What we’re learning about the future of banking

In a fireside conversation, Harry Culham, President and CEO of CIBC, spoke with Brittany Scott, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Region, about leveraging modernization to accelerate CIBC’s strategy.

Modernization, he emphasized, is about building a stronger, more agile bank — one that responds faster to client needs, continues to manage risk effectively, and scales capabilities across a complex global organization. This transformation involves strengthening our enterprise mindset, making strategic decisions that benefit the entire bank, and aligning talent, processes and platforms for maximum impact.

Key insight: Modernization is the foundation for growth, resilience and trust. By embracing change, investing in talent and building platforms that empower innovation, CIBC is positioning itself to outpace the competition and deliver sustainable value.

This is an exciting time for technology, data and AI at CIBC. As we look to 2026 and beyond, they’ll be critical to driving the bank’s growth.

The appointment of Jaime Tatis, Executive Vice-President and Chief Data & AI Officer, marks a pivotal moment in this evolution for CIBC. Drawing on his experience leading transformation at Telus, Tatis shared that banks of the future will be defined by their ability to harness technology, data and AI as truly enterprise-wide capabilities. The future is about building secure, scalable platforms that empower teams to innovate, deliver value and respond quickly to changing client needs.

Key insight: The most successful organizations will be those that deeply understand their processes, invest in modern platforms and use technology to deliver tangible business outcomes. At CIBC, these lessons are shaping a forward-looking strategy.

Beyond strategy, the event showcased how our teams are already applying modern tools and platforms to improve how work gets accomplished. On stage, leaders demonstrated how new technologies are being adopted daily to drive productivity, speed and consistency.

For team members, giving them tools like these, alongside meaningful training and development, motivates them to remove friction for clients and allows them to focus on high-value work.

Key insight: The true power of technology, data and AI is realized when the focus is on business outcomes, reimagining processes, and building platforms that unlock value at scale.

The conversations at the townhall reinforced a consistent direction: modernization is essential to building the bank of the future. By embedding technology, data and AI into strategy and day-to-day operations, CIBC is strengthening its ability to serve clients, manage risk and create long-term value.