Payments Canada's annual Summit is easily one of the biggest payments conferences in the great white north. And with over 90 speakers, 40 breakouts and 1.8K delegates over two and a half days, it can seem overwhelming. So as we gear up to attend the conference ourselves, we thought we might as well share with you what we're most excited about seeing at this year's Summit!
Whether you're interested in learning more about blockchain, cryptocurrencies, new fintech, innovation, AI, or more, they've got it pretty much all covered. To make it easier, we've broken down our favourite panels and keynotes into 3 categories: Data & Consumers, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies, and Innovation & Growth.
DATA & CONSUMERS
It's no surprise that data holds the key to the future of payments, and most of that data comes from consumer transactions and needs. So how can you leverage data and consumer understanding to the payments industry? These panels and speakers might be of some interest:
DAY ONE
Enhancing our Value Proposition to Members Using Data-Driven Insights
- 1:00-1:30pm
- Neville Ajani, Director Research, Payments Canada
- This presentation covers Payments Canada's data-driven insights initiative as it offers risk and liquidity analysis, scenario analysis, performance and usage trends, and competitive benchmarking to its members. Ajani will discuss the initiative's details and examples of the current service offering as well as what their future plans are.
How Data in Payments Changes Everything
- 3:30-4:30pm
- Moderator: Justin Ferrabee, Chief Operating Officer, Payments Canada
- Donald Gradwell, Senior Director Treasury, Hilton
- Nadia Ivanova, Manager Banking Structures & Transactions, SNC-Lavalin
- Fay Deevy, AVP Treasury Corporate Finance, Sun Life Financial
- This panel covers the growing adoption of the ISO 20022 data standard as it impacts businesses. What have businesses learned? What needs to be done in Canada during implementation of ISO 20022 for optimal benefits? And, what benefits can businesses expect?
DAY TWO
Google Pay, Modernizing Your Digital Wallet
- 3:30-4:30pm
- Kim Cianci, Partner Manager Payments, Google
- With the ever growing adoption of mobile and digital wallets, how is Google standing out from the crowd? Kim Cianci's presentation will cover how Google is working to shift the mindset on just what a digital wallet can and should do.
BLOCKCHAIN & CRYPTOCURRENCIES
Maybe they just sound like buzzwords, or maybe you've been following blockchain and cryptocurrencies' growth from the beginning. Either way, The Summit is filled with a myriad of panels and discussions on how blockchain technology is being integrated into the payments space, whether it's worth it, and how it differs from other offerings. Check out these if you're into blockchain:
DAY ONE
KEYNOTE: Beyond the Hype: How Cognititve, Regtech and Blockchain are Transforming Financial Services
- 11:00-11:15am
- Vivek Bajaj, Global Vice President Watson Financial Services Solutions, IBM Industry Platforms
- Sure 15 minutes doesn't seem long enough, but it may be all you need as Bajaj walks you through how cognitive systems can speed up processes and yield faster results. He also plans on talking about regulatory compliance and financial crimes with real world use cases from financial institutions who have transitioned into Cognitive Bank.
Going Cashless�Understanding the Differences Between Fiat Digital Currency and a Cryptocurrency
- 1:00-1:30pm
- Laurence Cooke, CEO & Founder, Nanopay Corporation
- If you've been having difficulty differentiating between digital fiat and cryptocurrencies then this is the presentation for you. Cooke is discussing the fluctuating cryptocurrency value trends and how banks are responding to the cryptocurrency boom. Do online bank statements really represent a digital currency? That's what some banks seem to be saying.
Payments Blockchain - The Next Frontier
- 3:30-4:30pm
- Moderator: Soumak Chatterjee, Leader Payments and Blockchain, Deloitte
- Scott Hendry, Senior Special Director, Bank of Canada
- Jimmy Dinh, Executive Director Alternate Solutions Group, CIBC Capital Markets
- Asheesh Birla, SVP Product, Ripple
- This panel will look at how payments has long been touted as the "killer-app" for blockchain and cryptocurrencies. With a panel of innovators, incumbents and regulatory experts, they'll discuss what lies ahead. What progress has been made? What is the business value? And what barriers still need to be overcome?
INNOVATION & GROWTH
With ever emerging technology, the payments industry has to step up to the plate and transition into the future. But what technology should they invest in? How is it going to affect consumers? Check out these presentations to see what may be in store:
DAY TWO
The Future of transformation is Cloud and Community
- 8:00-9:00am
- Greg Bennet, Former Director of Transformation, Imaginea Energy
- With incumbents large and small struggling to survive and remain relevant in the face of disruption and the digital age, it's time to reimagine, redesign and transform Canadian enterprise. This presentation covers the launch of Canada's Enterprise Cloud Community and the role of community in accelerating the transformation of their enterprises.
Enabling the Next Generation of Business Payments
- 1:00-1:30pm
- Duane Williams, Senior Management Product Platforms, Interac
- As business processes have been streamlined and simplified, there is an opportunity for business payments to shift into the future. This presentation covers how Interac is helping businesses deliver better digital payments experiences.
Cheques & Balances: The Darker Side of Payments
- 1:00-1:30pm
- Chris Ford, Managing Partner, Capco Canada
- The payments ecosystem is evolving with traditional rules often being circumvented. So where does emerging innovation and technology fall? What freedoms could it allow? Is it more restrictive? Ford will be discussing just where your choices could lead and what the consequences of those choices may be.
GO OUT WITH A BANG!
And finally, we couldn't leave you without a standout keynote that is for sure to be a can't miss. Because imagine what you could learn from a former trickster, cheque forger and imposter turned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert?
Well, Payments Canada has blessed us with just that situation as you can close out Day Three with a keynote from Frank Abagnale, best selling author, renowned cybersecurity and fraud prevention expert, and the subject of Catch Me If You Can.
Join him on the last day from 10:45-11:00am for what is likely to be one of the most entertaining and informative keynotes of the conference.
