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.

Andrew Johnston is dedicated to advancing digital capabilities within the Canadian economy through his work at Giesecke+Devrient. With over a decade of experience, Andrew has played a pivotal role in shaping national frameworks, standards, and specifications – particularly in the areas of digital authentication and verification.

His career spans contributions to nation-scale digital credentialing, identity verification, authentication and access management services, as well as major online service delivery initiatives. Andrew has also led efforts in mobile computing, email management, and web application server technologies.

Beyond his technical expertise, Andrew has provided strategic consulting on the mission-critical implications of information technology across a range of sectors, including public services, financial services, insurance, healthcare, marketing, telecommunications, and consumer electronics.

Antoine Dumortier is a Payments Expert at Desjardins, specializing in electronic payments and leading strategic initiatives to modernize payment architectures and streamline legacy platforms. With over 16 years of experience in financial services—including 8 years in payments and fintech—Antoine has held senior roles in strategy, finance, and transformation at leading organizations such as Barclays, Groupe BPCE, and Boston Consulting Group. His expertise spans Open Banking, digital payments, and change management, combined with a strong focus on innovation and the transformative potential of AI. Antoine is passionate about driving impactful change and shaping the future of payments.

Bhavna Kaushal- Innovator and Thought Leader in Banking, Payments and Loyalty

With 20 years driving partnerships and innovation across Fintech and Fortune 100 companies, Bhavna Kaushal’s experience spans Banking, Consulting, Payments, and Loyalty in Canada, USA and internationally. She currently provides independent advisory services in these areas.

Bhavna’s experience includes leading Strategic Partnerships for Scotiabank’s international retail and digital business, where she steered a transformative digitization mandate and a multi-product loyalty strategy across 25+ LAC markets. Additionally, she spearheaded payments and partnership strategies for the US and Canada at Berkeley Payments, a fast growing Canadian fintech, and led payments innovation across North America at American Express.

A frequent thought leader at industry forums Bhavna has helped shape industry dialogues with Euromonitor International, where she serves as a member of the Global Loyalty Expert Council, and previously with the Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization, and the Association of Card Technology, among others. Bhavna has been recognized with the 2023 Women in Payments Social Impact and Sustainability award. She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

Brent is a passionate problem solver with 25+ years of experience in the financial services industry, including credit cards, consumer finance, and insurance. He has deep expertise across the entire customer lifecycle, spanning product, marketing, credit, customer experience, fraud, and loss mitigation.

Brent founded Payson Solutions, a boutique consultancy that specializes in credit risk and lending strategies, in 2018. Since then, Payson has helped dozens of companies across the globe transform their business, with a diverse client base that includes top-tier banks, credit unions, fintechs at both start-up and growth stage, collection agencies, credit bureaus, and alternative lenders. Payson provides strategic, data-driven solutions that include: Credit Risk and Lending Strategies, Embedded Finance Solutions, Customer Acquisition Strategies, Data Science & Modelling, among many other services.

With more than 35 years of experience in Financial Services across Retail Banking, Strategic Partnerships, Indirect Sales, and Credit Card Management, Daksa specializes in building and optimizing complex partnership ecosystems that drive sustainable growth and operational excellence. She leads transformation initiatives that align cross-functional teams, enhance customer experience, and deliver measurable business outcomes through strong national and global partner relationships. Her leadership approach is grounded in clarity, accountability, and collaboration to create value for stakeholders while navigating change successfully.

Dan is a senior financial services and fintech leader with deep experience defining and executing technology strategy to drive large-scale digital, regulatory, data, and agile transformations. He has built and scaled data engineering, analytics, software, and platform organizations to turn complex data into business value and differentiated customer experiences. As VP of Corporate Development at Personetics, Dan builds strategic partnerships that accelerate innovation and distribute AI-driven personalization through digital banking platforms, advancing Personetics’ mission to democratize financial wellness and advice while driving primacy, balances, and lower servicing costs for banks.

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.

Eric Saumure is a Co-founder and Principal at Zenbooks, a forward-thinking online accounting firm helping businesses streamline their finances with modern technology. With a deep passion for financial accessibility, Eric has seen firsthand how Canada’s lack of Open Banking creates unnecessary friction for businesses, accountants, and financial professionals alike.

As an early adopter of digital-first accounting solutions, Eric works closely with business owners who struggle with outdated banking processes—manual reconciliations, unreliable bank feeds, and limited data access. He’s a vocal advocate for Open Banking in Canada, pushing for real-time financial data access to empower businesses, increase competition, and modernize the financial sector.

At the Open Banking Expo, Eric invites industry leaders to challenge the status quo, highlights real-world pain points, and demands action on Open Banking. His message is clear: Canada is falling behind, and it’s time to catch up.

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.

Jodi Chambers is Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Cornerstone Credit Union, leading strategy and digital transformation. She partners with boards and executives to build data-driven organizations with a member-centric vision and purpose. Jodi has led core and digital banking platform conversions, built multi-source data warehouses and real-time dashboards, and is championing GenAI and automation to streamline operations. She brings experience collaborating with fintechs to pilot, launch, and scale new member solutions. Jodi has served on national committees advancing modernization, balancing innovation with strong risk and vendor governance.

John Connolly, Market Engagement Lead at Banfico. Banfico is a leading technology solutions provider specializing in Open Banking compliance & Account Verification of Payee solutions globally.

With over 25 years of experience working in the financial services and payments arena, John began his career at UBS playing a key role in delivering a global messaging solution of four (4) regional hubs that enabled external connectivity to SWIFT, local ACHs and depositories . Moving to SunGard (now FiS) John ran the global pre-sales function for payments and financial messaging products for several years before moving in a Product role for where he developed a solution automating the payment exception process using SWIFTs Exceptions and Investigations (SO 20022). More recently John worked at Pay.UK, the Payment Services Operator in the UK for Faster Payments, Bacs (Direct Debit and Direct Credit) and cheques via the Image Clearing System (ICS) where he was Product Owner for Bacs and Faster Payments. While at Pay.UK he worked on a number of strategic industry projects such as New Payments Architecture (NPA), the New Payments Vision (NPV), Open Banking, Confirmation of Payee/Payer (CoP) and Request To Pay (RtP). In 2025, John joined Banfico as a Product Owner for Account Verification solutions and took the VOP live in Europe.

Mr. Nanji is an accomplished senior growth, strategy, product and technology leader with a proven track record for building and commercializing world-class financial technology.

He has a significant background in retails financial services for underbanked, underserved and credit-challenged consumers in Canada, the United States and international markets. Mr. Nanji is a concept through execution leader with over 25 years of experience across start-up, growth, enterprise and Fortune 500 organizations.

Karim has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of British Columbia and a Master of Business Administration in the Management of Technology from Simon Fraser University.

KASHIF SIDDIQUI is the Head of Innovation for Bank of America’s Global Payments Solutions unit. In his role, Kashif leads the team responsible for managing the payments innovation pipeline, strategic analysis of emerging payment capabilities, and delivering transformative solutions across Consumer, Small Business, Business Banking, Merchant, Corporate and Large Corporate Business lines.

Kashif has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry in payments, digital product management, strategy, corporate development/partnerships, and execution. Some of the transformative industry projects he has been able to contribute to include the formation of Zelle, piloting and launch of Square and the creation of Apple Pay.

He began his career at JPMorganChase leading a variety of restructuring, JV, and Emerging Payments initiatives across the bank. Kashif then joined Silicon Valley Bank where he helped to start the bank’s payments business and was responsible new product development and oversight. Subsequently, Kashif joined Cross River Bank as the Head of Payments product management supporting the creation of new products and payments access points for FinTech challengers. Kashif joined Bank of America in 2019.

As Senior Vice President & Chief Technology and Information Officer, Keith leads Symcor’s technology initiatives, overseeing enterprise architecture, program delivery, operational support, and information security. He partners across business lines to drive technology-enabled transformation while fostering innovation through strategic engagements with clients and ecosystem partners.

Keith brings over three decades of experience in technology and payments, with deep expertise in modernization and enterprise-scale delivery. Before joining Symcor, he held executive leadership roles at Interac, where he oversaw the multi-year Real-Time Rail (RTR) Exchange initiative for Payments Canada, led enterprise architecture, EPMO, and vendor management functions, and shaped the organization’s technology roadmap. He also held senior roles at RBC as Chief Architect for Enterprise Payments and at TD as Vice President, Enterprise Payments Technology.

As the Chief Digital & Marketing Officer (CDMO) at Meridian, Matthew Seagrim leads marketing, IT, data and analytics, product development, digital platforms, and cybersecurity. He is driving development and execution of strategic initiatives to transform the business and achieve its purpose.

Before joining Meridian, Matthew spent seven years leading Scene+, where he revitalized the company by reshaping its brand and value proposition, forged new strategic partnerships, and developed digital-first technology and infrastructure. His career comprises progressive leadership roles in Financial Services, Marketing, and Loyalty sectors, including eight years at AIMIA, where he held executive positions driving strategy, product development, and innovation across Canada, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Engineering from Queen’s University. His ability to leverage his combination of technical knowledge with business acumen has resulted in a track record of transformative leadership and positioned him as a thought leader and a sought-after speaker at industry engagements.

Matthew currently serves on the Board of Directors of Give a Mile, a registered charity dedicated to providing flights for final visits for loved ones facing palliative illness. He also serves as a strategic advisor to several startups focused on innovation in technology-driven customer engagement.

Nino Di Teodoro, Vice President of Corporate Development & Innovation, joined the Symcor team in 2022.

A regular speaker at banking industry events, Nino has 25 years of experience driving results in financial services. Nino has years of domestic and international experience, having worked with several world class payments and banking organizations, including TD Canada Trust, Citibank and CIBC.

At Symcor, he leads a number of initiatives focused on finding ways to make financial services better, faster and safer for both banks and their customers.

Outside of work, Nino is an avid scuba diver, mountain biker and drummer in a mid-life crisis rock band.

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.

Rohitash Hurla serves as the AVP of Strategic Accounts at Peoples Group, where he leads relationships with payment networks and clients in emerging sectors. His work focuses on developing strategic partnerships and bringing new payment initiatives to market.

With over 13 years of experience across technology development, product management, and client engagement, Rohitash combines these strengths to help build innovative, practical payment solutions. He is passionate about strengthening fintech and banking partnerships in Canada and expanding access to modern payment capabilities.

Rohitash holds a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from the National Institute of Technology 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.

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.

Tanya Woods leads Government and Regulatory Affairs for Questrade Financial Group, a successful private Canadian company with $45B AUA and a portfolio of leading companies offering innovative financial, home, lending, and insurance services online to help clients become much more financially successful and secure. She is a dynamic and specialized technology, regulatory, and trade lawyer, former trade negotiator, and technology policy expert. Woods advises governments and companies on digital trade, open finance and fintech issues, intellectual property, sustainability and resiliency, cyber security policy and global enforcement, digital literacy, and emerging technologies. She has served in Advisory, Board and C-suite legal and business roles successfully advancing the commercial and regulatory agendas of technology companies for 20 years, including Microsoft, Nintendo, Interac, and BCE Inc. Woods also launched and led Canada’s first blockchain and digital assets trade association, served as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to launch Canada’s first digital asset miner on NASDAQ, supported the development of the first global charity-led algorithmic (AI) literacy program, and sat on the Board of Canada’s first publicly traded 4D “metaverse” studio. Tanya’s leadership and contributions have been recognized by the Government of Canada, IT World, the Obama Foundation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, amongst others.

Vlad has spent over a decade building and leading fintech innovations that redefine how payments work. As Chief Technology Officer at Paybilt, he architects real-time payment solutions that make transactions seamless, on-brand, and built for conversion—whether online, in-store, or on mobile.

Before joining Paybilt, Vlad held CTO roles where he led software and hardware product development while advancing artificial intelligence–long before it became a mainstream focus. His expertise is backed by more than 15 international patents in machine learning and AI.