Cryptography has become more essential in protecting customers from bad actors – for Greg, this isn’t just a priority, it’s a mission. His decades long career in cryptography has been a journey of constant learning, meaningful collaboration and a workplace culture that fuels connection.
In 1984, the first electronic payment network was established in Canada to provide shared cash dispensing services where customers could withdraw money automatically from their bank accounts at any automated teller machine (ATM).
Fast forward to 1991, a new pilot was launched which allowed Canadians to directly debit their bank accounts to make purchases at merchant point-of-sale terminals.
TD was looking for a team member who was trained in cryptography – the science behind ensuring the confidentiality of customer financial transactions by encrypting sensitive data to protect it from unauthorized access or modification during transmission and storage.
Greg Gunnell answered the call.
Greg, a new graduate with a computer science degree, began his career at Canada Trust with what was then called the ATM/Shared Cash/POS Technology team. His career in technology, specifically in cryptography would span more than three decades-and still counting with TD.
His mission then is the same as it is now – keep customer and colleague data secure and confidential.
From one of the first employees at the Bank to secure ATM functionalities to leading chip card cryptography and now, exploring new security defenses, Greg has been an integral part of the Bank’s efforts to securely implement systems and applications to help protect customer information. As a Senior Technical Cryptography Lead at TD, he is still energized by new technologies and the opportunities to help keep customer information safe.
How collaboration helps to protect customers
In the early 2000s, when TD introduced secure electronic-transfer for their customers, Greg’s work in cryptography evolved as online transactions and electronic banking became more popular. He collaborated with organizations including major telecom companies, mobile phone manufacturers and online retailers, to learn how to encrypt customer data with cryptographic keys, a series of randomized characters that help prevent bad actors from gaining unauthorized access.
“I get to expand my knowledge and work with external cryptography resources.”
Today, Greg is deeply integrated across the Bank’s technology teams. He works with developers and application teams to define security requirements and create digital solutions that are both secure and seamless for customers. His deep relationships have created a strong culture of knowledge sharing and trust.
A culture that lasts
Technology may have evolved, but it was the Bank’s culture that remained constant.
“A couple of us have been working together for 20-25 years, we go out together on Fridays and the restaurant would know to reserve our tables of five. We even hosted Zoom calls when we couldn’t meet in person during Covid.”
This sense of camaraderie extends beyond regular socials. It is also a way the team builds resilience. Whether it’s mentoring distributed developers on cryptography or cross training the next generation in Java to support secure application development, Greg believes in investing in talent.
“As a team, we’re always preparing for the future. Cross training and knowledge sharing means we can all support each other.”
Innovation never stops
Greg’s been part of some of Canada’s most memorable financial technology milestones-like being the first employee to test the tap to pay feature on his debit card at a merchant in Kitchener, Ontario in 2008. But what keeps him coming back every day is the promise of new problems to solve, new technologies to explore, and new ways to help protect TD customers, especially as AI changes the security landscape in real time.
At TD, people like Greg are defining what it means to have a meaningful career in tech. He works on real world problems with real world impact. He also builds lasting relationships and continues to grow his expertise in cryptography, while mentoring the next generation of talent.
Learn more about careers at TD on their career site.