Toronto’s Sheraton Centre was coloured in green for the fourth annual TD TechCon on March 3, 2026. The internal company conference brings together the brightest tech minds and top leadership at TD, along with external vendors and experts to talk shop, be inspired and think about what the future holds. Techtalent.ca was honoured to be invited back to TechCon for another year.
Over 1,000 participants were present for the full-day conference, while another 6,000 TD employees attended virtually, to capture ideas and hear from inspiring speakers. This year’s MCs were Baanu Ratneswaran, Vice President of Enterprise Innovation, at TD, and Ankana Carpenter, Head of Consumer Deposit Product Technology, TD Bank U.S.
Vision, Velocity and Impact Drive Tech at TD
The car racing theme for this year’s conference was fitting. Technology can feel like it’s moving at lightning speed, yet it needs to be executed with purpose and precision. Vlad Shpilsky, Head of Global Technology & Solutions at TD, kicked things off by connecting race cars with technology in a way that was relatable to everyone in the crowd. “This year, we are bringing together two worlds that might seem far apart at first glance: banking technology and Formula One,” Shpilsky explained. “They operate on the same principles: precision, reliability, innovation, a commitment to delivering flawless performance under pressure and of course, speed.”
Shpilsky reminded us that behind every race car is a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, developers and strategists working behind the scenes to test, refine and build systems that must perform perfectly at speed. “That’s exactly what our teams do every day,” he reminded us. “Just like Formula One teams, we rely on real-time data to make fast, informed decisions. We build and maintain high-performance systems that need to run flawlessly. We operate in a world where security, stability and compliance are non-negotiable. We know that success depends on careful orchestration across hundreds of specialists.”
AI Is Helping TD Reimagine What’s Possible
As Shplisky continued with his remarks, he reaffirmed the company’s enthusiasm for and commitment to AI and technology.
“These are the most exciting of times,” said Shpilsky. “AI is changing how we work and how we deliver for customers at a pace and velocity that we have never seen. We can do things today that we couldn’t even imagine before.”
Shpilsky encouraged everyone at TechCon to see the potential for AI to completely change the way they work. “You have an incredible opportunity to lead with curiosity that’s intentional,” he explained. “It’s about starting with an AI mindset, not just about tweaking. I hope today stimulates you and inspires you, and gives you the courage to reimagine what’s possible.”
Putting People First
During his opening remarks, Shpilsky took the opportunity to showcase the Bank’s new “More Human” brand identity, which launched in February with a commercial that aired in Canada during the Super Bowl. “This new ‘More Human’ brand really resonated with me,” Shpilsky said.
He explained how humans remain at the heart of the Bank’s work, whether it’s their clients or colleagues. “What makes TechCon so great is that it perfectly represents how our people are truly TD’s engine,” Shpilsky explained. “We need diverse and empowered talent like you to support our strategy and culture, and that’s why your development is critical to our success.”
Don’t Forget About Creativity and Curiosity
It wasn’t just TD leadership that shone on the mainstage. Keynote speaker Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, inspired the audience with an engaging talk that had attendees sketching, pitching, laughing and brainstorming on the fly.
It was all to encourage conference participants to infuse their work with a childlike creativity that brings new ideas and energy to any task. “I think creative behaviours are more important than the tools: playfulness, curiosity, intuition,” Wardle explained.
A Pride That Runs Deep
One tradition that carried over from previous conferences is the pride that attendees showed through their outfits. There were head-to-toe green suits, sequined jackets and blazers with light-up features.
Whether it was among audience members chatting in the main hall before talks and panels began, over lunch or a coffee during a break, I saw countless joyful reunions, unexpected run-ins and lively discussions as participants fed off the energy of the day. Guests eagerly chatted with vendors about their new platforms and interfaces and snapped photos of TD Invent innovations, such as a dog-like quadruped robot.
At the end of the day, something I took away from my time at TD TechCon is that this is a company that views their people, their work and their technology seriously. Whether it was through a panel discussion or a casual chat, you could see how much care and dedication everyone attending had towards using technology to keep TD in its position as the most valuable banking brand in Canada.