On January 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST, CREATE SE4AI hosted an engaging Industry Talk featuring Dr. Anne Mercier, Director of Innovation for Algorithms and AI at GIRO Inc. Dr. Mercier shared insights on AI and operations research tools powering HASTUS software, which is used globally to optimize public transit. She discussed recent AI advancements, including machine learning’s role in enhancing traditional optimization and generative AI’s potential for user-friendly applications.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Mercier has over 15 years of expertise in optimization systems for transportation, advising public transit operators on resource management. She leads GIRO’s research collaborations and holds a Master’s in Operations Research (HEC Montréal) and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (Polytechnique Montréal).

CREATE SE4AI is pleased to present Patrick Mesana, Consultant at National Bank of Canada and PhD Candidate at HEC, who spoke on Balancing Data Valorization and Privacy: Industry Challenges and Opportunities.

In his talk, Patrick delved into the distinct characteristics of data as a digital asset and examined the challenges of striking a balance between data valorization and privacy. Emphasizing the importance of data management in large organizations, such as financial institutions, he addressed the emerging challenges posed by privacy laws and the rapid growth of AI. Through a discussion of evolving practices like privacy-by-design, advances in privacy engineering, and innovative privacy technologies such as data synthesis, he offered valuable insights for navigating the intricate future of data privacy within organizations. Furthermore, he brought to light potential future disruptors, such as open banking in Canada, particularly relevant to the finance sector.

About the Speaker:

Patrick Mesana began his career as a software engineer, gaining experience with consulting companies and startups before transitioning into the field of Data Science. As a former manager in the Data Office of National Bank of Canada (NBC), Patrick encountered numerous data management challenges. He is currently pursuing a PhD in decision science to explore the tradeoffs between data privacy and data value. In addition, Patrick serves as a researcher and scientific lead on these topics for the AI Factory at NBC.

The webinar recording is available to view on our CREATE SE4AI YouTube channel.