AI Insights

May 21, 2026
8:30am – 4:30pm
Hyatt Regency, Vancouver

Don’t miss the Early Bird deadline!
To promote the launch of our first AI Insights Conference, we're offering an exclusive early-bird discount to help you secure your seat at this event designed for forward-thinking CPAs and finance professionals. Register by April 3, 2026 to save $50 on the conference fee!

Navigate innovation, risk, and real world ROI.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way organizations operate, and nowhere is that shift more profound than in the finance and accounting profession. PD Nexus: AI Insights is our latest conference day that brings together thought leaders, practitioners, and innovators for a full‑day, in‑person conference designed to help you move from exploration to action.

If you’ve been asking yourself Where do we start?, How do we manage the risks?, or What ROI can we realistically expect? - this is the event you cannot miss.

Why you should attend

AI is reshaping the finance function - now
The profession is shifting faster than ever before. Learn how AI is enabling new levels of efficiency, accuracy, and strategic insight
Your competitive advantage depends on informed adoption
Organizations that build intentional AI strategies today will lead tomorrow. Get practical guidance through the breakout sessions.
Risk is real, but so is the opportunity
Understand the future risk landscape and how to safeguard your organization.
AI won’t replace the CPA, but CPAs who use AI will lead
Close the day with a powerful conversation on the evolving role of the professional accountant in a hyper‑automated world

Join us at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver for a rare opportunity to learn, connect, and get ahead in the age of intelligent transformation. Secure your spot today!

Full Event Registration

Eligible CPD Hours: 7
Course Fee:
Members $475
Non-Members $525

A $50 Early Bird Discount will apply to registrations received by April 3, 2026.

PD Passport: 12 credits

Developing Your AI Roadmap: Leading Finance into an AI-Enabled Future

Presenter:
Dr. Andrew Gemino, Beedie Professor and Associate Dean, Executive Education, Beedie School of Business

Artificial intelligence is a technology trend that is reshaping how finance functions create value, manage risk, and support strategic decision-making. For CPAs, the opportunity is not only to adopt AI tools, but to lead the governance, oversight, and responsible integration of AI within their organizations.

This session provides a practical yet forward-looking framework for developing an AI roadmap tailored to finance leaders. Participants will explore how AI can enhance forecasting, controls, audit quality, and risk management, while maintaining professional judgment, ethical standards, and compliance.

Participants will gain:

A structured framework to move from experimentation to
enterprise-wide AI strategy
Insight into governance, accountability, and risk management in
AI-enabled finance
A leadership lens on how the CPA role is evolving in an AI
environment

Key Takeaways:

An AI roadmap model aligned with finance strategy
A finance-specific AI opportunity and risk assessment tool
Governance guardrails for responsible AI adoption
Immediate actions to begin building AI capability with confidence

The Synthetic Threat: Navigating Deepfake Risks in Finance

Presenters:
Jason Stevenson | Director, Cyber Security and Digital Risk Management, KPMG
Morwyn Moon | Consultant, Cyber Security & Digital Forensics, KPMG

As generative AI evolves, deepfakes have moved from novelty to a sophisticated weapon for financial fraud. In this session, we will explore the rapid evolution of synthetic media, tracing its development from historical roots to today’s high-stakes threat landscape.

We will specifically address why finance functions are now prime targets, examining high-profile exploits where traditional voice-and/or-visual verification failed. Through a combination of live and prepared walk-through demonstrations of deepfakes, you will see firsthand how easily identities can be spoofed.

Key takeaways:

Why legacy internal controls and human‑in‑the‑loop verification models are failing in the face of AI‑driven impersonation
The realism, ease and accessibility of deepfake generation and how it has fundamentally changed fraud risk assumptions for finance and accounting teams.
The impacts of deepfake-driven threats such as business email compromise (BEC) and other social engineering type attacks.
Why even diligent, well‑trained employees following established processes can still be convincingly deceived, and the common warning signs present in deepfake‑enabled incidents.
Practical strategies to harden your financial controls against deepfake attacks.

Join us to learn how to distinguish authentic communication from synthetic deception and protect your organization's assets in an era of "seeing is no longer believing”.

Getting Started with Copilot in Microsoft 365

Presenter:
Judith Oprandi, Senior Solutions Executive, Innovation Networks Inc

Microsoft Copilot is already part of Microsoft 365 — yet many professionals are still unsure how to use it confidently and responsibly in everyday work. This practical session is designed for those who are curious about Copilot, may have tried it briefly, and want a clear, safe way to start getting real value from it.

Through live demonstrations in familiar tools such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, participants will see realistic use cases that help reduce workload, improve clarity, and support better day-to-day decision making — without over-reliance or unnecessary risk. Participants will leave with a clear orientation on what Copilot is (and is not), and the confidence to begin using Copilot thoughtfully and safely.

Key takeaways:

Where Copilot fits best in Microsoft 365
Simple, low-risk ways to start using it
How to get better results by asking better questions
When professional judgment must remain in control

From Experimentation to Execution: Operationalizing AI Governance

Presenter:
Mary Carmichael, Principal Director, Risk Advisory, Momentum Technology

Finance teams are adopting AI for forecasting, reconciliations, analysis, and reporting, yet many struggle to determine which initiatives should proceed and how to justify the investment. This session presents a lifecycle for operationalizing AI governance so organizations can evaluate opportunities before implementation and connect adoption to measurable value.

Participants will learn how to assess readiness, prioritize use cases, assign accountability, integrate oversight into existing approval and internal control processes, and evaluate expected benefits and ROI. A case study completed by participants demonstrates how these decisions apply in day-to-day operations and how governance supports consistent decision making.

Key takeaways:

Decide before you deploy: A structured method to determine whether an AI initiative should proceed
Check readiness first: A checklist to identify gaps before implementation
Clarify accountability: Governance roles and control activities for business teams
Prove the value: Ways to define and measure ROI and operational benefits

Agentic AI for Accountants

Presenter:
Garrett Wasny, Award-winning digital skills advisor to accountants

Agentic AI is changing the way we work. These intelligent systems can plan, reason, take action, and collaborate across tools. Designed for accountants who want to elevate their strategic value, the session explores how agentic workflows can streamline routine tasks, enhance risk management, and unlock richer financial insights.

Participants will see practical demonstrations tailored to accounting contexts. We’ll also examine governance considerations, controls, and human in the loop review to ensure responsible, defensible use

Key Takeaways:

What is agentic AI and why it matters for modern finance functions
How to pilot low risk use cases
AI agent best practices
Top use-cases in finance workflows

Upholding Professional Ethics in an AI-driven Workplace

Presenter:
Laura Friedrich, Executive Director, Friedrich & Friedrich Corp

The duty we have to act ethically and protect the interests of those we serve is a hallmark of the profession - distinguishing CPAs from the intelligent systems we leverage. Meeting our ethical obligations demands the ability to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate AI-related risks both within the workplace and beyond.

This session contains 70 minutes of ethics content.

This interactive session explores AI risks through the lens of professional ethics, equipping participants with practical tools to navigate today’s evolving landscape. Attendees will be challenged to develop mitigation strategies relevant to their organizational environments and will leave with an ethics-centred framework for evaluating AI use cases and opportunities with greater confidence.

Balancing AI, Trust, and the Human Connection: The Future Role of the CPA

Presenter:
Scott Orth, Resiliency and Mindfulness Coach

The rapid rise of chatbots, AI agents, automation, and advanced analytics is fundamentally reshaping the CPA profession. This transformation brings tremendous opportunity, but also real challenges. CPAs are being asked to adapt quickly, become AI-literate, oversee intelligent systems, and navigate ethical, data security, and governance concerns - often while managing growing complexity and uncertainty. That’s a lot.

While AI is changing how the work gets done, clients and colleagues still look to CPAs for what technology cannot provide: clarity, sound judgment, ethical guidance, trust, and confidence—especially in uncertain times.

Key takeaways:

Understand the risks and opportunities that AI creates, particularly in relation to building trust, credibility, and connection.
Understand the neuroscience behind trust and human connection, and why these factors are more important than ever.
Recognize the evolving role of the CPA as a sense-maker and trusted advisor, particularly as technology accelerates.
Learn practical tools to strengthen the uniquely human capabilities CPAs will always do better than AI, and ways to stay grounded, centred and calm amidst rapid change.

MARY CARMICHAEL, CPA CMA, CISA, CRISC, CISM, CFE, is a technology risk and AI governance advisor and Principal Director at Momentum Technology. She helps public and private sector organizations operationalize AI adoption through strategy, governance, and control frameworks.

Learn more about Mary Carmichael...

Mary is an AI Research Fellow with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and Immediate Past President of the ISACA Vancouver Chapter. She regularly speaks on AI risk, decision accountability, and digital transformation across finance and assurance communities.

LAURA FRIEDRICH, MSc, FCPA, is the executive director of a professional research and education firm with over 25 years of experience conducting projects worldwide.

Learn more about Laura Friedrich...

The firm helps build institutional capacity and develops strategic governance and ethics guidance for established and emerging professional and regulatory organizations. Laura frequently authors and presents on topics such as the impact of disruptive technology on professional ethics; sustainability and capacity development, with a focus on the future of professions. Laura is a former Technical Advisor to the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants and chairs CPABC’s Bylaws Committee.

DR. ANDREW GEMINO is Beedie Professor, Associate Dean (Executive Education) and Academic Director for the Indigenous Business Leadership EMBA in the Beedie School of Business. His research is focused on digital innovation, project management, and business analytics.

Learn more about Dr. Andrew Gemino...

He is an SFU Teaching Excellence Award winner who teaches in the Digital Innovation and Leadership initiative (DIAL), the CIOCAN Technology Leadership Program, and the MSc in Accounting with Cognitive Analytics offered with KPMG Canada. He has served as Associate Dean of the Undergraduate and Graduate programs at SFU Beedie and was the founding director of the Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship at Simon Fraser University.

MORWYN MOON is a cybersecurity consultant with KPMG's National Incident Response Team specializing in incident response, digital forensics, tabletop exercises, and deepfake risk and threat awareness.

Learn more about Morwyn Moon...

Their work focuses heavily on the practical realities of deepfakes, including how they are created, how easily they can bypass traditional security controls, and how organizations can detect and respond to them effectively.

Morwyn frequently delivers deepfake education sessions and live demonstrations that break down both the technical mechanics and real world impact of audio and video deepfakes, helping teams understand the threat beyond theory. They are known for translating complex technical concepts into clear, engaging, and realistic scenarios that resonate with both technical responders and broader team.

JUDITH OPRANDI is a Senior Solutions Executive at Innovation Networks, where she works with leaders to align technology investments with business priorities. Over the past four years, she has supported organizations across British Columbia in strengthening governance, reducing risk exposure, and identifying practical opportunities for digital advancement.

Learn more about Judith Oprandi...

With nearly three decades of international business experience across Switzerland, Italy, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, Judith has led cross-functional initiatives that translate strategic ideas into executable solutions. She is known for bridging disciplines, simplifying complexity, and helping leaders make confident, well-informed decisions.

SCOTT ORTH, MSc, CPCC is a mindfulness coach and trainer, who gives CPAs the tools they need to delete the overwhelm, focus on what matters most and drive their future.

Learn more about Scott Orth...

He gives them strategies to respond to the challenges in their day more mindfully, allowing them to be more focused, productive and happier with the life they are living. Scott was previously the National Leader of HR for one of Canada’s largest employee-owned engineering and science consulting organizations and brings a grounded, practical, no-nonsense approach to his engaging presentations.

JASON STEVENSON, CPA, CMA, CISA, CISSP, CRISC, brings 25+ years of experience aligning cybersecurity programs to the needs of businesses, while effectively managing threats and risks inherent in today’s reliance on technology.

Learn more about Jason Stevenson...

Jason has a long history of successfully helping clients on topics ranging from security strategy, governance and program design to technical security solutions and operations. He effectively distinguishes between issues and risks to articulate complex technical concepts in practical terms to help influence change and contribute to a strong cybersecurity posture.

GARRETT WASNY, MA, CMC, CITP/FITP, is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and award-winning digital skills advisor to accountants, tax attorneys, enrolled agents, and tax preparers worldwide.

Learn more about GARRETT WASNY...

Garrett’s roles include webinar producer, Internet speaker, author, app developer, professional development leader, and former management consultant for Price Waterhouse. He's published 50+ ebooks on accounting technology and ethics, written hundreds of articles on Internet strategy, and delivered thousands of seminars and webinars to CPAs and accounting organizations from coast to coast in Canada and the US and in more than 40 countries.