Current Speakers

Akshath Goyal is a Vice President in Business Banking Strategy and Partnerships at U.S. Bank, where he leads strategic fintech, payments, and AI-driven partnerships that help small and mid-sized businesses grow and thrive. He works across product, technology, risk, operations, and external partners to bring innovative banking solutions to market, with a focus on embedded finance, digital payments, customer acquisition, and emerging financial technologies. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Akshath held leadership roles at Shopify, where he led product and payments partnerships, helping expand the company’s commerce and financial services ecosystem. He is passionate about the future of payments, fintech innovation, and the intersection of banking and technology.

Lamia Mekouar is a banking executive with more than 20 years of experience in product management, cash management, correspondent banking, payments, lending, and business transformation initiatives. She currently leads the Banking Product Management function at IG Wealth Management, overseeing the deployment of banking solutions that support advisors and clients across Canada.

Prior to joining IG Wealth Management, Lamia served as Head of Enterprise Portfolio Management at Laurentian Bank and Head of Payments and Receivables at Citibank Canada. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at Scotiabank across International Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Transaction Banking.

Lamia holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing Strategy from HEC Montréal and professional certifications in Change Management, Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Alain DeSouza is VP, Product & GTM at J.P. Morgan, focused on bringing new J.P. Morgan products to Canada. He has 15+ years of payments experience across mobile payments, digital wallets, acquiring, and B2B/B2C payments. His background spans product, go-to-market, and technology, with a track record of driving growth across fintechs and global banks. Previously, he was VP, Product & GTM at Clickatell, where he launched new products and built new indirect channels, and he has held leadership roles at RBC, Scotiabank, and BlackBerry.

Courtney Kim is a VP of Digital Channels at Alterna and a product executive specializing in digital finance and high-growth transformations. With extensive leadership experience across banking and retail, she focuses on building intuitive digital experiences and leveraging next-generation architecture to meet evolving consumer needs. A champion of AI-driven innovation and customer-obsessed design, Courtney is dedicated to navigating the complexities of modern financial infrastructure as the industry transitions to an always-on, real-time era.

Brian Ford is a transformative executive leader and Vice President and Head of Business Solutions and Digital Assets at ATB Financial, where he sits at the cutting edge of global transactional banking. With over 30 years of experience spanning North America and Asia-Pacific, Brian leads the growth and innovation of ATB’s Payments, Liquidity, Trade Finance, and Cryptocurrency divisions.

A recognized thought leader at the intersection of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi), Brian is a champion for the evolution of digital asset technology. His career is defined by high-stakes transformation, including a five-year tenure in Asia where he served as Country Head for HSBC’s Global Liquidity and Cash Management business in South Korea. Whether building business lines from the ground up or spearheading mobile-first solutions in the world’s most advanced digital markets, Brian bridges the gap between legacy stability and future-forward innovation.

When he isn’t navigating complex regulatory landscapes or scaling multimillion-dollar divisions, Brian is a dedicated advocate for animal welfare. He is a passionate supporter of parrot rescues and is frequently featured in local media alongside his four adopted rescue parrots.

David Odigie is a seasoned financial services leader with over two decades of experience leading transformative programs, managing enterprise risk, and overseeing high-impact strategic initiatives. Currently serving as Senior Director, Payments Delivery & Integration at RBC, David is the trusted leader spearheading stakeholder engagement, modernization of payment infrastructure, and enterprise risk strategies across critical portfolios including Real-Time Rail.

David’s tenure at RBC is marked by a series of successes in leading cross-functional teams, executing enterprise-wide change, and establishing governance practices that align with global expectations. He has consistently delivered high-value programs, managed portfolios exceeding $100M, and delivered value. He drives the delivery and implementation of new and in-flight payment initiatives, including product development and payment network compliance mandates for low value payments. He owns responsibility for a growing portfolio of Payments programs and develop the future roadmap to introduce RBC differentiated services for clients while managing partnership and relationships within and outside the bank.

His leadership style is anchored in talent development, performance excellence, and stakeholder collaboration. David is deeply credentialed, holding certifications in portfolio, program, project management, risk and information systems control, business analysis, and product management. He is a multi-awarded leader recognized for excellence in strategic execution and transformational leadership, including RBC’s Global Citizens Award, Convention Award and Leo Award. He is a lifelong learner setting benchmark in executional excellence.

Wessam Nasser is Head of Product Delivery, Transformation, Payments & Client Platforms at Scotiabank, where he leads large-scale transformation initiatives across payments, client onboarding, and digital platforms. He has led enterprise programs spanning Real-Time Rail (RTR), Interac e-Transfers, cross-border payments, ISO 20022 modernization, and payment platform transformation, helping modernize critical banking capabilities while improving customer and operational outcomes.

With more than a decade of experience leading complex technology and product organizations, Wessam specializes in operating model design, product delivery, enterprise transformation, and scaling high-performing teams. He is passionate about bridging strategy and execution to help organizations deliver faster, simpler, and more resilient financial services.