AI Innovation in the Financial Industry

In the fast-paced world of finance, the integration of AI has emerged as a game-changer, and this panel delves into the forefront of AI innovation in the financial industry. The panelists, distinguished experts with diverse backgrounds, bring unique perspectives on leveraging data science, machine learning, and AI solutions to proactively detect digital and cyber threats, enhance human productivity, and turn cutting-edge research into AI-based financial products. With a focus on storytelling with data and a passion for improving women's health, these leaders highlight the transformative power of AI in shaping a more efficient, secure, and inclusive financial future. Join this illuminating discussion to explore AI's challenges, opportunities, and groundbreaking applications to the ever-evolving financial landscape.

Panelists:

Wenjie Zi – Senior Research Engineer, Borealis AI

Wenjie Zi is a senior research engineer at Borealis AI. Originally from China, she came to Canada in 2014 and obtained her Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Toronto in 2016. Her work spans several areas within artificial intelligence, including natural language understanding, recommendation systems, and time series forecasting. She believes that AI has the potential to greatly enhance human productivity and enjoys being a part of the process of turning cutting-edge academic research into AI-based financial products. In addition, Wenjie is passionate about education and knowledge sharing. She has written popular tutorials on few-shot learning and large language models.  She also actively participates in Toronto AI community to share her experience and provide mentorship.

Faezeh Khabbaz - Senior Director of Analytics at Joint Security Operations Centre (JSOC), RBC

Faezeh Khabbaz is a Senior Director of Analytics of the Joint Security Operations Centre (JSOC) at RBC where her team is focused on implementing data science / machine learning solutions to proactively detect digital and cyber threats. Prior to that, she was the head of data science in RBC Capital Markets, where she led the data science practice focused on leveraging alternative data and data science in Capital Markets Research. Faezeh was awarded Distinguished Engineer by RBC’s Technical Distinction program. She has a PhD in medical robotics from The University of Toronto.

Maral Gholami - Director of Analytics, RBCx

Maral Gholami is a highly accomplished Data Scientist and analytics leader skilled in Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and storytelling with Data. As Director of Venture Analytics at RBCx, she leads the analytics team, driving innovation within one of RBCx’s scaling ventures, Ownr. On a personal note, Maral is passionate about improving women’s health. She is also known for her ability to provide an astute perspective on complex issues. This trait has made her a natural leader in both personal and professional life.