One to Watch: On September 22 and 23, Montreal becomes the global hub of financial innovation
MONTREAL, Sept. 15, 2025 /CNW/ - As it celebrates 15 years of supporting the financial ecosystem, Finance Montréal is pleased to invite media representatives to the 12th edition of the Canada FinTech Forum, the country's largest fintech gathering. The event will take place on September 22–23, 2025 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. A highlight of the Forum will be the annual dinner, bringing together top business leaders — and members of the media are warmly invited to attend.
Presented by Portage under the honorary chairmanship of Paul Desmarais III, Chairman and CEO of Sagard, the Forum has established itself as the premier fintech event in Canada. Each year, more than 1,400 industry leaders, startups, investors, financial institutions, researchers and public decision-makers come together to exchange ideas and discover the innovations shaping the future of global finance.
A laboratory of ideas and innovations
The 2025 Forum will spotlight the major shifts redefining financial services worldwide:
- Day 1 (8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) – Embedded & Open Finance: platformization of financial services, cross-border payments, super apps and ESG-driven sustainable finance.
- Annual Dinner: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
- Day 2 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) – Enterprise Infrastructure & AI: secure adoption of GenAI, cybersecurity and compliance, financial crime prevention through AI, the future of work in AI, plus the ElleFintech Demo Day, a unique showcase of women-led startups.
- Closing Cocktail: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Half-day on the future of sustainable finance in the age of AI
New this year: three practical, strategy-focused workshops on the responsible use of AI in finance will be presented alongside the Forum. Experts will share real-world case studies, strategic approaches, and research insights to inform the financial community on:
- business opportunities linked to emerging technologies;
- best practices in governance and ethics;
- ESG challenges raised by AI.
Registration on the FinTech Forum website is required, but these workshops are free and open to the entire financial community.
A highlight: the Annual Dinner
The Canada FinTech Forum's Annual Dinner will take place on September 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and will bring together leading executives to discuss key trends shaping the sector. This year's program will feature an exclusive conversation with Jessica Tan (Sun Life Canada), Laurent Ferreira (National Bank of Canada) and Paul Desmarais III (Sagard). A dedicated media table will be available.
Major announcements expected
In addition to a high-calibre program of keynotes, panels and startup demos, several exclusive announcements are planned during the Forum:
- Launch of a new AI-powered market intelligence platform by Fathom4Sight.
- Launch of a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution designed to help organizations optimize their cloud (AWS) costs, from Unicorne,
- Additional announcements from partners and companies will be confirmed shortly.
What: |
Canada FinTech Forum — Navigating the Next Era of Innovation |
When: |
September 22 (8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.) and September 23 (8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.), 2025 |
Where: |
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth – 900 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, Montreal |
Who: |
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• Laurent Ferreira, President and CEO, National Bank of Canada |
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• Jessica Tan, President, Sun Life Canada |
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• Shelby Austin, Co-Founder and CEO, Arteria AI |
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• Armando Benitez, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Head of AI, BMO Capital Markets |
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• Jean-François Courville, President, Quebec, Scotiabank |
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• Daniel Eberhard, Founder and CEO, KOHO |
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• Julie Lévesque, Executive Vice-President – Technology and Operations, National Bank of Canada |
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• Surinderjit Kaur (Jeet), Founder and CEO, Fathom4Sight |
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• Michael Linford, Chief Operating Officer, Affirm |
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• Michael Pelosi, Country Manager, Canada, Cohere |
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• Parinaz Sobhani, Managing Director & Head of AI, Sagard |
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• Patrick Surry, Chief Data Scientist, Hopper |
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• Malik Yacoubi, Co-Founder and CEO, Nesto |
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• … along with many other visionary leaders in finance and technology. |
For the full program and complete list of speakers: Canada FinTech Forum Homepage
SOURCE Finance Montréal
To confirm your attendance at the conferences or request an interview, please contact: [email protected]
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