CANADIAN REGTECH ASSOCIATION APPOINTS FIRST THREE STRATEGIC ADVISORS

TORONTO, March 28, 2019
The Canadian Regulatory Technology Association (CRTA)/Association canadienne de la technologie réglementaire (ACTR) is pleased to announce that it has appointed its first three advisors to its Strategic Advisory Board.  The advisors are, Eric Brock; COO at PNC Bank Canada, Sandra Persaud; Director Risk Advisory at Deloitte Canada and Tonya Blackmore; CEO Apexa Corp.

The CRTA is a not-for-profit organization focused on solving regulatory challenges through collaborative efforts between key RegTech stakeholders: regulated entities, technology vendors, regulatory bodies, government, and professional service providers. These appointments will help the CRTA deliver on its goals to facilitate dialogue, raise standards, and promote growth and innovation within the Canadian RegTech eco-system.

Commenting on these appointments, Donna Bales, Co-founder and member of the board of directors, said: “We are very pleased to announce these new appointments. Our advisors are a key part of our association – their leadership and expertise will provide a range of balanced perspectives to help the association deliver on its mission to advance the adoption of RegTech in Canada.”

Matt Elton, Co-founder and member of the board of directors added, “as an industry with strong focus and track record in regulatory compliance, the Canadian financial services industry is really embracing the use of technology to increase efficiency in meeting regulatory controls, and has created a significant demand for RegTech solutions powered by leading-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, big data analytics and blockchain.”

Tonya Blackmore
Tonya Blackmore is CEO of APEXA, a portfolio company of RGAX, the transformation engine of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA). She is responsible for charting the strategic direction of APEXA within Canada and across the globe. APEXA, acquired by RGAX in 2018, is the contract and compliance platform for Canadian life advisors. Tonya joined APEXA in 2015 during its early stages to lead the company from start-up development phase to launching the platform in the Canadian life insurance market. Today, it is used by major carriers and MGAs including Manulife Financial, Canada Life, Sunlife, Empire Life, Industrial Alliance, HUB Financial, IDC Worldsource, PPI and Financial Horizons Group. Under Tonya’s leadership, APEXA was recognized on the RegTech100 list for 2019 as one of the world’s most innovative RegTech companies and named a finalist in the 2018 ACORD InsurTech Innovation Challenge (AIIC).Tonya Blackmore said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience with other RegTech firms and to assist the board to educate and collaborate with key stakeholders within the Canadian RegTech ecosystem.”

Eric Brock
Eric Brock is COO of PNC Bank, Canada, the international arm of one of the United States’ largest banks. He is responsible for executing on PNC’s strategy of being the leading North-American bank for medium and large companies doing business on both sides of the border. With master's degrees in both law and business, he understands the challenges facing people, process and technology from multiple perspectives and works with businesses to continually enhance their customer experience, grow market share and improve results. Eric’s previous roles include leadership positions in AML and Compliance, Sales, Operations and Strategy in both North and South America. Eric Brock said: “RegTech offers an opportunity to provide significant cost saving and efficiencies to financial institutions and I look forward to providing a leadership role in the evolution of the RegTech industry in Canada.”

Sandra Persaud
Sandra Persaud is a director in Deloitte’s Regulatory Risk Advisory practice, with over 12 years of industry experience within financial services, specializing in technology-enabled compliance transformations. Sandra's experience spans anti-money laundering, suitability/conduct, trade surveillance, GRC and, most recently, financial crimes programs.  She has been active in the RegTech community since 2017, participating in conferences globally, leading workshops for clients and evaluating new entrants. Sandra Persaud said: ”I am fascinated with the potential of emerging technology in enhancing compliance and regulatory functions, and I am delighted to support the CRTA to drive industry collaboration and evolve the RegTech industry.”

The Canadian Regulatory Technology Association/Association canadienne de la technologie réglementaire
The Canadian Regulatory Technology Association is a not-for-profit organization focused on solving regulatory challenges through collaborative efforts between key RegTech stakeholders: regulated entities, technology vendors, regulatory bodies, government and professional service providers. The goal is to facilitate dialogue, raise standards, and promote growth and innovation within the Canadian RegTech eco-system. The organization will endeavour to solve regulatory challenges through collaborative discussion and engagement in proof-of-concept initiatives.