

-

Jacques Deforges

Chief Executive Officer, Finance Montréal

-

Conor Delanbanque

Founder and CEO, Strategio

Conor Delanbanque is the CEO & Founder at Strategio and a Forbes 30 Under 30 lister for Education and Social Impact. Conor has been driving thought leadership on the enterprise transformation of the financial services technology sector for the past 8 years. He has delivered keynote talks at events such as CloudExpo, DevOpsSummit, DevOpsDays, TedX and The Blacks in Technology Global Conference. Conor regularly hosts executive technology leaders on his DevOps Diversity Podcast. Outside of work, Conor has been a successful athlete in multiple sports, having received call-ups to compete in the Commonwealth Games in both boxing (2014) and cycling (2022). After launching Strategio 3 years ago, Conor’s company already has a very healthy list of global banks and FinTech companies on its client list, quickly propelling Strategio onto the list of the fastest growing companies in North America in terms of CAGR.  

Jean-Philippe Desbiolles

Managing Director Financial Services & Generative AI EMEA Leader, IBM

Named the "French Doctor Watson" by Forbes magazine, Jean-Philippe Desbiolles has contributed to the world's largest cognitive projects in the banking & insurance sectors. He has worked extensively in Asia, United States of America and Europe, shaping and delivering digital transformational projects combining best-of-breed technologies. Author of the books "AI will be what you make of it : the 10 golden rules of AI"published in 2019 & “Human or AI? Who will decide the future?” published in March 2023, he aims at demystifying the new rules of the game in this new Human/Machine collaboration. Jean-Philippe Desbiolles is also teaching AI & Data transformation in several executive education programs, as HEC Executive MBA – Major “Leading Digital Transformation”.

Paul Desmarais III

Chairman and CEO, Sagard

Paul Desmarais III is the Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm
active in venture capital, private equity, private credit, real estate, healthcare royalties and
private wealth.

Paul took the helm of Sagard in 2016, along with a handful of close partners bound by a
common vision: partnering with entrepreneurs to catalyze transformation in our investments and
communities. Sagard has experienced outstanding growth in six years, with assets under
management increasing to over $13B, more than 300 professionals joining its ranks, and some
125 companies added to the portfolio.

Sagard has built a global network of expertise that helps companies lead, embrace, and stay
ahead of disruptive trends in the financial services, technology, and healthcare spaces, amongst
others. The team is behind some of the largest technology success stories in Canada such as
Wealthsimple and Dialogue.

Within the Sagard ecosystem, Paul is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage and
the Chairman and Co-Founder of Diagram. Within the investment portfolios, he is the Chairman
of Wealthsimple, Dialogue, Novisto, and Grayhawk, and a director of nesto.

Paul is dedicated to helping build a better business world. He is Co-Founder of the Black Wealth
Club and the Indigenous Leadership Circle, where emerging Black and Indigenous leaders go to
learn about creating wealth and networks giving them tools and resources that can be
reinvested in their communities. Under Paul’s leadership, Sagard has committed to a more
sustainable financial system by becoming a signatory of the United Nations Principles for
Responsible Investment, enlisting as a CREO participant, and embarking on its journey to
carbon neutrality. Paul was also co-chair of the Centraide (United Way) campaign in 2022 and
will chair the large donors campaign for the same organization in 2024-2027.

Paul is a board member of the Glenbow Museum and serves as Chair of the Next Canada
Emeritus board of advisors. He is a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh Award for his work
chairing the fundraising campaign for the Kenojuak Culture Center. He was formerly a board
member of the Rideau Hall Foundation and Alpine Canada. Paul also co-founded Young
Canadians in Finance and co-chaired the True Patriot Love Expedition to the magnetic North
Pole.

Prior to his current role, Paul worked at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division,
Investment Strategy Group and Special Situations Group, Imerys S.A. in supply chain
management and strategy and Great-West Lifeco Inc. in risk management. He has earned a
B.A. in Economics from Harvard College and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Franck Descubes

Vice-President, Business Consulting, Digital transformation and strategy, CGI

With over 20 years of experience in corporate strategy and enterprise transformation within large financial institutions, M.Descubes benefit from a rich experience in strategic planning, strategic positioning, portfolio of projects management, business modelling and operational modeling, digital transformation of the customer experience. He has multiple exposure to high senior executives’ team, built and lead teams of dedicated experts. 

He also has a particular experience on some specific innovation topics of the banking industry, like open banking/open finance, crypto asset, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), selection and integration of Fintech, to win within the coming digital economy. He has an in dept knowledge of the core banking activities (lending, payment, day to day banking, wealth management) as well as more transformational issues (omnichannel distribution, NPS system, digital marketing, smart automation). 

As a leader his priority is to help his organization and customers to crack complex problems and bring the relevant solutions that deliver tangible results. He enjoys leading teams, delivering results that make a difference for the client, primarily in retail banking, wealth management, large transformation projects with IT components. 

He has led multiple large mandates: 4 years strategic planning for major financial institutions, executive workshops, strategic positioning, transactions, performance audit and dashboard, operational revamping that rely on change program, business architecture and process automation. 

He enjoys leading teams and mandates with high employee mobilisation, and always work in the best customer interest.

Johanne Duhaime

Executive Vice-President, Technology and Projects, Desjardins

As Executive Vice-President of Technology and Projects, Johanne Duhaime leads a team of 9,000 people working in project delivery, solutions development and IT operations for Desjardins Group.
Her drive to optimize processes and streamline work methods is only equalled by her desire to create dynamic teams focused on delivering value-added transformation projects. Johanne also sits on the board of directors of Aviso Wealth, one of Canada's largest independent wealth management firms.

She holds an executive master of business administration (EMBA) from Université du Québec à Montreal and accreditation from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) allowing her to act as a director and bring her important contribution to the boardroom. She has more than 35 years of IT experience in major Quebec organizations.

Her teams were honored in recent years by Réseau Action TI for their innovation projects in digital transformation and were recognized for the promotion of the use of the French language in IT. In 2019, she was named the Chief Information Officer of the Year for the Public Sector by the Information Technology Association of Canada.

Johanne gives back to the community, as shown by her involvement with the Canadian Red Cross as honorary co-chair of the Montreal fundraising campaign in 2021 and her promotion of women in IT.

Jonathan Durocher

President, National Bank Financial Wealth Management , National Bank of Canada

Jonathan Durocher has been president of National Bank Financial Wealth Management since May 2020. His mandate is to define business strategies and ensure their execution. Mr. Durocher is responsible for the full-service brokerage business, managing more than 2,000 employees and more than $160 billion in assets. 

Mr. Durocher began working at National Bank Financial Wealth Management in 2003, then became vice-president in 2008. In 2014, Mr. Durocher became President of National Bank Investments (NBI) where he was responsible for the asset management strategy of NBC. 

Mr. Durocher was a member of the board of directors of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and works closely with many financial technology companies. He was recognized among the 25 stars of tomorrow's Quebec according to the newspaper Les Affaires and won the Top 25 of the Quebec financial industry in the under 40 category of Finance et Investissement. He also received the HEC-Montreal Emerging Award of Excellence in the Large Business category. 

He is very active on LinkedIn, where he promotes financial literacy and shares his views on the wealth management industry. He also contributes regularly to The Globe and Mail newspaper on different wealth management topics.

Yara Elias

Canada Senior Manager, AI Risk, Risk Consulting, EY Canada

-

Chris Ferron

Head of Digital Partnerships & Fintech, Visa Canada

Chris is the Head of Digital Partnerships and Fintech for Visa Canada. Chris joined Visa in 2012 and in his current role he is responsible for Visa Canada’s strategy and market engagement with Fintech, Big Tech’s and their Enablers in the Canadian Market. Chris graduated from Western University and is based in Toronto. 

Harley Finkelstein

President, Shopify

Harley Finkelstein is an entrepreneur, lawyer, and the President of Shopify. He founded his first company at age 17 while a student at McGill. Harley completed his law degree as well as his MBA at the University of Ottawa. Harley was one of the “Dragons” on CBC’s Next Gen Den and starred on Discovery Channel’s I Quit. He received the Canadian Angel Investor of the Year Award, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and was inducted into the Order of Ottawa. From 2014 to 2017 Harley was on the Board of Directors of the C100, and from 2017 to 2020 he was on to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Retail Federation, Operation Hope, and the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Harley recently co-founded Firebelly, a modern high-end tea brand, and created Big Shot, a project and podcast that archives the stories of the greatest Jewish entrepreneurs of the last century. 

Vincent Fraser

President and CEO - Member of the board of directors, Croesus

Vincent Fraser is passionate about business and high technology, and has performed in these sectors for 25 years. During this time, he has developed expertise in leadership and the development of growth strategies combining human capital, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and good governance practices. In 2000, he co-founded Processia, a consulting and solutions integration company specializing in product lifecycle management. He led the company’s international development, with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Vincent is a graduate of Polytechnique Montréal and Harvard Business School. 

André Gagné

CEO, GFT Canada

André Gagné is the President and CEO of GFT Canada. Passionate about information technology, he holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Laval University and he has more than 25 years of experience in IT. His career choice was first motivated by his passion for technology and his need to create and implement solutions that improve people's daily lives. 
 
He has forged his career through his participation in several large-scale projects with world-renowned software companies and local and international service companies. Over the years, he has used his problem-solving skills, his pragmatism, and his mastery of technology to ensure that objectives were met.

Simona Gandrabur

Principal Director, Conversational AI Lead, Cloud Contact Center, National Bank of Canada

- 

Roham Gharegozlou

Co-Founder and CEO, Dapper Labs

Roham Gharegozlou is a seasoned founder and active startup investor with a particular interest in consumer software and social trends. He has co-founded five companies and invested in nearly 100 others over the past 15 years.  

Roham is currently founder and CEO of Dapper Labs, the company that owns and operates social commerce platforms including NBA Top Shot, NFL ALL DAY, and Disney Pinnacle.  Roham was previously founder and CEO of Axiom Zen, an award-winning venture studio. Prior to starting Axiom Zen, Roham served as a Partner at Rising Tide Fund, an early-stage VC based in Silicon Valley.  

Outside of work, Roham is an avid traveler most comfortable on the slopes or out on the water. Roham holds BA, BS, and MS degrees from Stanford University in Economics and Biological Sciences.  

Eric Girard

Minister of Finance, Government of Quebec

Eric Girard was appointed Minister of Finance on 
October 18, 2018.

A native of Sept-Îles who was raised in Québec city and studied in 
Montréal, Mr. Girard has more than 25 years of experience in the 
investment and financial markets sectors. Prior to becoming
minister, he had been Treasurer of the National Bank since
November 2011.

He is keenly interested in economics, education, sports, and public 
policies, and is a board member of the Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine. 
He has also been a board member of CIRANO and a member of the 
governing board of the Académie Saint-Clément, in addition to 
being involved in the community as a hockey and baseball coach.

Mr. Girard holds a B.A. Joint Honours in Economics and Finance 
degree from McGill University and a master’s degree in economics 
from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Kris Hansen

Chief Technolgy Officer, Sagard

-

Dave Henderson

President, Intelligent Solutions and Innovation, CGI

Dave Henderson serves as President of Intelligent Solutions and Innovation at CGI, working to advance technology innovation across all geographies and industries. This includes expanding the company’s portfolio of IP solutions that leverages this innovation, including built-in security and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. In this role, Dave is a member of CGI’s Executive Management Committee, which oversees the implementation of the company’s enterprise-wide strategy.

With a particular focus on accelerating CGI’s AI capabilities, Dave’s team serves as an active hub that synthesizes and brings to market AI innovation from across CGI, including through its centers of excellence, innovation centers, and client projects. The result is a continuous stream of real-world, practical AI use cases that help clients design and deliver responsible, ROI-led digital strategies to best satisfy the needs of their customers, citizens, employees and communities.

From his early career experiences as a software developer, to later building business consulting practices and running large business operations, Dave has expertise in leading teams and working with clients to ensure the practical and responsible use of technologies that enable holistic business outcomes.

Prior to this position, Dave served as President of CGI’s U.S. commercial and state government operations, leading the strategy and growth of a U.S. business portfolio that serves clients across several industries, including financial services, energy and utilities, retail, manufacturing, health, communications, and state and local government. Prior to this, he led one of CGI’s largest and fastest growing business units, U.S. Central-South, after having joined CGI in 2006 to lead its work within the Dallas metro market.

A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Dave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing and Information Sciences.

Edith Hitt

Partner, Advisory Services, KPMG

Edith Hitt is a Partner in the Advisory practice of KPMG in Canada with a specialization in banking and capital markets. Edith has over 17 years of experience in consulting on large scale and cross-functional transformation programs for financial institutions. She has a strong understanding of the issues related to organizational transformation and the management of cross-functional IT capabilities to meet business needs. As a Banking Technology Partner and Fintech Lead for KPMG Québec, she supports other practices in their understanding of the functional requirements of financial services technology solutions. Edith is a member of Fintech Committee of Finance Montréal and sits in the organizing committee of the Canadian Fintech Forum. 

Marc Hollenberg

Chief Operations Officer, Moneris

Marc Hollenberg is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Moneris. Marc joined Moneris in 2014 to lead our Customer Experience Team.  Marc brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the financial services and customer experience fields, driving strategies to deepen relationships with customers and enhance organizational effectiveness.  

As COO, Marc leads Moneris’ customer engagement stragegy as well as our Customer Enablement, Business Transformation, Chargebacks and Field Services teams.   His mandate is to enhance digital service/support offerings and develop future support strategies that serve to differentiate Moneris and support our long term strategy of strong customer and employee engagement.   

Prior to joining Moneris, Marc held senior positions at Rakuten Inc. as well as American Express. Marc has a proven track record leading large teams to execute on customer experience improvement and operational excellence strategies.  Marc is originally from Montreal and moved to Toronto in 1998. Marc and his wife have been together for 20 years and have a daughter and 2 dogs. 

Ioan Iacob

Founder and CEO, FLOWX.AI

Ioan is the CEO and co-founder of FlowX.AI, the AI banking modernization platform that raised the largest Series A globally in the industry in 2023. Ioan has been working together with the same core team of founders and engineers for over a decade, having a previous successful exit. Founded in 2021 as a spin-off from their preceding venture, FlowX.AI is the first-ever end-to-end banking modernization and integration platform. It is designed and built for banks, leveraging a patent-pending AI technology that dramatically accelerates the modernization of business processes and technology.

Khushboo Jha

Founder & CEO, Buy Properly

Khushboo Jha is the Founder and CEO of BuyProperly, an award winning AI-powered platform for investing in alternative assets such as real estate, private credit and private equity.  BuyProperly has won numerous awards including, UBS Top 10 women founded Fintechs (Global), 2022, CIX Top 20 (early )Innovative companies 2021, Top 100 fintech companies, top 100 marketplace start-ups , and top 100 proptech companies. For her work in building BuyProperly, Khushboo was named “Women of the Year, 2021” by Bay Street Bull, and Women of the year, 2022, by DMZ amongst other awards and recognition. Khushboo has 15+ years of experience launching businesses within Amazon including Alexa AI, and scaling up companies as a strategy consultant and has worked across North America, Europe and Asia. She holds an MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and an undergrad in Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. 

Géraldine Jippé

Co-Founder, COO-CMO, Assets Waves

Géraldine Jippé is an awarded entrepreneur and co-founder of AssetsWaves, where she serves as the COO. 

As a regenerative connector, she bridges sustainability, social impact and tech. 

Bill Johnston

Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

Bill Johnston is an Executive Director in Technology at Morgan Stanley.
Bill has held multiple roles in Technology over his 20+ year tenure. Today, as a global lead for 
Trade Surveillance at Morgan Stanley, he focuses on driving technology solutions to meet the 
needs of the firm in a fast-moving regulatory environment.
In additional to functional responsibilities, Bill is a long-time member of the Morgan Stanley 
Montreal management committee and a co-chair for several Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.

Andrea Kando

Chief Payments & Strategy Officer, TouchBistro

Andrea Kando is Chief Payments and Strategy Officer at TouchBistro, an All-In-One restaurant management software provider with more than 16,000 customers in over 100 countries and a full suite of cloud based solutions for front of house, back of house and guest engagement needs.  She joined the organization in March of 2022 and leads TouchBistro’s payments business, which processes more than $14B in annual volume across multiple processors and a hybrid of commercial and technical models.  Kando also leads the strategy function within TouchBistro, orchestrating the company’s assets and ensuring TouchBistro’s  internal and go to market strategies are positioned to support its annual growth targets.   

Prior to joining TouchBistro, Andrea was EVP and Head of Product, Marketing, and Communications at Paya, an integrated payments provider. Prior to joining Paya, Andrea spent fourteen years at First Data Corporation (now Fiserv), most recently as Vice President of Commercialization and Client Experience and held progressive leadership positions within First Data, including Client Care and Operations Programs and Strategy lead, Chief of Staff, head of enterprise financial service client training and documentation, and head of contact center training and quality. She is passionate about mentoring and building the next generation of technology leaders, serving as committee director in multiple organizations including Women in Technology and PayTech Women. 

Rheia Khalaf

Director of Partnerships, MILA

Rheia Khalaf, FSA, FCIA, CERA, is Director of Partnerships at Mila, Institut Québécois d'Intelligence Artificielle. She has over 15 years' experience in consulting and partnerships, in quantitative fields such as AI, risk management, actuarial science and asset management. She has held several roles in the past with Fin-ML and IVADO, Fiera Capital, E&Y, among others. Her academic background includes actuarial mathematics from Concordia University, a Masters in Risk Management from the University of Zurich, and a Certificate in Sustainable Investment from Queen's University. She is an advisor to start-ups and is involved in various initiatives on the future of work, responsible AI and ethics, risk management and governance, and the use of AI in sustainable finance and climate risk. She is also a member of the Technology Transfer Committee of Quebec's Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) and a collaborating researcher member of the Observatoire international sur les impacts sociétaux de l'AI et du numérique (OBVIA). 

Elham Kheradmand

CEO, Lucid Axon

Elham is an accomplished AI researcher and entrepreneur with a PhD in Mathematics, specializing in natural language processing (NLP) and generative AI. With over four years of experience as a researcher at the University of Montreal, she has developed advanced algorithms for sustainability data analysis and ESG performance assessments. Prior to academia, Elham spent five years in the financial sector, designing innovative algorithms for banking solutions. As the CEO and co-founder of Lucid Axon, she leverages her expertise in AI and ESG to deliver cutting-edge tools that enhance transparency and decision-making for investors. She was also recognized as the ESG AI Leader of the Year 2022 in North America by Women in AI.    

Yannick Lallement

Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Scotiabank

Yannick Lallement serves as the VP & Chief AI Officer at Scotiabank, spearheading the integration and advancement of AI/ML technologies across the institution. He earned his PhD in artificial intelligence from the esteemed French National Institute of Computer Science. Before his tenure at Scotiabank, Yannick contributed his expertise to a variety of AI/ML initiatives for diverse public and private entities. 

Jeri Larsen

Chief Customer Officer, LoanPro

Prior to serving as the Chief Customer Officer at LoanPro, Jeri served in multiple executive soles across a variety of industries, including COO/CPO, SVP of Sales Ops, VP of Strategy and Analytics, and VP of Client Engagement.

In her career, Jeri has had the opportunity to meet organizational needs from the perspectives of CX, Sales, Ops, and L&D in both the public and private sectors—supporting FinTech, DataTech, MarTech, and EdTech.

Jeri has been featured as #8 on Women We Admire's "Top 50 Women Leaders of Utah" list and is the consummate consultant and fixer, leading teams throughout her career to create better client experiences from the people up. 

Simon Leroux

Founder and CEO, Optionality; Stealth

Simon Leroux is a serial entrepreneur in the field of AI. His last start-up, Gazelle, was acquired by KKR, a leading global investment firm. In 2024, he launched Optionality, backed by Inovia Capital. Optionality is on a mission to transform the M&A industry, while redefining what it means to be a Trusted Advisor. 

Kevin Levitt

Director, Global Industry Business Development – Financial Services, NVIDIA

Kevin Levitt currently leads global business development for the financial services industry at NVIDIA. He focuses on global trends in accelerated compute and AI for consumer finance – including fintech, retail banking, credit card and insurance. NVIDIA supports customers and partners in their adoption of accelerated computing and AI/ML techniques to improve time to insight, enable expanded analytics around risk and fraud, and dive deep into customer data to address key business problems.   

Prior to joining NVIDIA, Kevin scaled sales and business development organizations at two fintechs. First, as Vice President of Business Development at Credit Karma, Kevin tripled the size of the team as revenues grew to over $500M in less than four years.  Then, as Vice President of Sales for Roostify, Kevin built out the sales organization, doubled revenues and was a member of the company’s executive leadership team.  

Before jumping into fintech, Kevin enjoyed scaling comScore, a digital measurement and analytics firm, helping grow the organization into a publicly traded, multinational organization, eventually operating as a Senior Vice President leading the company’s financial services practice.   

Kevin holds a B.A. from American University in Washington, DC and an M.B.A. from the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.  

Julie Lévesque

Executive Vice President Technology and Operations, National Bank of Canada

Julie Lévesque was appointed Executive Vice-President – Information Technology in June 2020. As such, she is responsible for implementing the Bank’s technological strategy. In addition, she was appointed head of the Operations sector in January 2022. Ms. Lévesque is a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

At the time of her appointment in 2020, Julie Lévesque was Senior Vice-President – IT Delivery 
Strategy at National Bank. Previously, she spent three years working for the Canada Pension Plan 
Investment Board as Managing Director and Head of System and Data Delivery, Technology. 
Ms. Lévesque worked at National Bank from 2005 to 2016, where she held various management 
roles in IT, including Vice-President – IT Delivery, Risk, Finance, Capital Markets and Human 
Resources.

With over 25 years of experience in information technology, Julie Lévesque has in-depth 
knowledge of corporate IT environments and infrastructure. Her leadership style is based on 
collaboration, trust, partnership and cross-sector teamwork. Her passion for innovation and 
emerging technology means she quickly grasps the issues involved and excels at explaining 
concepts in business terms.

Ms. Lévesque sits on the boards of directors of the Computer Research Institute of Montreal 
(CRIM), the fintech Flinks Technology Inc., and the Resources for Children with Diabetes 
Foundation (FRED). In 2022, she was named CIO of the year in the Private Sector category by IT 
World of Canada and the CIO Association of Canada. Ms. Lévesque has an Executive MBA
(EMBA) from McGill-HEC Montréal.

Jil Macdonald

Chief Operating Officer, Walnut Insurance

Jil Macdonald is a pioneering technology executive renowned for her transformative work in digital and AI product innovation. With decades of experience, she has successfully led the creation and scaling of over 200 cutting-edge products across Insurance, Finance, Environmental, and Energy sectors, generating $285M+ in industry savings. 

As Chief Operating Officer at Walnut Insurance, Jil is at the forefront of developing revolutionary embedded insurance programs. She has forged strategic partnerships with major brands such as Telus, Tim Hortons, National Bank, Pineapple, and NEO, reshaping the insurance landscape by helping organizations launch their own insurance arms and unlock new revenue streams. 

Her distinguished career includes executive roles at AltaML, Alberta Energy Regulator, and Ernst & Young, where she has showcased her strategic vision and expertise. Beyond her corporate accomplishments, Jil is an influential board director and dedicated community and cancer volunteer, actively supporting startups and venture initiatives. 

Recognized with accolades like Top 40 Under 40, Young Women in Energy, and Women of Inspiration awards, Jil Macdonald stands out as a visionary leader driving innovation and excellence in technology. 

Laviva Mazhar

Principal, Luge Capital

Laviva is a Principal at Luge Capital, an early-stage fintech-focused venture capital firm with over $150M under management. Since joining Luge Capital at its foundation in 2018, Laviva has played a crucial role in shaping its success. Her responsibilities span identifying new fintech investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, executing end-to-end transactions, supporting portfolio companies, collaborating with strategic LPs, and contributing to the development of the firm’s investment theses. Prior to that she was an Investor at Ferst Capital Partners (FCP), a fintech startup foundry and VC firm. She helped build portfolio companies and supported their operations and fundraising processes. 
 
She was selected as one of The Peak’s Emerging Leaders for 2024, featured on the Women in FinTech Powerlists by Innovate Finance for both 2020 and 2017, and named in Canada’s 2019 Top 50 Women in Fintech by the Digital Finance Institute. She is also a mentor at Front Row Ventures, a member of the Elle-Invest committee at Réseau Capital, and the author of the Status of the Canadian InsurTech Landscape and the Future of Insurance report. 
 
Born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Laviva moved to Canada to complete her BCom degree with double majors in Economics and Finance from McGill University. She completed CFA Level 1. 

Laura McDonald

Co-Founder & CEO, Flora

Laura McDonald is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flora Fertility, the first individually owned insurance solution for fertility and women's health, making reproductive autonomy affordable and accessible. She formerly founded and exited a financial media company focused on women and wealth, reaching millions of users daily across digital, print and television. She is the author of two best-selling personal finance books and has led strategy across insurance and e-commerce. 

Hannah Melton

Senior Banking & Expansion Manager for North America, Wise

Hannah Melton is the Senior Banking & Expansion Manager for Wise in North America. In her role she oversees and manages bank partner integrations that are key to Wise’s infrastructure. She also works across teams to leverage these integrations in the building and launching of new products in the region. Previously, Hannah worked in growth strategy for financial institutions, including at N26 and Accenture. 

Sean Merat

Co-Founder and CEO, Owl.co

Sean is a dynamic serial entrepreneur with a sharp focus on transforming the insurance technology sector. He is the founder and CEO of Owl.co, an AI technology company that enables the leading insurers to drastically improve their claims handling processes by harnessing advanced insights. Today, 14 of the largest North American insurers rely on Owl.co  to enhance their claims decisions, significantly improving speed, effectiveness and compliance for claimants. 
 
Prior to Owl.co, Sean founded and successfully exited multiple companies. His last company was Tangelo (formerly Imperus Technologies) which went on to acquire Diwip and Akamon Entertainment for over $100M. Sean is also a proud member of the Forbes Technology Council, and contributes frequently as a leading voice in the Insurtech space. 

Peter Misek

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Framework

Peter is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of FRAMEWORK with over 18 years of VC experience as an Advisor/Partner for DN Capital including direct involvement in multiple unicorns. 

Prior to FRAMEWORK, Peter was a Partner at the BDC IT Venture Fund. Peter’s investments include GoViral Inc., TouchBistro, Wattpad, and Wave Financial. With an entrepreneurial background, Peter is Chairman and Founder of SoundPays Inc. and an original programmer of the technology. Before joining BDC, Peter spent almost 20 years in investment banking as Managing Director and Co-Head of Global Technology Research for Jefferies in New York, and as Director of Research and Global Technology Analyst for Canaccord. 

Peter holds a CA, CPA, CPA from Illinois, and a CFA charter. 

Andrew Moor

President and CEO, EQ Bank

Andrew Moor joined the Equitable Bank as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director in March 2007. Under Andrew’s leadership, Equitable has grown from its position as a Trust Company with $3 billion of total assets to become Canada’s 7th largest bank with over $100 billion of assets under administration. Since 2007, he has worked with Equitable’s senior management team to lead the organization through the financial crisis of 2008, build a significant national business in single family lending, establish Equitable as a major participant in the Canada Mortgage Bond program establish EQ Bank as Canada’s leading digital bank, launch a reverse mortgage business, enter the equipment lending business through the acquisition of Bennington Financial, acquire Concentra Bank and make a majority investment in ACM Advisors. 

Andrew’s focus in recent years has been in positioning Equitable Bank as “Canada’s Challenger Bank”.  Andrew is a keen observer of the challenger and neo bank community around the world. He is interested in how banks can leverage technology to improve the societies in which they operate and is a proponent of Open Banking as a means of delivering financial services more effectively to people from all walks of life. 

Andrew joined Wood Gundy Inc. in 1987 and was a Managing Director in the private equity division of CIBC before joining SMED International in 1996 as CFO. He was later promoted to President. After SMED was acquired in 2000 for approximately $300 million, he was backed by private equity investors to become President and CEO of Invis Inc. He built Invis to become Canada’s largest residential mortgage brokerage and the business was acquired by HSBC in 2005. 

Andrew is a member of the Executive Council of the Canadian Bankers Association, the Business Council of Canada, Chairman of the Banks and Trust Companies Association, and a former Chairman of Mortgage Professionals Canada. He also serves as a director of Sleep Country Canada and as an Advisory Board member of the Smith School of Business at Queen's University. 

Andrew graduated from University College London with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and holds the ICD.D designation. 

Melisa Muraca

Vice President, Technology Product, Sun Life US

Melisa is Vice President Technology Product for Sun Life U.S. In this role, she leads the technology product and solutions strategy, serving Clients in the U.S. through product-driven practices, experience design and agile delivery.  

At Sun Life since 2007, Melisa has over 20 years of experience in technology and has a peripheral perspective on international technology trends. In the last two years she was responsible for Sun Life’s global Technology & Transformation Strategy and had accountability for the IT and transformation Strategy, the Digital Enterprise Center of Excellence, as well as defining and rolling out Global Value Realisation Office.    

She holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, with a major in Management Information Systems and a minor in e-Commerce from the University of Concordia.   

Phil Murphy

Governor, State of New Jersey

Philip D. Murphy took the oath of office for a second term as New Jersey’s 56th governor on January 18, 2022. He is the first Democratic governor to serve a second term in 44 years. 

Governor Murphy currently serves as Chair of the Democratic Governors Association. The Governor also completed his year-long Chairmanship of the National Governors Association in July of 2023. He is the first governor to have led both organizations simultaneously. 

Since taking office in 2018, Governor Murphy has focused on building a stronger, fairer, and more affordable New Jersey. Under his leadership, New Jersey has made strides in growing the state’s economy and creating new economic opportunity while shrinking longstanding inequities, restoring fiscal responsibility to state government while expanding critical investments, and delivering real tax fairness and relief, including 14 tax cuts for New Jersey’s middle class and seniors. 

Governor Murphy guided New Jersey from being the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic to a model state for following the highest level of public health standards and data-driven response, implementing among the nation’s most robust vaccination efforts and fostering a strong economic recovery. Over the course of two years, the Murphy Administration has provided billions of dollars in state and federal relief to small businesses, schools, homeowners, tenants, and landlords, and middle-class families. 

Governor Murphy has put a special emphasis on making New Jersey more welcoming to both established high-tech enterprises and start-up companies in the innovation economy. In January 2021, he enacted a new set of state economic incentives, focused on promoting the growth of new small businesses and innovative startups, enacting the state’s first tax credits for historic preservation, and expanding credits for brownfields reclamation and redevelopment, among other initiatives. 

Under the governor’s leadership, New Jersey has emerged as a leader in the deployment of clean energy technologies, including one of the nation’s most-aggressive proposals for the development of offshore wind. He helped break ground at both the Paulsboro Marine Terminal and the South Jersey Wind Port in Salem County, where more than 1,500 new jobs will help secure New Jersey’s place as a global leader in offshore wind component manufacturing and logistics. 

The Governor has also focused on making New Jersey a leading location for film, television, and digital production, enacting a new incentive program that drew more than half-a-billion dollars in investment to New Jersey in 2021. 

Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey had already emerged as a national leader on a number of nationally significant issues prior to the pandemic. He secured the dignity of working families by moving to a $15-per-hour minimum wage, guaranteeing earned sick days, and expanding paid family leave. The governor has enacted initiatives to provide a tuition-free public college education for qualified students. He has embraced policies that have driven down the cost of healthcare. He has expanded protections for the state’s immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities. And he has enacted and proposed gun safety laws to combat gun violence and promote responsible gun ownership. 

Governor Murphy has also made New Jersey a model state for social justice through fostering the state’s nascent adult-use cannabis industry, enacting among the country’s strongest automatic voter registration measures, restoring voting rights to individuals on parole or probation, expunging the records of numerous non-violent offenders, and creating the nation’s strongest provisions for environmental justice, alongside numerous other new laws. He has also put a focus on eliminating stigma and promoting a compassionate approach to tackling opioid misuse. 

Shane Murphy

Chief Executive Officer , Ownr

Shane is CEO of Ownr, an RBCx company that makes it easy and affordable for entrepreneurs to incorporate, register and confidently handle ongoing legal compliance. Shane was previously Co-Founder of Founded Technologies, a legal-technology startup that served lawyers and small business owners before it was acquired by RBCx in 2020.  

Shane joined Ownr as its Chief Operating Officer following the acquisition and played a key role as it grew to serve over 175,000 Canadian entrepreneurs.  

Prior to starting a technology company, Shane was a litigation lawyer who appeared at all levels of court in Ontario. He holds law degrees from McGill University, and a master's degree from the London School of Economics. 

David Ouellet

Senior Vice President and Chief Technology, Data and Operations Officer, PSP Investments

David Ouellet is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology, Data and Operations 
Officer at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). 

In this role, David is focused on sustaining PSP’s growth and operations with 
effective tools and technologies that meet and exceed the future of technological 
trends, including digital innovation, data and analytic, cloud and artificial 
intelligence solutions. 

David is a member of PSP Investments’ Executive Committee. Prior to his 
appointment in 2023, David was Senior Vice president and Chief Technology and 
Data Officer. Prior to 2019, he was Vice President and Head of Strategic and 
Business Planning. David led PSP Investments’ five-year strategic planning, 
including the monitoring of strategic initiatives and key performance 
indicators and metrics. Prior to joining PSP Investments in 2012, David worked 
in Technology and Risk Consulting at KPMG for over 10 years. He spent two 
years of his mandate in China, where he managed the information technology 
aspect of the liquidation of Lehman Brothers Hong Kong entities, a project where 
IT played a significant role. 

David holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and is a Chartered 
Professional Accountant (CPA).

Chris Poshni

Head of Sales, POS, Wix

Chris Poshni is the Head of Sales, Point of Sale (POS) at Wix.  Chris is an expert in the payments industry and brings over 25+ years of experience leading sales, GTM strategies and sales operations.  Prior to joining Wix, Chris held senior positions at Moneris across all aspects of sales and sales operations.  Chris has a proven track record of building and leading large sales teams to achieve and exceed sales goals. 

Mara Reiff

CEO (Interim) and Chief Customer Officer, FreshBooks

As CEO (Interim) and Chief Customer Officer, Mara leads FreshBooks with a strategic, customer-centric approach. Formerly an executive in the telecommunications industry, Mara brings a powerful blend of data-driven insight, technical skill, and business operations expertise to FreshBooks. One of IBM’s Global Women Leaders in AI, Mara holds an engineering degree in Applied Mathematics and Chemical Engineering, as well as an MBA. 

Jennifer Schell

CEO, Finliti

Jennifer Schell is the CEO and Founder of Finliti, a behavioral science platform dedicated to help increase retail client engagement and financial knowledge within the investment brokerage ecosystem . With a 15-year background in finance, Jennifer's expertise was recognized as she served as an Investment Advisor at renowned firms such as BMO Nesbitt Burns and CIBC Wood Gundy. She also held significant roles as a Partner, Associate Portfolio Manager, and Portfolio Strategist at Treegrove Investment Management Inc., providing personalized portfolio management services.  Jennifer's mission through Finliti is to demystify the intricacies of finance, placing emphasis on the emotional and personal elements of investing. Her firm belief in the power of understanding investment principles, particularly risk management, drives her to help individuals unlock substantial rewards and to gain fulfillment from their financial choices. Finliti offers a supportive and inclusive community where individuals can gain knowledge, cultivate growth, and thrive in their financial pursuits.  Notably, Finliti's excellence has been recognized by prestigious programs such as the Ascension program by Fintech Cadence, NEXT AI and ElleFintech. Under Jennifer's leadership, Finliti is revolutionizing financial literacy by providing exceptional educational resources and interactive tools. By re-engaging customers and guiding them towards successful financial decision-making, Finliti empowers brokerage firms to future-proof their wealth management business. 

Saba Shariff

SVP, Chief Strategy, Product & Innovation Officer, Symcor

Saba Shariff is a seasoned and acknowledged leader at Symcor, a Canadian business solutions provider enabling secure data exchanges to support the country’s largest organizations in the banking and financial, insurance, government, telecommunications, and utilities sectors.  As Senior Vice President - Chief Strategy, Product, and Innovation Officer, Saba is accountable for Symcor’s existing and emerging product lines, overseeing teams responsible for designing and launching innovative services that address industry-wide challenges. Along with a mandate for charting Symcor’s corporate strategy towards continued growth, Saba and her team are focused on ensuring long-term topline growth for Symcor as it continues to provide critical services to the broader industry.

Alexis Smirnov

Co-Founder and CTO, Dialogue

Alexis is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Dialogue, Canada's premier virtual healthcare and wellness platform, providing access to quality care to millions across the country since 2016. Before Dialogue, he used transformational technologies to build products and services at startups and Fortune 100 companies since 1994. He notably led the design and development of a social analytics system, built an award-winning semantic search engine, and incubated a platform for conversational apps. An active member of Montreal's technology community, Alexis also holds several software patents. 

Parinaz Sobhani

Managing Director & Head of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sagard

Parinaz Sobhani is the Head of AI at Sagard. In this role, she helps portfolio companies adopt AI and gain a competitive edge. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa, where she focused on natural language understanding. With over ten years of experience, she's published more than 20 papers in top ML and NLP conferences.  

Before Sagard, she was the Head of AI at Georgian, where she led a team of engineers and scientists to help growth-stage companies build and scale machine learning products. Parinaz also worked at Microsoft Research, developing advanced neural machine translation models, and at the National Research Council of Canada, where she made significant contributions to deep neural network models for sentiment analysis." 

Mathieu Staniulis

VP Products, Solutions and Digital platforms and Chief Transformation Officer, Personal Services, Desjardins

Mathieu Staniulis has been with Desjardins for over 25 years, serving in senior management positions since 2006. He holds an MBA from Université de Sherbrooke (Canada) and boasts an excellent track record, showing his expertise in virtual and assisted channels. He continually helps to position Desjardins in the financial services market. Mr. Staniulis now serves as Vice-President Products, Solutions and Digital Platforms and Personal Services Chief Transformation Officer, with the goal of providing Desjardins members and clients with an enhanced experience through products, channels, and proactive support, concretely supporting the organization’s shift towards a member and client-centered culture.

He previously managed the complete redesign of both Desjardins’ website and AccèsD & AccèsD Affaires transaction sites. He was awarded at the international level the “2016 PMI Award for Project Excellence” from the Project Management Institute (PMI), recognizing excellence in project management.

In 2010, Mr. Staniulis founded the Desjardins Junior Executives Network to develop the leadership of the company's 500+ managers aged 35 and under.

Daria Subach

Co-Founder & CEO, Argentium

Daria Subach is the visionary co-founder and CEO of Argentium.ai, a pioneering fintech company transforming the mortgage lending industry. Argentium.ai focuses on automating mortgage underwriting, bringing transparency, simplicity, and efficiency to the lending process. With a passion for innovation in the financial sector, Daria is dedicated to shaping a brighter future for mortgage professionals and borrowers alike. 

Before founding Argentium.ai, Daria gained extensive experience in the financial sector, working at a regional bank where she managed document processing. Her firsthand experience with the challenges of back-office operations fueled her passion for leveraging AI to automate repetitive tasks, ultimately leading to the creation of Argentium.ai. Under her leadership, Argentium.ai is redefining mortgage underwriting, making it faster, more accurate, and more aligned with modern borrower expectations. 

Abraham A. Tachjian

Director - Financial Services - Head of Open Banking, PwC

Abraham is a leader in financial services with globally recognized expertise in open banking. Over the span of his career, he has worked with financial institutions and regulators with respect to cutting-edge technological changes in banking, new business models and disruption from innovation.  

In March 2022, the Government of Canada named Abraham as the country’s open banking lead. He was tasked with the mandate to empower Canadians and businesses with greater control over their financial data and to be better equipped to manage their finances. Abraham established the foundation for Canada’s open banking system with a framework that will be implemented through legislation.  

He is currently a Director at PwC where he heads the firm’s open banking practice. Prior to joining PwC, he was one of the founders of Mox, a digital bank in Hong Kong built from scratch which has since gained prominence in the market. Prior to that, he was a director in digital banking in Singapore where he was responsible for the implementation of emerging technologies as well as making banking simpler and more intuitive.  

Abraham is a frequent speaker at conferences as well as to board of directors and regulators on emerging topics in financial services. As a common law and civil law qualified lawyer, he brings a multidisciplinary approach that bridges the gap between banking, technology and law.  

Emmanuelle Tavernier

Founder & CEO, Oxia Initiative

Emmanuelle Tavernier, President and co-founder of Oxia Initiative, is an expert in climate/carbon finance and impact finance. With 10 years' experience at renowned international institutions such as Société Générale, CDPQ and Fondaction, she founded OXIA in 2018 to support the ecological transition and change the perception of the fight against climate change in the financial world, demonstrating that sustainability and financial growth are compatible. Under her leadership, Oxia Initiative has established itself as a key player in the low-carbon transition, supporting investors and companies with innovative solutions to measure environmental impact and accelerate transformation through reliable and accurate ESG data.  

A specialist in climate/carbon finance and sustainable development, Emmanuelle actively contributed to the Paris Agreements (COP21) and continues to participate in the COPs organized by the UNFCCC as a member of the Canadian and Quebec delegations. 

Elsa Vande Voorde

Innovations and Technologies Specialist, Finance Montréal

Elsa is a seasoned tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the IT consulting, investment banking and AI industries. After acquiring her master's degrees at a business school in Paris, she launched her career in IT consulting & investment banking, focusing on electronic trading & trading platforms like Murex, Calypso. In 2010 she relocated to New York, where she founded Ailes Technologies, successfully exited in 2022. She consulted as well as Senior Director level at Synechron NY where she was leading its Systems Integration practice for North America for 8 years. In 2020, she made the move to Montreal to co-found Elligencia, an AI software company.  

Currently, Elsa works with Finance Montreal where she leverages her expertise to foster growth and innovation within the QC ecosystem. 

Alex Vronces

Executive Director, Fintechs Canada

Alex is a policy wonk. He's currently the executive director of Fintechs Canada. Fintechs Canada is an industry association of Canada's most innovative financial technology companies whose members collectively serve millions of Canadians on a daily basis. Before Fintechs Canada, Alex worked at Payments Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ernst & Young, and as a journalist. 

Darryl White

CEO, BMO Financial Group

Darryl is Chief Executive Officer of BMO, the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, serving over 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select global markets for over 200 years. Darryl chairs BMO’s Executive Committee and serves as a director of BMO Financial Group and its U.S. subsidiary, BMO Financial Corp. 

Darryl joined BMO as an investment banking analyst in 1994. He returned to his hometown of Montreal in 2006 to lead the bank’s Quebec Investment & Corporate Banking team. In 2014, he was named CEO and Group Head, BMO Capital Markets, and in 2016 appointed BMO’s Chief Operating Officer. 

Driven by the bank’s Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, Darryl is committed to supporting a thriving economy, a sustainable future and inclusive society. He is a member of Washington, D.C-based, The Business Council, Ottawa-based Business Council of Canada, the Business Council of Toronto, the Mayor of Beijing’s International Business Leaders Advisory Council, and the Bank Policy Institute. In partnership with United Way Greater Toronto, Darryl also Co-Chairs the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity Roundtable, uniting business and community leaders in approaches to reduce economic disparity in the region. 

An advocate for eliminating barriers to inclusion, Darryl serves as a Director and Executive Committee member of Catalyst, and its Canada Advisory Board. He is the Campaign Cabinet Co-President for the Montréal Children’s Hospital Foundation, a member of Toronto's University Health Network Board of Trustees and Honourary Campaign Co-Chair for Kids Help Phone. A lifelong sports fan, Darryl serves as a director of Alpine Canada, the governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada and chairs the board of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.  

Darryl holds an Honours Business Administration degree and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. Darryl is a past recipient of Canada’s Top 40 under 40® Award and was named 2023 CEO of the Year and Strategist of the Year by The Globe and Mail. 

Hanna Zaidi

Vice President, Payments Strategy & Chief Compliance Officer, Wealthsimple

Hanna Zaidi is the Chief Compliance Officer for Payments at Wealthsimple. Hanna has supported the launch of Wealthsimple's challenger bank offering, P2P payments app, and the company's regulated crypto trading platform -- the first in Canada. Under her leadership, Wealthsimple was one of the first securities dealers to get membership to Payments Canada and became the first non-bank/non-credit union to be given a direct-settlement account by the Bank of Canada. 

 
Canadians pay some of the highest banking fees in the world, and Hanna is using her voice to advocate for a payments system that puts Canadians first and makes everyday banking more affordable. She's the youngest member welcomed to the Payments Canada Member Advisory Council, has been named in DMZ's 2023 Women of the Year list and The Peak's 2022 Emerging Leaders list. Beyond her impact through Wealthsimple, Hanna co-founded CommuniHelp, a digital platform that connects charities and nonprofits with tech talent to solve organization challenges.