CDAO Canada schedule

 Scaling AI Agents Across with Governance, Context, and Control

As AI agents take on more responsibility in your enterprise, many teams confront a hard truth: AI is only as reliable as the data behind it. In large organizations, data is typically distributed, inconsistently governed, and difficult to interpret, making it risky for AI agents to operate with confidence.

This session looks at what it truly means to make your data ready for AI agents, beyond simple access or scale. We’ll explore how context, lineage, and governance help agents discover, understand, and safely use enterprise data. Join our industry experts as they outline a practical approach to building data foundations your AI agents can rely on for trustworthy, auditable outcomes.

•    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 of Machine Learning and AI Engineering, LIFELABS MEDICAL LABORATORY SERVICES
Jamie Kruspel, Chief Transformation Officer, MAINSTREET CREDIT UNION LIMITED
Ziv Deutsch, Chief Growth Officer, KOHO
Brandon Milner, Chief Information Officer & Senior Vice President, Digital & Data Engineering, ELLISDON
Moderator: Brian McConnell

As AI agents take on more responsibility in the enterprise, many are confronting a hard truth: AI is only as reliable as the data behind it. That data is often distributed, inconsistently governed, and difficult to interpret, making it risky for AI agents to operate with confidence and context – and that gap is where AI initiatives stall. This session will explore a practical framework to power reliable AI agents with context-rich, AI-ready data.
Dima Spivak, Vice President of Product Management, IBM

•    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.
Celio Oliveira, Chief Data Officer, GOVERNMENT OF CANADA 

•    Navigating the GenAI Risk/Reward Curve: How executives are moving from experimentation to operationalizing GenAI, and the new governance models required to do it securely.
•    Breaking the Data Impasse: Practical strategies for aligning data governance and data science teams to accelerate AI projects without compromising security.
•    Quantifying the Governance Advantage: How to move beyond compliance as a cost center and demonstrate the measurable impact of a robust governance framework on the speed and success of AI initiative
Terry Doresy, Senior Data & AI Evangelist DENODO

•    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

•    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.
Supriya Kumari, Director of Data Strategy, SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE
Christina Hoy, Christina Hoy, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer LUMENUS COMMUNITY SERVICES 
Moderator: Lawerence Smith, Solutions Engineer,  INFORMATICA

•    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

Heather Harris, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, ALTERYX

•    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
Moderator: Amanda Cassidy & Stella Cabrera, EDM

•    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

•    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
Arundati Dandapani, Founder & CEO, GENERATION1.CA

•    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.
Ramila Peiris, Global Head, Data Management, ML & AI Platform, MSAT, SANOFI
Shefali Bharti, Senior Manager - Digital Payments, SCOTIABANK
Moderator: Shashin Pandya, Senior Manager, Data Science, TD BANK

•    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

•    What actually changes when machines, not humans, consume data
•    Why AI hallucinates when it can't verify context
•    How to design data and platform foundations for reliable, scalable AI 
Rugveda Gawade, Director of Data and AI Strategy, INTERAC.CORP

•    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, UNITY HEALTH TORONTO

•    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, Senior Director, Strategy, Performance & AI Enablement, ALDO GROUP
Nipun Sharma, Lead, Product Risk, INTERAC
Saurabh Ingale, Manager, Data Governance & Quality, CANADIAN NATIONAL RAIL
Denise Mak, Director, Data Management, BIOSCRIPT SOLUTIONS  

•    Insights into how AI is reshaping the media landscape, from content creation to distribution, and the implications for rights holders, artists, and platforms.
•    What organizations need to consider to protect intellectual property, including how AI impacts ownership, licensing, and the safeguarding of original work.
•    How to put practical precautions and safeguards in place to ensure responsible use of AI while mitigating risks such as misinformation, deepfakes, and unauthorized replication of creative content.
Olivia Anderson, Director of Administration & Analytics, SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
Efe Ogolo, Director, Analytics & Data Products – Digital Games, SPIN MASTER
Olivia Anderson, Director of Administration & Analytics, SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
Efe Ogolo, Director, Analytics & Data Products – Digital Games, SPIN MASTER
Moderator: Amanda Cassidy & Stella Cabrera, EDM

The session will begin with a revisit of the morning’s Slido questions, giving participants the opportunity to re-engage, reflect, and deepen the discussion. Attendees will be encouraged to build on earlier insights and contribute new perspectives.

The conversation will then shift to a new interactive Slido prompt: “Anything is possible with AI.” Participants will be invited to imagine an ideal scenario where there are no limitations, data is flawless and deployment is effortless, and explore how they would use AI and what it could enable.

The session will conclude with a broader discussion on the feasibility of such a scenario, opening the floor to debate how close we can realistically get to this vision and what challenges remain.
Moderator: Amanda Cassidy & Stella Cabrera, EDM

•    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 Singh, Global Director, Digital & Data Strategy, RWDI

•    Why most AI deployments get stuck in pilot purgatory
•    How AI’s speed is breaking traditional change management
•    What successful human-AI co-adaptation entails, with a real-world case study
•    How to build trust, uptake, and performance in tandem
•    How to make AI scale for sustained impact
Linda Hermer, Chief Executive Officer, VANTAGE PRECISION HEALTH

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 Singh, Global Director, Digital & Data Strategy, RWDI
Linda Hermer, Chief Executive Officer, VANTAGE PRECISION HEALTH
Dr.  Bishoy Sawiris, Chief Data Officer, GB CORP
Moderator: Paul Childerhose, EDM

Ronen Schwartz, CEO, K2VIEW

•    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 
Scott Mckenzie, Chief Data Officer, FORT VERMILION SCHOOL DIVISION
Dimirty Sapon, Head of Data Science, IA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

•    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

•    Why enterprise innovation stalls despite new technology
•    What accuracy, shared definitions, and context mean across the enterprise
•    Setting organizations up to innovate with confidence and speed
Supriya Kumari, Director of Data Strategy, SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE

•    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
Supriya Kumari, Director of Data Strategy, SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE
Saurabh Ingale, Manager, Data Governance & Quality, CANADIAN NATIONAL RAIL
Jill Delgado, Head of Data, Analytics & AI Governance & Program Management, Marketing Comms & Social Impact, BMO
Mitu Mann, Assistant Vice President, Leader Data & AI/ML Governance, INTERAC CORP.

•    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 
Yusuf Ganiyu, Senior Data Engineer, ASTRAZENECA
Jay Malepati, Global Director of Data Science, Customer & Marketing Strategy, ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD
Alexander Chan, Senior Director, Head of Analytics, RBC
Linda Kaleis, Director, RBCx Analytics, RBC

Moderator: Arundati Dandapani, Founder & CEO, GENERATION1.CA

•    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
Milind Joshi, Chief Technology Officer, FOXQUILT
Ramila Peiris, Global Head, Data Management, ML & AI Platform, MSAT, SANOFI
Albert Murdani, Director, Global Banking & Markets Data, SCOTIABANK
Jay Malepati, Global Director of Data Science, Customer & Marketing Strategy, ALIMENTATION COUCHE-TARD
Lin Liu, Director, Data Science, WEALTHSIMPLE

Moderator: Arundati Dandapani, Founder & CEO, GENERATION1.CA

•    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, Christina Hoy, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer 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, Senior Director, Strategy, Performance & AI Enablement, ALDO GROUP
Scott Mckenzie, Chief Data Officer, FORT VERMILION SCHOOL DIVISION
Moderator: Linda Hermer, Chief Executive Officer, VANTAGE PRECISION HEALTH

•    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
Rishi Midha, Head of AI Research, ELLISDON

•    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
Yusuf Ganiyu, Senior Data Engineer, ASTRAZENECA
Jonathan Wiersma, Director, Data & Analytics, JOHNSON & JOHNSON

Moderator: Brian McConnell