AI in Business: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Prospects

This panel discussion will focus on the growing impact of artificial intelligence in the business world by examining its technological developments, the investments made to date, and its effect on productivity. Panel members will share their experiences in using and developing AI in their businesses, discussing what works well and the challenges they had to overcome, especially in adopting generative AI. They will also explain how they introduced AI in their organizations and provide practical advice on starting this process. Finally, panel members will discuss the future impact of AI on productivity in their industries.

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Biographies

Magaly Charbonneau

Magaly has over 25 years of experience as an accomplished entrepreneur, operator and investor. Before joining Inovia Capital, she was Chief Operating Officer and investor at PasswordBox (acquired by Intel Corporation, NASDAQ:INTC) and VP WW Sales and investor at Hostopia.com (acquired by Deluxe Corporation, NYSE:DLX), investor and board member at Anomalous Networks Inc. (acquired by TANGO, NASDAQ:TNGO).
She is currently a partner at Inovia Capital, a venture capital firm that partners with technology entrepreneurs to build global, sustainable businesses. Inovia currently manages a C$3 billion portfolio.

Isabelle Girard

Isabelle began her career with the company 25 years ago. She has acquired knowledge and experience from multiple sectors and functions of IFC over the years, as she has held several roles in actuarial, personal lines and commercial lines underwriting, finance and project management, at both regional and national levels. Since January 2024, Isabelle is Senior Vice President, Chief Digital & Data Officer and leads the Intact Lab. Her team is in charge of bringing innovation by re-imagining digital experiences, enhancing data as one of Intact’s core competencies by and building on new techniques like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Isabelle is a graduate of Laval University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science. She is also Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

Michel Richer

Michel supports Enterprise Solutions and Data Engineering and AI for Bell Canada. He plays a pivotal role in Bell’s transformation from a traditional telco to a techco, leading teams responsible for developing cutting-edge AI and cloud-based technology solutions for Bell and its business customers.
His teams work closely with world leaders in AI research such as Montréal-based Mila, and international technology leaders such as Google Cloud and ServiceNow.
A member of the Bell team since 2013, Michel has played leading roles supporting strategy, operations and business intelligence teams. He previously worked for McKinsey and Company and holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and an MBA from INSEAD.
 

Frédéric Chanay

Frédéric Chanay-Savoyen has more than 15 years of experience in using data and AI to drive innovation in numerous industries, including healthcare, human resources, logistics and manufacturing.
An entrepreneur at heart, he founded or co-founded a number of tech startups and advised businesses ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. He is well versed in pioneering new AI products and in seamlessly integrating AI into the fabric of large-scale companies. As a strategic consultant on innovation/IA with the QG100 Network from 2020 to 2023, Frédéric also counseled business leaders in order to stimulate the growth of Quebec companies on the world stage.
Frédéric has lived and worked on four continents and has always been motivated by the opportunity to use technology for the common good. He holds a master's degree in international business from the University of British Columbia.

Biographies 2024