Speakers
World-class presenters sharing exclusive content
Featured speakers of the CPPO's Symposium 2025

DataVisor
Yinglian Xie

My Beacon
Aditya Mhatre
Co-Founder & CPTO

The Logic

CPPO
Jennifer Tramontana
Executive Director


The Globe and Mail
EQ Bank
Erica Alini
Kartik Kamat
VP, Payments & Digital
Banking Analytics

EQ Bank

Peoples Group

Mastercard
Daljit Singh
Principal Personal Banking Payments
Vice President, Market Development
CEO

Peoples Group

Innovative Payments Association

Payouts Network
President & CEO

Galileo Financial Technologies

Onbe

Payments + Partnerships

Brim Financial

Kotapay

Tillo

Neo Financial

Digital Commerce Payments

VoPay
President

Synctera

C100

Invest in Canada

Holt Xchange

Visa

One Feather
Jan Christopher Arp
Noah Niznick
Lawrence Lewis

Collinson

Giesecke+Devrient

National Bank of Canada
Manuel Catedral
Grace Parletta
Philippe Daoust
Prepaid: The Catalyst for Fintech Innovation
Empowering Banks and Fintech Pioneers to Drive Financial Inclusion and New Solutions
Prepaid platforms have evolved to become a robust foundation for financial innovation. Symposium 2025 will showcase how prepaid solutions are driving the next wave of fintech innovation, enabling banks and entrepreneurs to deliver inclusive, customer-centric financial services.
The event will focus on how Canadian banks, fintech entrepreneurs and governments can accelerate innovation by leveraging prepaid platforms to create impactful financial solutions that and meet the demands of a rapidly digitizing society.
Today, the prepaid industry is a CA$12 billion market comprising an extensive value chain, including networks, regulated banks and financial institutions, challenger banks and program managers. Prepaid is ensuring access to the digital economy, bringing down the cost of banking and payments and promoting financial health and equitable access for all Canadians.
By attending the Symposium, attendees will gain:
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Insights into leveraging prepaid platforms to achieve financial inclusion, growth and innovation goals.
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An understanding of the untapped potential of prepaid as a platform for innovation.
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Lesson in success from Canadian and international entities.
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Opportunities to collaborate with peers, government officials, and industry experts in shaping the future of Canada’s payment systems and infrastructure.























































Symposium 2025 Agenda
8:00am – 8:30am⏐Networking Breakfast
8:30am – 8:40am⏐Empowering Banks and Fintech Pioneers to Drive Financial Inclusion and New Solutions
Prepaid platforms have evolved to become a robust foundation for financial innovation and are driving the next wave of fintech innovation, enabling banks and entrepreneurs to deliver inclusive, customer-centric financial services. Today’s program will focus on how Canadian banks, fintech entrepreneurs and governments can accelerate innovation by leveraging prepaid platforms to create impactful financial solutions that and meet the demands of a rapidly digitizing society.
Speakers:
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Jennifer Tramontana, Executive Director, CPPO
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Maria Riesenberg, VP Market Development, Mastercard
8:40am – 9:15am⏐Building Blocks for Fintech Startups
Prepaid platforms have evolved to become a robust foundation for financial innovation and are driving the next wave of fintech innovation, enabling banks and entrepreneurs to deliver inclusive, customer-centric financial services. Today’s program will focus on how Canadian banks, fintech entrepreneurs and governments can accelerate innovation by leveraging prepaid platforms to create impactful financial solutions that and meet the demands of a rapidly digitizing society.
Panelists:
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Mastercard, TBA
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Fintech Cadence, TBA
9:15am – 9:50am⏐Prepaid Platforms for Financial Inclusion
Prepaid platforms can offer an alternative to a traditional bank account to reach underbanked and underserved populations from new Canadians to small business owners, offering them accessible financial services.
Panelists:
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Aditya Mhatre, Co-Founder & CPTO, My Beacon
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Lawrence Lewis, Founder, One Feather
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Kartik Kamat, VP - Payments, Analytics, and Fraud Strategy & Ops, EQ Bank
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Mastercard, TBA
Moderator:
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Erica Alini, Personal Economics Reporter, The Globe and Mail
9:50am – 10:10am⏐Innovative Use Cases and Success Stories: EQ Bank Case Study
From Concept to Impact: The EQ Bank Card Journey - Description: Discover the story behind the EQ Bank Card – from the vision that inspired its launch to its journey of reshaping customer experience, and the invaluable lessons learned along the way. Join us to explore how the EQ Bank Card is revolutionizing banking convenience and empowering its users.
Speakers:
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Daljit Singh, Principal Personal Banking Payments, EQ Bank
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Kartik Kamat, VP - Payments, Analytics, and Fraud Strategy & Ops, EQ Bank
10:10am – 10:30am⏐Networking Break
10:30am – 11:05am⏐Banks, Credit Unions and Fintechs: Partners to Competitors
What is next for the bank/fintech partnerships that have served the industry to this point. How will open banking change things?
Panelists:
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Liam Mason, CRO, Peoples Group
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Visa, TBA
Moderator:
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Claire Brownell, Future of Finance Reporter, The Logic
11:05am – 11:25am⏐ Innovative Use Cases and Success Stories: KOHO Banking Case Study
Koho, one of Canada's pioneering neobanks has moved into the second of three phases to secure a Schedule 1 banking licence. Get a deep dive on their succesful journey to date and what is coming next
Speakers: TBA
11:25am – 12:00pm⏐Fraud Fallout: Trends, Bottom-line Impact, and What to Watch Out For
Industry leaders share insights and dive into the complexities of payments fraud. Learn about real-time trends and common pain points, the motivation behind a fraudster's tactics, and the solutions and importance of balancing fraud strategies with the customer experience.
Panelists:
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Yinglian Xie, CEO & Co-Founder, DataVisor
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Grace Parletta, VP Sales & Client Relationship Management, Giesecke+Devrient
Moderator:
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Mastercard
12:00pm – 1:00pm⏐Networking Lunch
1:00pm – 1:20pm⏐Keynote Address — Innovating Amidst Regulation: Charting the Future for Fintechs
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John Landry, Peoples Group CEO
1:20pm-1:40pm | Fireside Chat with the Government of Alberta and People's Group
A conversation that unpacks the province’s growing tech and innovation ecosystem
Speakers:
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John Landry, Peoples Group, CEO
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Government of Alberta, TBA
1:40pm – 2:15pm⏐Square Peg: Round Hole - Keeping up with Right-Size Regulations
The perpetual challenge of being regulated in a high-growth technology industry is ensuring regulations keep up with commercial advancements and adequately safeguard, not hinder responsible growth. Communicate directly with our regulators that face this reality and their approaches to this challenge.
Panelists:
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TBA
Moderator:
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Noah Niznick, Senior Director, Government Engagement, Visa
2:15pm – 2:50pm⏐Growth in Prepaid Disbursements and Expense Management: Lessons from Other Markets
Canada is behind the curve when it comes to robust digital disbursements. This session will highlight key strategies and technologies driving growth, including automation, digital platforms, and data analytics. Attendees will learn from international case studies, gaining insights into successful models and lessons about how these practices enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and streamline financial operations.
Panelists:
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Jeff Johnson, CRO, Payouts Network
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Aaron Bright, Senior Manager New Business Development, Galileo Financial Technologies
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Ed Woodson, Chief Legal Officer, Onbe
Moderator:
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Brian Tate, President & CEO, Innovative Payments Association
2:50pm – 3:10pm⏐Networking Break
3:15pm – 3:50pm⏐Reinventing the Bank Account
How are payment choices influenced by loyalty and the unique role of prepaid systems? This session delves into how prepaid solutions can harmonize various payment methods on a single platform, enhancing user experience and driving customer retention. Discover innovative approaches to integrating prepaid options in modern banking and traditional loyalty payments.
Panelists:
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Rasha Katabi, CEO & Founder, Brim Financial
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Bill Warshauer, CRO, Tillo
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Manuel Catedral, Vice President of Business Development, Collinson
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Tim Morris, Chief Banking Officer, Neo Financial
Moderator:
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Dina Vardouniotis, CEO, Payments and Partnerships Inc.
3:50pm – 4:25pm⏐BaaS and Prepaid: You Can’t Have One Without the Other
The interdependence between Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and prepaid solutions to offer flexible and scalable financial products is essential. But there are risks including security vulnerabilities, compliance challenges, and operational complexities. Attendees will gain insights into how to navigate these risks while leveraging the benefits of BaaS and prepaid systems to drive innovation and enhance customer experiences.
Panelists:
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Pamela Draper, President, Digital Commerce Payments
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Hamed Arbabi, CEO & Founder, VoPay
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Lisa Durnford, General Manager, Canada, Synctera
Moderator:
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Brooke Fitts, Head of Payment Products & Strategy, Kotapay
4:25pm – 5:00pm⏐Investing in the Future
Launching and scaling companies in payments and financial services could be a growth area for Canadian innovation, competition and productivity gains. So why do we lag in start-up and scale-up investment and what should we be doing? Hear from three experts dedicated to entrepreneurial growth in Canada and their straight-talk on what we need to do differently.
Panelists:
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Michael Buhr, Executive Director, C100
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Karl Tabbakh, Chairman of the Board, Invest in Canada
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Jan Christopher Arp, Founding General Partner, Holt Xchange
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Philippe Daoust, VP Innovation, National Bank of Canada
Moderator:
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Michelle Beyo, CEO & Founder, Finavator
5pm – 6pm⏐Networking Reception