CDAO Canada schedule

•    Insights into Canada’s evolving data and AI landscape, including adoption trends, regulation, and areas of innovation
•    How to scale AI responsibly while maintaining ethical integrity, transparency, and public trust
•    Exploring real-world examples of data-driven initiatives delivering measurable impact across Canadian enterprises and organizations
Fannie Cai, Director, Data Products & Services, LIFELABS MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES
Jamie Kruspel, Chief Transformation Officer, MAINSTREET CREDIT UNION LIMITED
Ziv Deutsch, Chief Growth Officer, KOHO

•    Insights into how Canada is shaping its AI and data strategy to drive innovation and competitiveness.
•    How to ensure AI and data initiatives are ethical, transparent, and secure.
•    How can leadership in data and AI create measurable benefits for businesses and society.
Alyssa Daku, Chief Data Officer & Director General Science, Data & Surveillance Enablement, PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

•    Exploring how AI can be used to anticipate trends, risks, and opportunities across the enterprise
•    Understanding approaches for integrating predictive analytics into strategic planning
•    How to leverage AI insights to make more informed and agile business decisions

•    Insights into how Governance is embedded in data processes and solution design
•    Understanding how to build trusted, fit-for-purpose data products and services on scalable and resilient architecture
•    Exploring pathways to AI implementation
Sofia Gomez de Silva, Director Data Governance & Culture, MERIDIAN CREDIT UNION

•    Exploring how organizations can build trust in AI through ethical practices and transparent processes
•    Understanding the challenges of embedding responsible AI at scale across complex enterprises
•    What are the strategies for balancing innovation, compliance, and accountability in AI initiatives
Owoyemi Abdulwahab, Director, Commercial Data Operations, US Pharmaceuticals, GSK

•    Understanding how executives can quantify the impact of data and analytics on business performance
•    Exploring practical frameworks to measure ROI from data initiatives
•    What are the best practices for translating data outcomes into executive-level decision-making

•    Insights into how organizations can foster a culture where data guides decisions at every level
•    Understanding the role of leadership in driving adoption and accountability for data-driven practices
•    Exploring strategies for overcoming cultural and organizational barriers to embedding data across teams
Sofia Gomez de Silva, Director Data Governance & Culture, MERIDIAN CREDIT UNION
Qahir Rajwani, Vice President, Client Experience & Analytics, CIBC MELLON
Jide Adeoye, Director, Business Intelligence, GOEASY LTD.

•    How to align analytical strategy with business goals – exploring how to integrate analytics into corporate strategy to drive measurable efficiency and outcomes.
•    Exploring regulatory implications and resource optimization – balancing compliance requirements with effective use of data and analytics resources.
•    Insights into developing data and analytical products – creating tools and solutions that deliver actionable insights, improve decision-making, and enhance business performance.
Sri Vijay Bharat Peddi, Director of Decision Support & Data Analytics, HOLLAND BLOORVIEW KIDS REHABILITATION HOSPITAL

•    Insights into the challenges of scaling AI initiatives from pilot projects to enterprise-wide deployment
•    Understanding how to integrate AI into operational workflows while maintaining governance and quality
•    How to ensure AI delivers measurable business value at scale
Fahad Shaikh, Vice President, Head of AI & Data Strategy, AVIVA CANADA (previous)

•    Insights into how generative AI can enhance customer experience and business decision-making
•    Understanding how to apply generative AI beyond chatbots for practical enterprise applications
•    How to deploy generative AI responsibly while maximizing impact
Fahad Shaikh, Assistant Vice President, Data & Analytics Strategy & Delivery, INTERAC CORP.

•    Insights into how predictive models progress from research to clinical and operational deployment within highly regulated healthcare settings.
•    What organizations must establish to manage model quality, monitor drift, and mitigate risk when AI directly impacts patient outcomes or care operations.
•    How synthetic data can accelerate development and safely support productionisation without compromising privacy or regulatory compliance.
Fannie Cai, Director, Data Products & Services, LIFELABS MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES

•    Insights into preparing data foundations that enable reliable and scalable AI adoption.
•    What organizations need to consider when selecting tools and technologies that align with both data and business objectives.
•    How to evaluate and choose the right platforms to support long-term AI strategy and measurable outcomes.
Rugveda Gawade, Director, AI Platforms, INTERAC.CORP

•    How to use data and AI in marketing and advertising to create more targeted, personalized, and efficient retail customer experiences.
•    Exploring agentic AI to reduce hallucinations and improve the reliability and actionability of AI-driven insights.
•    Insights into understanding what customers actually want and building products and feedback mechanisms that capture real intent and drive better business decisions.
Angel Pelletier, Head of Data Management Solutions, Financial Crimes Data Analytics, TD BANK

•    Exploring how organizations can implement AI governance without slowing innovation
•    Understanding the trade-offs between compliance, risk management, and rapid deployment
•    How to build frameworks that maintain trust while enabling agile decision-making
Kimberly Hill, Director, Data Governance & Enterprise Analytics, NORTH YORK GENERAL HOSPITAL 
Laurence Audrey Vincent, Director, Data & AI Governance, DPO, AI Adoption & Automation, ALDO GROUP

•    How to build and sustain a high-performing data team through strong culture, clear roles, and shared purpose
•    What it takes to learn trust and alignment from executives and the board to accelerate data initiatives
•    Choosing the right technology stack and operating model to drive team efficiency, engagement, and scalable delivery
Celia Bru, Director Data & Analytics, KOHO

•    How to design data architectures that support fast, accurate, real-time decision-making
•    Exploring the challenges and solutions for integrating streaming data across enterprise systems
•    Insights into best practices for ensuring reliability, scalability, and performance in real-time analytics

•    How enterprises can progress beyond AI infancy by strengthening foundations and shifting from exploration to readiness.
•    How to build a practical, prioritized action plan that aligns business value, governance, and cross-functional execution.
Michael Page, Director, AI Commercialization, UNITED HEALTH TORONTO

•    How to build and scale high-performing global teams focusing on creating collaborative, cross-functional, and culturally aligned teams that drive global data and technology initiatives effectively
•    Exploring technology selection and governance understanding how to choose the right tools, manage a cohesive technology stack, and implement governance frameworks for consistency, security, and scalability
•    Insights into advancing an enterprise AI roadmap learning how to integrate AI into existing data strategies, accelerate innovation, and deliver measurable business value
Stefany Ratkovic, Chief Digital and Data Officer, RWDI

•    Insights into emerging trends shaping the architecture and management of enterprise data ecosystems
•    How to design interconnected, flexible, and scalable data environments for modern organizations
•    Exploring strategies to balance innovation, governance, and operational efficiency across data platforms

In this session, you will hear from some of the sector’s highest leaders, hear how they started in the sector and made their way up to be a Chief Data Officer. You’ll have the opportunity to ask your burning questions, have robust discussions and gain insights into what makes a great leader and what the future of the CDO looks like. 
Stefany Ratkovic, Chief Digital and Data Officer, RWDI
Alyssa Daku, Chief Data Officer & Director General Science, Data & Surveillance Enablement, PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

•    How to integrate decision intelligence into everyday business workflows for faster, smarter outcomes
•    Exploring approaches to align AI-driven insights with operational priorities
•    Insights into overcoming challenges in adoption and driving enterprise-wide consistency
Efe Ogolo, Director, Analytics & Data Products – Digital Games, SPIN MASTER
Kimberly Hill, Director, Data Governance & Enterprise Analytics, NORTH YORK GENERAL HOSPITAL 

•    How to modernize IT and engineering to support enterprise data, AI, and innovation across banking and fintech platforms
•    Exploring real-time payments (RTR) implementation and the challenges of being a first mover in Canada’s payment infrastructure
•    Insights into building scalable, secure, and high-performing financial systems across multi-cloud and on-premise environments, enabling billions of transactions with zero downtime
Paul Twigg, Chief Technology Officer, DIGITAL COMMERCE BANK

•    Exploring strategies for scaling successful pilots and experiments across the enterprise
•    How to create frameworks that maintain agility while expanding initiatives
•    Insights into fostering a culture that supports continuous improvement and innovation
Frank Mazza, Chief Information Officer, FARM LENDING CANADA

•    How to evaluate and prioritize AI and data projects for maximum business impact
•    Understanding trade-offs between risk, ROI, and resource allocation
•    Exploring practical frameworks for aligning initiatives with strategic enterprise goals
Michael Morris, Director, Data & Analytics, GLOBAL FURNITURE GROUP
Fahad Shaikh, Assistant Vice President, Data & Analytics Strategy & Delivery, INTERAC CORP.
Owoyemi Abdulwahab, Director, Commercial Data Operations, US Pharmaceuticals, GSK

•    How to design hybrid, cloud, and sovereign architectures that balance scalability, security, and compliance
•    Exploring approaches to integrate emerging platforms seamlessly into existing enterprise systems
•    Insights into best practices for optimizing performance, governance, and operational efficiency
Rahul Gupta, Senior Manager, Data & Analytics, AIR CANADA 

•    Insights into how AI agents can be deployed and orchestrated at scale to automate complex workflows and deliver measurable enterprise outcomes
•    What organizations need to establish to govern AI agents responsibly, including guardrails, monitoring, oversight, and alignment with existing risk frameworks
•    How to ensure safety, reliability, and human accountability as AI agents take on greater autonomy across business processes
Daneyal Anis, Assistant Vice President, Data Science, COE, Head of AI, SUN LIFE

•    How to use Governed AI to make smarter, faster decisions: They’ll see how AI can transform raw data into actionable insights that enable leaders to respond quickly to market changes.
•    How to measure impact: We’ll cover ways to track results and ROI so organizations can recognize the real value of their AI initiatives.
•    How to create an AI-ready culture: They’ll learn how to blend human judgment with AI, build capable teams, and establish systems and processes that make AI adoption practical, ethical, and sustainable.
Dr.  Bishoy Sawiris, Chief Data Officer, GB CORP

•    How to leverage AI and analytics to anticipate and respond to business disruptions
•    Understanding methods for building resilient systems and processes powered by AI
•    Exploring practical strategies for maintaining operational continuity in dynamic environments
Jamie Kruspel, Chief Transformation Officer, MAINSTREET CREDIT UNION LIMITED
Milind Joshi, Chief Technology Officer, FOXQUILT

•    Insights into creating principle-based AI policies that set clear expectations for safety, ethics, and responsible innovation.
•    What organizations need to define and prioritize AI use cases that align with real business value.
•    How to build a practical framework to identify, evaluate, and launch early AI initiatives with confidence.
Christina Hoy, Chief People, Culture & Organiszational Excellence Office, LUMENUS COMMUNITY SERVICES 

•    Insights into designing AI systems that prioritize user trust and transparency
•    How to embed ethical practices and accountability throughout AI deployment
•    Exploring strategies for fostering human-centric AI adoption across teams and processes
Laurence Audrey Vincent, Director, Data & AI Governance, DPO, AI Adoption & Automation, ALDO GROUP

•    How automation and modern AI-driven development workflows have changed the equation on build vs. buy 
•    Building your data platform to fit your business vs. trying to fit your business to your data platform
•    How to design and build a platform that solves real business problems by addressing critical gaps and applying clear architectural principles.
•    Exploring practical tools and products that enable day-to-day decision-making through effective analytics, dashboards, and data products.
•    Insights into data sharing, governance, and trust to ensure secure, compliant, and accessible data across teams and partners.
Milind Joshi, Chief Technology Officer, FOXQUILT

•    Exploring how emerging technologies like AI, edge computing, and quantum are transforming enterprise capabilities
•    Understanding the practical implications of integrating these technologies into existing systems
•    How to identify opportunities and overcome challenges when adopting next-generation platforms

•    Insights into ensuring AI models perform reliably and as intended once deployed at scale
•    How to implement monitoring, alerting, and governance frameworks for model lifecycle management
•    Exploring best practices for maintaining trust, accountability, and transparency in production AI systems