Special Session: Climate Finance

This session is organized by Iwan Meier (HEC Montréal). It features two cutting-edge research papers and a panel discussion on the intersection of Climate Change and Finance. The research papers to be presented are:

1. Where Do Brown Companies Borrow From?
   Authors: Sergey Sarkisyan (Ohio State University), Irina Luneva (University of Pennsylvania)
   Discussant: Fabio Moneta (University of Ottawa)
2. Fighting Climate Change with FinTech
   Authors: Antonio Gargano (University of Houston), Alberto Rossi (Georgetown University)
   Discussant: Martina Jasova (Barnard College)

The session will conclude with a panel discussion featuring three leading experts:

• Manuel Morales (Université de Montreal) — Professor at the University of Montreal working in the field of applied Artificial Intelligence in banking and investment with experience in creating business value through ML and AI. An active member of the Montreal AI community involved in various collaborative initiatives linking up R&D teams with product owners/managers in order to create a coherent AI transformation strategy including robust governance structures for AI systems.
  
  During my tenure as Chief AI Scientist at National Bank of Canada, the sixth largest commercial bank in Canada, I oversaw the scientific component of the AI transformation initiative. More recently, I took on a role as Digital Strategy & Innovation Advisor at PSP Investments, one Canada’s largest pension investment funds with over $280B assets under management.
  
  As a researcher affiliated at OBVIA, I am also involved in the ongoing worldwide discussion around AI Ethics the commitment with responsible AI deployments. Currently working on the impact of AI in measuring and reporting ESG footprint in the context of sustainable finance.
  
  Active member of the FinTech community in Montreal where I play different roles as advisor and founder.
• Youness Mankari (iA Global Asset Management) — Youness is a Senior Sustainable Investments Analyst at iA Global Asset Management. For the past few years, he has worked on creating a synergy between asset management and sustainability.
  
  He believes that finance should create meaningful impact through financial literacy and the integration of ESG risks and opportunities into investment strategies, leading to more sustainable investment decisions. Youness holds a Master’s (MSc) degree in Finance from HEC Montréal and a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute.
• Matthieu Cardinal (Morningstar) — Matthieu Cardinal is passionate about new technologies in financial services cumulating over 20 years of experience in the space. He currently serves as Vice President, Business Development at Morningstar, a global financial data and solutions providers whose mission is to empower investor success. As part of his role, he is responsible for managing client relationships with institutional asset managers and wealth managers in Eastern Canada. Before that Mr. Cardinal held the function of Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Croesus, a technology firm providing portfolio management solutions for financial advisors. He also worked at Finance Montreal where he was Vice President, FinTech Development and Corporate Affairs. In that capacity and launched and produced the Canada FinTech Forum for seven years and he also founded the Montreal FinTech Station.
  
  Mr. Cardinal is a member of the board of the Emerging Managers Board of Canada. He also previously served as a member of the Autorité des marchés financiers' consultative group on information and technology and on the FinTech working group of the Investment Industry Association of Canada. Mr. Cardinal is an MBA graduate from HEC Montreal and has completed several courses from the Canadian Securities Institute along with the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG investing.

Session sponsored by: