Financial scams and fraud are becoming more sophisticated, widespread, and damaging, undermining the safety of individuals, the integrity of institutions, and public trust across Canada. Last year alone, $638 million in losses were reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and due to under-reporting, total losses are estimated to be over $12 billion. As these threats escalate in speed and complexity, the need for a coordinated, proactive, and sustained response is more urgent than ever.
Join Canadian Club Toronto on September 9 to hear from leading voices in banking, telecommunications, policing, and cybersecurity. The panelists will unpack why the anti-scam alliance was formed, the true scale of the threat facing Canadians, and the collaborative efforts underway to confront the problem. Together, they will explore how awareness, education, and partnership are key to strengthening public resilience in an increasingly complex scam landscape. Following his opening remarks, Anthony Ostler, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bankers Association, will moderate the conversation featuring fellow expert panelists:
*For virtual attendees, please note that the live stream will begin at approximately 12:40 pm ET & the link will be provided closer to the event date*
Nick Bednarz
CEO, Rogers Bank and SVP, Financial Services, Rogers Communications
Nick is the CEO of Rogers Bank and the Senior Vice President of Financial Services at Rogers Communications Inc. In these roles, he is responsible for overseeing credit operations, fraud prevention, and loyalty programs across the enterprise, as well as managing all aspects of Rogers Bank. His strategic vision and leadership have significantly contributed to the growth and success of both divisions.
He is a Director on the Rogers Bank board and serves on the advisory board of Mastercard Canada. Nick is also Rogers Communication’s Executive Sponsor of the Spectrum employee resource group, which advocates for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. His commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in his efforts to foster an inclusive and supportive work environment.
Chris Lynam
Director General, National Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, RCMP
Chris Lynam is currently the Director General of the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre within the RCMP. He led extensive work and consultations with other government departments, law enforcement partners across Canada and the private sector to conceptualize and design a national cybercrime coordination mechanism for Canada. He previously worked for Public Safety Canada and within the Security and Intelligence Secretariat of the Privy Council Office where he was part of the team that supported the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Outside the RCMP, he is a member of the Army Reserve and served as the Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding of the Governor General’s Foot Guards, an Infantry Regiment based in Ottawa.
Aaron McAllister
Vice President, Fraud Threat Management, Scotiabank
Aaron has spent over 15 years leading teams focused on cybersecurity, cyber-fraud, and corporate security. At Scotiabank, he’s tasked with providing strategic direction and centralized support to global fraud teams and building critical fraud incident management capacity to enhance prevention, detection, and response. Collaborating with product, risk, and control partners, he fortifies resiliency against cyber-fraud. Aaron’s background includes roles at TD, focusing on customer identity and access management (CIAM) and cyber-fraud, as well as head of corporate security for Millennium Process Group, Inc. He holds certifications as a CISM and CFE.
Jennifer Quaid
Executive Director, CCTX
Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX), Canada’s preeminent private sector organization for cross-sector collaboration, enabling cyber resilience and preparedness in its members. She is responsible for advancing the mission and purpose of the CCTX and delivering value to the membership. With extensive experience in the tech sector and with membership-based organizations, Jennifer excels at creating an environment that fosters customer focus and service delivery. Jennifer has 30 years of experience creating value in emerging businesses, in Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Anthony Ostler
President & Chief Executive Officer, CBA
Anthony G. Ostler is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA). As President and CEO, he advances the perspectives of the banking sector to all levels of government, regulators, stakeholders, media and the public.
In this capacity, Anthony plays a strong role in the development of public policies on financial services that contribute to a sound, successful banking system that benefits Canadians and Canada’s economy. In addition to being on the Board of Directors of the CBA, he is also Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Banking Federation (IBFed), a global forum that addresses issues affecting banking around the world.
Before joining the CBA, Anthony was Senior Vice President, Head of Stakeholder Engagement in Global Marketing at State Street Bank, Trust Company in Boston. Also at State Street, he held the roles of Senior Vice President, Client – Global Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President, Head of Investor Relations. Anthony has broad experience in senior positions in Canada at Manulife Asset Management, Manulife Financial, Canaccord Financial and RBC.
Anthony is an Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (AICB), a chartered financial analyst (CFA), a Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and earned his MBA with Distinction and the Ivey Scholar honour from the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario. He received the Ivey Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary service to the Ivey Business School, is the past Chair of the Board of the Ivey Alumni Network and a past member of the Ivey Advisory Board.
In 2024, Anthony joined the CAMH Foundation Board and the Canadian Advisory Council of Rock the Street Canada. Anthony served as a member of the United Way of Greater Toronto’s Community Campaign Cabinet from 2022 to 2024. He also served as a board member of buildOn Boston and has taken up several leadership volunteer roles in support of social services organizations in B.C. and Ontario.
