Speakers

Alain DeSouza is the VP of Product & GTM at J.P. Morgan, where he is focused on bringing new J.P. Morgan products to Canada. Alain has spent nearly 20 years in payments spanning, mobile payments, digital wallets, acquiring as well as B2B & B2C payments. With a background in product, GTM and technology, Alain has delivered on growth for companies ranging from Fintechs to global banks. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Alain served as VP, Product & GTM at Clickatell where he brought new products to market and created new indirect channels. He also held leadership roles RBC, Scotiabank and BlackBerry.

Alana Barnes serves as the Director of Digital in the Payments & Digital Division at the Canadian Bankers’ Association (CBA) where she leads the development of the industry’s digital policy positions. She provides strategic guidance and thought leadership on various emerging issues, including policy initiatives such as consumer-driven banking (open banking) and artificial intelligence. She is responsible for working with Canada’s banks to effectively advocate on behalf of the banking industry to positively shape policy development with key stakeholders in government in open banking.  Previously, Alana held several positions as an Advisor at the CBA where she led research and development of industry responses on issues such as digital currencies and non-financial risk, including third-party risk management and cyber security.

Bernice Cheung is Vice President of Financial Services & Cultural Markets at Environics Research, where she leads groundbreaking studies on fintech, open banking, and consumer trust in financial innovation. With nearly two decades of experience in market research and strategy consulting, she helps financial institutions, fintechs, and policymakers understand how Canadians think, feel, and act toward emerging financial technologies. A frequent industry speaker, Bernice is recognized for translating complex data into clear, actionable insight — guiding the future of consumer engagement, inclusion, and digital finance in Canada.

Delina is the Director of Growth Data Science at Wealthsimple, where she leads initiatives that leverage data to drive business growth across marketing, sales, and consumer product. With over 15 years of experience across FinTech, AdTech, CPG and banking, Delina specializes in using analytical techniques, experimentation, and modelling to drive user behaviours that result in revenue growth. Prior to Wealthsimple, she was Senior Director of Data Science & Product Analytics at Mistplay, a mobile gaming loyalty platform, where she led efforts to deepen user engagement through personalized experiences and growth strategies. She has also held roles in analytics at HelloFresh Canada and at TD Bank, giving her a diverse foundation in applying data science across industries. Delina is passionate about building high-performing teams and making data both actionable and impactful. In addition to her industry work, she teaches data science at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and Schulich School of Business, where she focuses on bridging the gap between technical skills and business application.

Geetha Premraj is the Head of Global Product Delivery for Real-Time Payments at JPMorgan Chase & Co., overseeing strategy, development, and execution of instant payment solutions worldwide. With over 20 years in the payments industry, she has held leadership roles at Chime, Visa, and Western Union, driving product innovation and digital transformation across multiple payment rails and platforms. Her expertise spans Digital Payments, Cards, ACH, Instant Payments, Risk, Compliance, FX, and Settlement. Geetha holds a Master’s in Computer Science and is passionate about delivering customer-centric solutions, building high-performing teams, mentoring future leaders, and advocating thoughtful innovation in financial services.

Oscar Roque serves as Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Beem Credit Union, where he leads strategy, innovation, product, delivery practices, and brand engagement. His work focuses on strengthening Beem’s impact, deepening member value, and creating the conditions for empowered teams to do their best work. Oscar brings a career grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and purpose. Before joining Beem, he held senior leadership roles at Interac Corp. and BMO, where he worked across strategy, innovation, product development, and enterprise transformation. Known for connecting ideas across technology, financial services, and public-good ecosystems, he is recognized for building teams that thrive in complexity and deliver meaningful outcomes. Passionate about financial wellness and responsible innovation, Oscar is motivated by creating products and experiences that genuinely improve people’s lives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Samantha is VP & General Counsel at Borrowell, one of Canada’s largest consumer fintech companies that helps people feel confident about money. Borrowell has over 3 million members and was the first company in Canada to offer credit scores for free. Borrowell also offers Rent Advantage, the first program to let renters build credit with rent payments without their landlord’s involvement.

Prior to this, Sam was legal counsel at President’s Choice Financial and a corporate lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in the Financial Services Group where she advised financial institutions and fintechs on a broad range of corporate commercial matters including payments, privacy and regulatory compliance.

Santiago Duro is the Director & Head of Open Banking at Scotiabank, where he leads and drives the Open Banking/Open Finance global strategy and platforms across Scotiabank.

Santiago is an experienced leader with 25+ years of experience in the Financial Services and Technology areas, managing established operations as well as launching new businesses, across America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Santiago was previously the Chief Product Officer at Fintech Galaxy, where he guided the development of the FINX Open Finance platform. Before that he was the Group Chief Technology and Operations Officer for Y9 Bank where he led the Technology, Product and Operations organizations and launched a Digital Bank in Tanzania. He also led a Digital Wallet in Myanmar, growing to over 8 million customers in 2 years. Previously, he deployed and managed global digital platforms at ING from concept to launch of new products and services as well as he led EU product localization for Amazon.

Santiago holds an MBA from Anderson School of Management (UCLA), an MSEE from Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain and a Master in Business Innovation from Universidad Catolica de Chile.

Sonia Bakshi is a highly accomplished banking professional with over two decades of experience in Treasury and Trade solutions, Digital Platforms and Payments. Her expertise lies in optimizing global cash management systems, ensuring compliance, and driving innovation in financial services. She is recognized for her strategic relationship building, delivering measurable results, and providing forward-thinking leadership. Throughout her career at Citibank Canada, Sonia has held progressively senior roles, consistently exceeding expectations. As Senior Vice President and Product Head for Canada Digital Services, she spearheads the management and commercialization of digital platforms. Her leadership in optimizing client relationships and driving initiatives like Digital platforms re-innovation, Regulatory enhancement and various modernized Payment methods has been instrumental in the company’s success.

Prior to her current role, Sonia excelled in various positions at Citibank, including Client Readiness Head and Client Service Senior Specialist, where she demonstrated her expertise in compliance, client satisfaction, and process improvement. Sonia’s commitment to professional development is evident in her certifications and training in Lean methodology, project management, and leadership.

She is also an active advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving as a Global Mentor for Women in Payments, Mentor for Asian community and leading initiatives supporting Multicultural Women Circle and the LGBTQ+ community at Citi. Sonia is winner of Distinguished Women in Payments 2025 Award.

Stephanie is an experienced financial services executive with over 20 years of experience in Payments and Treasury product development & management, sales business development, and operational, technology and financial crimes risk management.

Stephanie has earned an MBA, a Masters of Laws, a Bachelor of Science and certificates in Cyber Risk Management and Information Security Management.

Stephanie has contributed to Industry, Employment, and Community Boards including Payments Canada as a Board Director, as well as serving as the Chair of the Human Resources Committee and on the Industry and Financial Risk Committees. She was a Board Director for Citi Cards Canada Inc., Procuron, and Mondex, Youth in Motion (now Plan Canada), and is the former Board Chair of Mackenzie Health.