Explore the highlights from Horizons Toronto: AI + Digital Innovation. Share your favorites, and don't miss the next Horizons event!
Hear From Industry Leaders
Paul Teshima
Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer
Paul Teshima is the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer at Wealthsimple, Canada’s leading financial innovator managing roughly $125 billion for over 4 million Canadians. Joining in 2020 as Chief Client Experience Officer, he was named one of Canada’s Best Executives by The Globe and Mail in 2023. Today, he oversees Wealthsimple's marketing, consumer, commercial, and channel sales teams. Paul holds engineering degrees from Queen's University and the University of British Columbia.
Laura Money
Executive Vice-President, Chief Information and Technology Innovation Officer
Laura Money is Executive Vice-President and Chief Information & Technology Innovation Officer at Sun Life, leading the company's IT strategy and digital transformation. An acclaimed executive, her numerous awards include WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and the Globe and Mail’s Best Executive Award. Alongside her corporate role, Laura chairs Bowtie Life Insurance Company, serves on Ontario Tech University’s board, and is an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Manas Vijh
Chief Operating Officer
Manas Vijh is Chief Operating Officer, Canada at eBay, where he leads the Canadian marketplace and owns P&L, product, marketing, and operations. He spends majority of his time on growth initiatives and new customer experiences. Prior to eBay, he held senior leadership roles at Amazon and Walmart, building and scaling products in e-commerce across digital and omnichannel. He has lived on and worked in 4 continents, and now calls Canada his home.
Samantha Taylor
EVP & Chief Experience Officer
Samantha (Sam) Taylor is the WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer. Her portfolio oversees critical guest touchpoints, including all Marketing, Guest Experience, and Contact Centres for WestJet and Sunwing Vacations. Sam initially joined Sunwing as CMO in 2020, later becoming Chief Marketing & Digital Officer of Sunwing Vacations Group and joining WestJet’s executive team in 2023. Before this, she held executive roles such as Chief Marketing Officer at Indigo and Director of Sales and Consumer Products at Mattel.
Leanne Gibson
Senior Vice President
Leanne Gibson is an accomplished leader with more than 25 years of experience in roles spanning retail, digital media, and technology. As Senior Vice President at Loblaw Advance™, she is focused on driving growth, innovation, and strategic partnerships within Canada’s evolving retail media landscape. Leanne has been recognized for her ability to navigate transformation, champion innovation, and lead with a customer-first mindset. Leanne is a passionate mental health advocate and currently serves on the board of the North York General Hospital Foundation.
Sukhmani Dev
Head of Digital and Acceptance Products, North America
Sukhmani Dev is Head of Digital and Acceptance Products, North America at Mastercard, where she leads the strategy and development of digital payment experiences that are shaping the future of commerce. She oversees innovations across tokenization, digital wallets, agentic commerce, and AI-powered payments, helping accelerate digital adoption while delivering secure, seamless experiences for businesses and consumers.
Nasim Sarir
Director of Product Design - Facebook Marketplace
Nasim Sarir is a seasoned product design leader at Meta, where she drives design strategy for some of the company’s most widely used global products. With over a decade of experience across tech and digital innovation, Nasim is known for building and mentoring high-performing teams that balance craft, strategy, and empathy. Her work focuses on designing systems that scale while staying grounded in real human needs, bridging user insight with business impact.
Hugh Kolias
CEO & Co-Founder
Hugh Kolias is the CEO and Co-Founder of Canada Rocket Company, leading the development of Canada's sovereign space launch capabilities. He focuses on building domestically controlled, reusable medium-lift vehicles with advanced methalox engines to address critical gaps in national defense and commercial infrastructure. Leveraging his mechanical engineering background and previous success founding the SaaS platform Yuhu, Hugh excels at driving rapid growth to revitalize the Canadian aerospace industry and secure Canada's industrial resilience.
Cedric Abali
Director AI Products & Enablement
Cedric Abali is the Director of AI Products & Enablement at BMO, where he leads cross-functional AI transformation programs that evolve the organization's capabilities from foundational chatbots to advanced autonomous agents and enterprise orchestration. He focuses on architecting multi-year AI enablement strategies that align with overarching business priorities, establishing the robust governance frameworks and technology roadmaps required to accelerate AI maturity from early experimentation to fully scaled, enterprise-wide products.
Jason Field
Founder & CEO
Jason Field is the Founder and CEO of BrainStation, the global leader in digital and AI skills training for teams of professionals with locations in New York, London and Toronto. BrainStation works directly with industry leaders to design and deliver innovative training programs that equip professionals with the in-demand skills needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven economy and has certified over 35,000 professionals to date.
Michael Bennett
Vice President
Michael Bennett is a Vice President at BrainStation, the global leader in digital and AI skills training for teams of professionals with locations in New York, London and Toronto. BrainStation works directly with industry leaders to design and deliver innovative training programs that equip professionals with the in-demand skills needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven economy and has certified over 35,000 professionals to date.
Speakers from Past Events
Our stage hosts senior leaders from global brands who are driving innovation at scale.
Adam Cooper
Chief Technology Officer
Digital transformation isn’t about chasing trends, but seamlessly eliminating everyday friction. Drawing from his CTO role at McDonald’s Canada, Adam Cooper unpacked how practical AI empowers teams and elevates guest experiences. He highlighted that championing cross-functional pilots and deploying invisible tech builds a smarter, reliable operation.
Anna Baird
Chief Customer Officer, Generative AI GTM
You wouldn’t think of brand leadership as a technical discipline. Anna Baird unpacked how generative AI is reshaping the way organizations engage customers, make decisions, and scale trust. Drawing from boardroom experience at Google, she highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence, responsible AI, and human-centred thinking as the true differentiators in an AI-powered era.
Rizwan Khalfan
EVP, Canadian Personal Banking Digital
Navigating technological disruption requires exceeding customer expectations without sacrificing foundational trust. Drawing from his digital leadership at TD, Rizwan Khalfan explored safely scaling AI from employee empowerment to autonomous operations. He highlighted balancing strategic alignment with team autonomy to ensure every leap amplifies a distinctly human-centric experience.
Cari Covent
Chief Data and AI Advisor
Realizing AI's potential means escaping the trap of endless pilots to treat it as a fundamental business strategy. Drawing from her Federal AI Strategy Task Force experience, Cari Covent unpacked bridging the gap between ambition and scalable action. She highlighted that targeting high-impact workflows, architecting trust, and championing upskilling drive responsible adoption.
Alfredo C. M. Tan
Chief Digital & Information Officer
You wouldn’t expect luxury to be driven by algorithms. Alfredo C. M. Tan shared how AI is accelerating creativity without compromising brand intuition at Canada Goose. Drawing on experience from Silicon Valley to global retail, he explored how data, design, and responsible technology can work together to elevate omnichannel experiences while protecting the soul of an iconic brand.
Sarah Chapman
Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Digital & Customer Centricity
Trust isn’t something that can be automated. Sarah Chapman unpacked how AI is reshaping customer experience at scale while keeping humanity at the core. Drawing from Manulife’s global perspective, she shared how adaptability, responsible innovation, and purpose-led leadership are redefining growth, trust, and long-term value in an AI-driven world.
Dasha Sivkov
VP, Product & Content Marketing
Growth happens when product, content, and customer insight move in sync. Dasha Sivkov shared how Wealthsimple connects these disciplines to build trust, clarity, and momentum in complex financial products. Drawing from fintech and marketing panels, she highlighted how storytelling, customer-first strategy, and disciplined execution drive meaningful growth at scale.
Allen Lau
Co-Founder
Building an enduring company often means resisting the pressure to chase an exit. Allen Lau reflected on a decade of growing Wattpad by prioritizing fundamentals, community, and long-term thinking over short-term outcomes. Drawing from the journey to a $660M acquisition, he shared how founder-led leadership, reinvention, and optionality create companies built to last.
Laura Stanley
Chief Operating Officer at Pexels (Canva)
Great creative ecosystems are defined by how well they serve the people behind the work. Laura Stanley explored how Canva and Pexels support creators through product design, global partnerships, and community-first strategy. Drawing on her experience at the intersection of content and technology, she shared how empowering artists at scale shapes inclusive visual culture and lasting impact.
Relive the moments from past events.
Join the Waitlist for the Next Horizons Event
Sessions
2:15
10 Min
Opening Remarks
Jason Field
Founder & CEO
2:25
40 Min
From Intent to Action: Designing the Invisible AI Experience
3:05
15 Min
The Future of Discovery: How AI is Redefining E-Commerce Search
Manas Vijh
Chief Operating Officer
3:20
20 Min
Connecting Brand, Product, and Commercial Growth
Paul Teshima
Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer
3:40
40 Min
Networking Break
4:20
40 Min
Transformational Leadership in the AI Era
5:00
15 Min
Building the Impossible: What It Takes to Build Canada’s Next Rocket Company
Hugh Kolias
CEO & Co-Founder
5:15
5 Min
Closing Remarks
Michael Bennett
Vice President
5:20
60 Min
Cocktails, Food & Networking Reception
Horizons Experience
A day designed to inspire, connect, and challenge the world’s most innovative leaders.
Exclusive Panels
Conversations with senior executives from leading global brands.
Located near Front St. West and Spadina Ave. at The Well, right next to the Indigo.
Entering the building
Look for Quantum Coffee, enter the building, and follow the signs to the elevators.
Once you’re inside
Take elevator to the 2nd floor. Our staff will be there to greet you at reception.
Frequently Asked Questions
Horizons is a semi-annual summit created by BrainStation to explore the most relevant ideas shaping technology, design, and business today, and to anticipate what’s coming next. Each edition convenes a curated group of executives and digital leaders for deep discussions, shared insights, and meaningful connections in an intimate, high-impact format.
Horizons is a single evening event featuring keynote talks, panel discussions, and a networking reception. The full program typically runs for several hours, with doors opening before the main sessions begin.
You can register and secure your ticket by following the prompts on the page. You'll receive a confirmation email with your ticket once your registration is finalized.
Your ticket includes access to all talks and programming, the networking reception, and premium food and drinks throughout the evening.
No, Horizons is an exclusive, in-person event. No recordings or livestreams will be made available.
Group attendance is supported and teams are welcome. If you need multiple tickets, please reach out and the event team can assist with coordinating registrations.
Yes, modern professional or business casual attire is required.
Yes. Horizons includes dedicated networking time where you can connect with speakers, industry leaders, and fellow attendees.
We are always looking for industry leaders to share their insights. If you or someone you know would be a good fit, please contact our events team with a bio and proposed topic.
Horizons Global Events
A connected global experience. Horizons brings top industry voices together to deliver powerful perspectives and real-world learnings across the world.