Mary Ellen Egan

As AI becomes embedded in payments, risk, compliance, and digital asset infrastructure, banks face a new question of control: where decision-making ends and autonomy begins. This panel examines how AI and agentic systems are reshaping execution, oversight, and accountability—and what bank leaders must do to retain control while moving at machine speed.

Automation isn’t autonomy. Agentic AI systems reason across domains, plan workflows, and execute decisions autonomously—a shift from scripted tasks. This session explores autonomous AI applications including loan processing, payments, customer service, and treasury operations. Panelists share how they’re building AI agent “fleets,” infrastructure across legacy systems, and governance for independent AI. Learn what separates proof-of-concept from production and why the limiting factor isn’t the models—it’s the discipline to trust them at scale.

AI capability doubles every 100 days. Data quality doesn’t. While banks race to deploy new models, they’re discovering the real bottleneck isn’t computing power or algorithms—it’s fragmented, low-quality data trapped in legacy systems. In this session, panelists tackle the unglamorous but critical foundation layer as they explore building centralized data platforms that work across silos, implement data lineage governance that satisfies both AI teams and auditors, and protect against “AI debt”—the compounding cost of models built on poorly documented, unverified data. Learn why nearly half of all banks cite data quality as their number one AI obstacle and the importance of treating information assets like the strategic resources they are.

After starting their AI journeys deploying a handful of models, many banks now have hundreds—sometimes thousands. Each business unit—credit scores, fraud detection, customer churn, pricing, compliance, etc. etc.— builds its own models. And each vendor brings embedded AI. Effective portfolio management means knowing what’s running, where and on what data so you don’t drown in operational overhead or accumulate catastrophic risk. Panelists discuss building centralized model registries that actually get used, implementing continuous monitoring to catch drift before it causes failures, the risk of vendors embedding AI you can’t audit, and why “shadow AI”—models built outside official channels—represents both your biggest risk and best source of innovation, and how to govern it without killing it.

Open banking was sold on a promise: APIs would unlock innovation, data sharing would empower consumers, and banks would discover new revenue streams. Five years in, the results are mixed. The institutions winning in open banking identify specific customer pain points first, then reverse-engineer the technology and partnerships to solve them profitably. Panelists will share how customer-first open banking strategies generate measurable returns through reduced acquisition costs, improved retention, strategic partnerships that expand market reach, and digital architectures built for long-term profitability.

Artificial intelligence is enhancing the customer experience across bank channels, creating personalized experiences, streamlining processes, improving security and increasing self-service capabilities. As banks’ mobile-first strategies evolve, customers are being empowered to make better informed financial decisions and engage with their institutions in more proactive, meaningful ways. From AI chatbots that provide instant customer support and basic financial guidance, to online portals and mobile apps that allow clients to access their accounts and execute transactions whenever they want, wherever they want, mobile-first banking is at the center of the customer experience. Learn how enhanced digital experiences, AI integration and increasingly personalized products and services are creating a seamless experience that meets customers’ radically changing expectations.

Bank-fintech partnerships can enable community banks to leverage new technologies and compete with larger banks in offering innovative products and services. Learn about the different types of fintech partnerships–operational technology, customer oriented and front-end (BaaS)–and how to develop a playbook for community banks to gain a competitive edge over other banks and nonbanks.

Banks’ customer relationships are becoming increasingly transactional, putting trust and loyalty in play. As a result, three-quarters of customers have a relationship with at least one other bank. With digital challengers and fintechs gaining ground, traditional banks need to strengthen their positions—fast. Learn what steps to take to engage customers through data-driven personalization that puts tailored experiences, advice, and new products into their hands.

What’s Now, What’s Next – Insights into AI and the Future of Digital Banking A Conversation with Lino Catana, Head of Digital Product Management, TD Bank 
Discover how to accelerate customer empowerment while “rightsizing” your bank’s omnichannel customer experience through retail, digital, and contact centers. Explore strategies for guiding customers to leverage all touchpoints effectively, empowering them to navigate their banking needs confidently. Gain insights into the behind-the-scenes data and tools that support this transformation—connecting the dots to empower customers at every touchpoint—and bridge the gap to ensure customers experience a truly integrated banking journey.

Introduction by Rahul Kumar, GM & VP, Financial Services and Insurance, Talkdesk

The benefits of a bank partnering with a sports team include increased visibility, community and business engagement, and expanded market reach. But it takes more than just slapping a team logo on the bank’s marketing materials. In this session, learn what it takes to build a purposeful partnership that drives awareness and impact in a meaningful way. Panelists will discuss how to create unique experiences for clients and customers, how to create synergy between both brands, and how to drive value together.