9:00 AM

Registration & Breakfast (in person only)

9:30AM

Opening Remarks

Ali Taiyeb, Director Partnerships and Ecosystem, Vector Institute

Tony Gaffney, President & CEO, Vector Institute

10:00-10:30 AM

Fireside chat: Navigating the new global AI Regulatory / Governance Landscape

Tony Gaffney, President & CEO, Vector Institute

Dr. Laura Gilbert, Head of AI - Cross Government Programmes, Ellison Institute of Technology

10:35-11:05 AM

Panel Discussion: Accelerating AI Adoption - Canada's Imperative for Global Competitiveness

As AI reshapes the global economy, Canada stands at a crossroads. Despite our leadership in AI research, the true test lies in how swiftly Canadian businesses embrace these technologies. This panel unites AI and business luminaries to explore the urgent need for widespread AI adoption. Our experts will discuss the current state of AI implementation in Canadian industries, strategies for overcoming adoption barriers, and emerging trends poised to transform various sectors. They'll provide actionable insights for businesses looking to harness AI's power, emphasizing that embracing AI is no longer optional but essential for global competitiveness. This session serves as a call to action for Canadian enterprises: invest in AI now or risk being left behind. 

Dr. Foteini Agrafoli, Senior Vice President, Data and AI and Chief Science Officer, RBC

Sabrina Geremia, VP & Country Managing Director, Google Canada

Steve McCrystal, Chief Enterprise Technology Officer, Unilever

11:05 - 11:15 AM

Refreshment break & Networking (in person only)

Industry Networking Lounge open (in person only)

11:20 - 11:50 AM

Panel Discussion: Decoding Canada's AI Skills Blueprint: What Industry Really Needs

 Our industry leaders will discuss the specific skills and capabilities their organizations need to advance their AI strategies, the gaps they're seeing in today's talent pool, and how these requirements are likely to evolve. The conversation will examine how academic institutions and industry can work together to develop talent with the multidisciplinary capabilities needed to transform AI from promising technology into practical business solutions.

Stephanie Terrill, Canadian Managing Partner, Digital and Transformation, KPMG

Stephanie Maccio, Director, Finance & Media | Data Engineering & Artificial Intelligence, Bell

11:50 - 12:20 PM

Panel Discussion: Transforming Health with AI that can be trusted: Driving Research, Adoption, and Impact through Innovation

Against the backdrop of Canada's strategic investments in health AI, this panel explores how to build and scale trustworthy artificial intelligence solutions in health. Drawing insights from both innovative startups and established healthcare organizations, the discussion will examine how Canada's commitment to AI excellence is creating new opportunities for healthcare transformation.

Dante Morra, President THP Solutions and Founder/Chair CANHealth Network

Mahshid Yassaei, CEO of Tali AI

Devin Singh, Vector Faculty Affiliate & CEO of Hero AI

Fanny Sie, AI and Emerging Technology External Collaborations, Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnering, Roche Global

12:20 - 12:55 PM

Panel Discussion: Bridging the gap: How AI research accelerates proof of concepts to production

Transform your AI initiatives from experimental projects into production-ready solutions. This panel explores how research excellence drives the successful scaling of AI from proof of concept to enterprise-wide implementation.

Maks Volkovs, SVP AI/ML TD Bank | Co-Founder Layer 6 AI

Ian Scott, Chief Science Officer, Deloitte 

Ivan Zhang, Co Founder and CTO, Cohere

Azin Asgarian, AI Technical Lead, Georgian

12:45 PM

Closing Remarks

Ali Taiyeb, Director Partnerships and Ecosystem, Vector Institute

12:45 - 2:30 PM

Lunch & Networking (in person only)

Industry Networking Lounge open (in person only)