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 Place Du Canada

Keynote presentation |  Place Du Canada

Artificial intelligence has moved from experimentation to boardroom priority. As financial institutions evaluate how AI can improve productivity, strengthen decision-making, manage risk, and enhance customer experiences, many leaders are still asking the same question: What actually matters?

In this keynote, futurist, author, and former Head of Innovation at Mattel, Ramy Nassar cuts through the noise to deliver a clear, practical perspective on the opportunities, risks, and realities of AI. Drawing on 25 years helping global brands navigate emerging technologies, and on his forthcoming book The World After AI, Ramy helps leaders separate fleeting trends from meaningful transformation.

With a focus on business impact rather than technical complexity, he explores where AI is creating measurable value today, what developments are most likely to influence strategic decision-making in the years ahead, and which narratives leaders can confidently set aside.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating AI opportunities, approaching adoption responsibly, and leading their organizations with confidence in a period of rapid technological change.

Key learnings:

• Separate hype from reality and identify AI opportunities with measurable business value
• Understand emerging risks, governance considerations, and the leadership practices required for responsible AI adoption
• Explore practical frameworks, tools, and prompting approaches that can accelerate productivity and growth
• Gain perspective on what is coming next and how leaders can prepare their organizations for an AI-enabled future

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Breakout session #1 |  Av. Laurier

Fraud is entering a new era. As AI advances, scams grow more sophisticated and real-time payments move money faster, financial institutions must detect threats faster, strengthen consumer trust and adapt to new risks.

Join fraud and risk leaders from Kindred Credit Union, Laurentian Bank and Central 1 as they explore their fraud strategies in response to AI-driven threats, rising scam activity and faster payment environments. Drawing on real-world experience and industry perspectives, panelists will unpack what stronger detection, clearer accountability and more resilient fraud programs can look like in practice.

Attendees will learn how financial institutions are adapting their strategies, where they are investing to build resilience, and what it will take to stay ahead in the next frontier of fraud.

Key learnings:

• Explore how AI, real-time payments and emerging technologies are transforming fraud risks, detection strategies and consumer expectations
• Examine the evolving role of financial institutions in balancing fraud prevention, consumer responsibility and trust in an increasingly real-time environment
• Learn where financial institutions are focusing investments and innovation to prepare for the next generation of fraud threats and opportunities

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Breakout session #2 |  Av. Viger

Canada's payments ecosystem is approaching an inflection point. From the Real-Time Rail and new payments regulation to open banking and AI-enabled fraud controls, financial institutions must navigate change across every aspect of payments.

In this session, an expert panel moderated by Edwin Isted, KPMG's Executive Director of Payments Modernization & Banking Transformation, explores what these converging forces mean for financial services and the strategic implications for the years ahead.

Key learnings:

• How to prepare for real-time, data-rich and increasingly embedded payment experiences
• What this transformation means beyond compliance
• Where leaders should focus over the next three to five years

Speakers:

Breakout session #3 |  Av. Duluth

AI is accelerating. Financial crime is evolving. Geopolitical risk is closer to home. And new technologies like stablecoin are reshaping the edges of the financial system.

For financial institutions – across credit unions, banks and fintechs – these forces aren't theoretical. They are already influencing operations, risk exposure and customer trust.

This session brings together leaders from Central 1, regulatory and intelligence partners, and technical experts to explore the emerging risks shaping the financial ecosystem. From foreign interference and financial crime to climate exposure and competitive disruption, panelists will share both the big-picture view and practical strategies for mitigation.

Participants will leave with a sharper understanding of where risks are heading – and what it means for their organization.

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Breakout session #1 |  Av. Laurier

Canada is modernizing how money moves, while new forms of digital money are beginning to reshape how value can be issued, transferred and settled.

This session provides a practical introduction to tokenized money for a non-technical financial services audience. Beginning with how money and payments work today, attendees will build a foundation for understanding tokenization and explore the major emerging models: stablecoins, tokenized deposits and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

This discussion will examine the financial architecture behind these models, including who issues the money, where it sits, how it moves, where settlement occurs and who owns the customer relationship. From there, the session will explore where tokenized money may fit within the broader financial system, including applications across payments, deposits and financial market infrastructure, as well as the questions these developments may raise for financial institutions and credit unions as the market evolves.

Key learnings:

• Understand what tokenized money is, how it works, and how stablecoins, tokenized deposits and CBDCs differ.
• Explore how tokenization can change the way money is isued, transferred and settled, and where it could create value across payments and financial services.
• Examine how new forms of money may interact with deposits, customer relationships and existing financial infrastructure, and what developments financial institutions should be watching as the market evolves.

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Breakout session #2

Breakout session #3 |  Av. Duluth

Real-time payments, ISO 20022, open banking, atomic settlement, AI – these shifts are changing how financial institutions operate. But they aren't trends to wait out. They are a permanent shift towards continuous, machine-speed operations that traditional batch-based banking architectures weren't designed to support.

In this session, Kootenay Savings Credit Union explores why tomorrow's operating model must evolve and introduces Sentinel, its approach to the next generation of retail banking.

Key learnings:

• Why real-time banking demands a new operating model
• How Sentinel addresses the challenges of a continuous financial ecosystem
• What the next generation of banking architecture enables

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Plenary session |  Place Du Canada

In this session, Payments Canada will share key insights from the 2026 Canadian Payment Methods and Trends Report, providing a comprehensive view of how Canadians and businesses are using payment products and services today. From continued growth of digital and contactless payments to changing expectations around convenience, security and payment choice, the research reveals the trends influencing Canada's evolving payments landscape.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the behaviours shaping payment adoption, emerging opportunities created by payments modernization, and the implications these trends may have for future product development, member experiences and strategic planning within their organizations.

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Plenary session |  Place Du Canada

Canada’s economic outlook is being shaped by shifting trade dynamics, housing affordability pressures, constrained housing supply, regional differences, demographic change and evolving interest rate expectations. For credit unions, challenger banks and fintechs, these forces are not abstract economic signals. They influence lending, risk, growth, member and customer needs, and strategic planning. 
 
In this plenary panel session, Bryan Yu, AVP & Chief Economist at Central 1, will provide a timely economic outlook before moderating a discussion with Mathieu Laberge, SVP and Chief Economist, Housing Insights at CMHC, and Randall Bartlett, Deputy Economist at Desjardins. Together, they'll explore the macroeconomic and provincial trends shaping Canada’s economy, the outlook for housing markets and housing supply, and the opportunities and challenges this environment may create for financial services leaders.

Key learnings:

• A clearer read on the economic shifts most likely to affect Canada’s financial services sector over the next 12–24 months
• A better understanding of how housing affordability, housing supply and regional differences are shaping opportunities and risks across the country
• Practical context for lending, growth, risk, customer needs and strategic planning

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Breakout session #1

Breakout session #2

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Breakout session #1 |  Av. Laurier

As fraud becomes more sophisticated and consumer losses continue to rise, financial institutions face growing pressure to rethink their role in prevention, response and victim support. In this candid discussion, Jeremy Nicholls, Vice President of Fraud & AML Compliance at WFCU and a former law enforcement professional specializing in financial crime, joins Vanessa Iafolla, financial crime expert witness, therapist and advocate for fraud victims, to explore the evolving relationship between financial institutions and consumers.

Together, they'll explore where responsibility lies, how fraud affects victims beyond financial loss, and how a more human-centred approach to fraud prevention and response can strengthen trust and improve outcomes for consumers and financial institutions.

Key learnings:

• Understand how fraud affects victims beyond financial loss, including psychological, emotional and reputational impacts that shape member expectations
• Explore how financial institutions can balance consumer accountability, fraud prevention and victim support while maintaining trust
• Learn how evolving expectations around liability, consumer protection and member experience may influence the future of fraud management

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Breakout session #2 |  Av. Viger

For decades, treasury operations have been built around batch processing, correspondent banking and delayed settlement. Today, that's changing. A new generation of digital payment infrastructure – from stablecoins and tokenized deposits to real-time payments – is reshaping how liquidity moves through the financial system.

In this session, panelists will examine how treasury functions are evolving as money becomes digital, programmable and always on, with practical insights on how to prepare.

Key learnings:

• How digital money is changing liquidity orchestration
• Emerging use cases and regulatory considerations
• The strategic implications for financial institutions

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Breakout session #3 |  Av. Duluth

Real-Time Rail (RTR) will bring new opportunities and new operational considerations for financial institutions across Canada. In this interactive session, attendees will move through a series of expert-led discussion stations focused on the business and operational impacts of RTR, including client delivery, fraud, client engagement, payments, and fintech considerations. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, explore practical readiness topics, and gain insight into what organizations should be thinking about as the industry prepares for the next phase of payments modernization.

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Keynote presentation |  Place Du Canada

Success can make even the strongest organizations miss what is changing around them. Teams with deep experience, clear processes, and a strong track record often know what has worked before – but that confidence can make it harder to notice when the environment starts to shift.

Early signals rarely arrive fully formed. They often begin as something easy to dismiss – a subtle change in customer behaviour, an unexpected pattern, or a question that challenges the usual way of thinking. But when leaders rely too heavily on hunches, instinct, past experience, or "the way we've always done things," they can miss emerging risks and overlook real opportunities for growth.

In this keynote session, Estelle Métayer will explore how leaders can recognize early signals of change, challenge assumptions, and look beyond traditional industry boundaries. Attendees will leave with practical ways to think more critically about change and make stronger strategic decisions before risks and opportunities become obvious.

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Breakout session #1 |  Av. Laurier

Breakout session #2 |  Av. Viger

Canada's financial system is built on a foundation of stability and trust, but today's economic realities demand greater innovation, competition, and choice.

Join leaders from across the financial services ecosystem as they explore how Canada can unlock the full potential of a more dynamic financial system while maintaining the confidence Canadians depend on. From regulatory modernization and federal continuance to collaboration, consolidation, and product innovation, panelists will discuss practical pathways to strengthen competition, support local economies, and better meet the evolving needs of Canadians.

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Breakout session #1

Canada's Real-Time Rail will enable payments to settle in real time, with funds available to end customers in under 60 seconds. That speed raises important questions about when and where settlement occurs. Lise Godbout and Scott Robertson will walk attendees through the payment lifecycle and broader ecosystem, including how Central 1, Interac, and the Bank of Canada settlement accounts fit together, what changes for credit unions, and what remains the same. Attendees will also build a working understanding of liquidity in a settlement context.

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Breakout session #2

Breakout session #3

Breakout session #1 |  Av. Laurier

Financial institutions have traditionally relied on vendors for specialized software, but AI is changing what's possible.

In this session, Chris Inniss, CEO of Mainstreet Credit Union, shares how AI-assisted development is reshaping the build-vs-buy equation, enabling mid-size institutions to develop capabilities once considered out of reach.

Chris will be joined by Mary Gillett, chair of Mainstreet Credit Union's audit committee, for a candid discussion about the risk and governance questions that shaped the project – including where Mary pushed back, what had to be addressed before the project moved forward, and the areas that remain under active review.

Key learnings:

• Where AI creates new opportunities for in-house innovation
• Governance approaches that enable responsible AI development
• How to evaluate when to build, buy or partner

Speakers:

Breakout session #2

Breakout session #3 |  Av. Duluth

Agentic payments are moving from concept to capability as AI agents begin to discover, compare, authenticate and initiate transactions on behalf of consumers and businesses. For financial institution and credit union leaders, this shift raises a strategic question: is your organization ready? Are your platforms ready? Is your SEO ready for a world that is no longer just search-ready, but agentic-ready? Join our panel of experts who will help you uncover what you don't know you don't know about agentic payments.

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Plenary session |  Place Du Canada

The first phase of Canada's real-time payments journey is only beginning.

As the industry prepares for key RTR milestones, attention is already turning to what comes next: richer payment experiences, new business models, increased competition, open participation, and opportunities to rethink how money moves. In this candid discussion, leaders from Interac, Payments Canada and Central 1 will share their perspectives on the future of Canada's real-time payments ecosystem and the innovations it could unlock for financial institutions and their members.

From future roadmap priorities and emerging use cases to the organizational, technology and operational changes needed to support them, this session will help leaders move beyond implementation planning and start preparing for the next generation of payments innovation.

Speakers:

Breakout session #1

Five forces are shaping the next era of payments and member experience: Real-Time Rail, Consumer-Driven Banking, stablecoin, open banking-enabled financing and agentic AI. As these capabilities move closer to market, they are creating new ways for members and businesses to move money, share data, access credit and manage their financial lives.

In this session, moderator Iain Scott brings together fintech founders and payments experts building at the edge of what's next. Drawing on global examples like Brazil's rollout of PIX and Open Finance, the panel will explore what happens when payment mobility and data mobility mature together – and what that could mean for credit unions in Canada.

Attendees will hear how emerging solutions in agentic AI and SMB financing could change the member relationship, speed up lending decisions and help credit unions become more embedded in members' daily financial lives.

Key learnings:

• How Real-Time Rail, Consumer-Driven Banking, stablecoin and agentic AI could reshape member expectations and the financial services industry
• What global markets can teach Canada about the connection between payment mobility, data mobility and competition
• How credit unions can use fintech partnerships to strengthen primacy, deepen member relationships and prepare before the market moves without them

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Breakout session #2

High-risk members can present meaningful growth opportunities but serving them responsibly requires more than checking compliance boxes. As Canada's proposed AML reforms under Bill C-12 raise expectations for program effectiveness, financial institutions need AML programs that help them manage risk, demonstrate outcomes and move forward with confidence.

In this session, AML and compliance leaders will explore how forward-thinking financial institutions are turning AML programs into strategic business enablers. Through practical examples and real-world experience, attendees will learn how strong AML programs can support responsible growth, improve collaboration between business and compliance teams, and meet evolving regulatory expectations without compromising control.

Key learnings:

• How to apply practical, risk-based approach to serving high-risk members responsibly while maintaining strong oversight
• What AML program effectiveness looks like in practice as expectations evolve under Canada's changing regulatory landscape
• How business and compliance teams can collaborate to support responsible growth while preserving controls, accountability and regulatory confidence

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Breakout session #3

 Place Du Canada