Toronto • Fairmont Royal York • 24 September 2026
Join us in the vibrant city of Toronto for this exclusive, free, in person event bringing leaders, practitioners and partners together around the real world of data and AI.
SAS Innovate on Tour will give you practical, evidence-based insights on how:
- Organisations make decisions confidently with AI they can trust.
- Industry specific SAS solutions give companies a competitive edge.
- Partners help scale AI across complex environments.
- Transparency and governance unlock innovation with AI.
Plus, you’ll connect with industry peers, experts and partners to share best practices of data and AI turning insight into action.
Whether you define strategy, build models, deploy systems or support clients, SAS Innovate on Tour is your opportunity to join us in our 50th year as a trusted partner across business, government and society.
SAS Innovate on Tour Toronto – register now to secure your place, as spaces are limited.
Keynote speakers
Bryan Harris
Executive Vice President
and Chief Technology Officer,
SAS
Reggie Townsend
Vice President Data Ethics Practice, SAS
Marinela Profi
Global AI & Generative AI
Market Strategy Lead, SAS
Thomas Roehm
Vice President, Corporate Marketing, SAS
Bryan Harris
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, SAS
As Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Bryan Harris is responsible for SAS’ award-winning software portfolio that empowers organizations with data and AI. In this role, he leads a global research and development (R&D) organization of nearly 4,000 people focusing on product design, engineering, advanced analytics and AI, industry solutions, modeling and quantum computing.
Under Harris’ leadership, SAS launched the cloud-native SAS Viya platform and unified the entire portfolio across industry solutions and models. He is also known for his dedication to fostering a purpose-driven, inclusive culture within the R&D organization. He has led several initiatives to support professional growth and encourage cross-divisional collaboration, all of which contribute to SAS’ reputation as a top employer in the technology industry.
Reggie Townsend
Vice President Data Ethics Practice, SAS
Reggie Townsend leads SAS’ global AI Ethics, Governance and Social Impact organization, overseeing the company’s Data & AI Ethics Practice; AI & Society initiatives; AI Governance Advisory; Standards, Regulations & Risk Intelligence programs; and SAS’ Accessible & Adaptive AI efforts. He drives SAS’ commitment to trustworthy, human-centric innovation across products, policies and partnerships.
A nationally recognized voice in AI governance, Reggie serves on the board of EqualAI and has advised the White House as a member of the National AI Advisory Committee. His career includes leadership roles in cloud, consulting and managed services for health care and life sciences. A frequent global speaker and advisor, Reggie has counseled government leaders worldwide, appeared on major stages and been published in JAMA.
A proud Chicagoan, Reggie is an engineering, business and leadership alum of Southern Illinois University, Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago.
Marinela Profi
Global AI & Generative AI Market Strategy Lead, SAS
Marinela Profi, a leading expert in the field of artificial intelligence, brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, and marketing strategy. With advanced degrees in Statistics and AI, along with an MBA, she successfully bridges complex technical concepts with strategic business initiatives.
In her role as the Global AI & GenAI Market Strategy Lead at SAS, she has been instrumental in crafting global marketing strategies for cutting-edge solutions in both machine learning and generative AI. She helps organizations worldwide leverage ethical and trustworthy AI technologies to drive innovation, enhance productivity, and achieve significant operational efficiencies.
Beyond her role at SAS, Marinela is committed to shaping the future of tech through education and thought leadership. As a member of the Advisory Board for Wake Technical Community College's Computer Programming and Data Science Program, she plays a crucial role in aligning academic curricula with evolving industry needs. Her dedication ensures that the next generation of data scientists and IT professionals are well-prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the rapidly advancing tech landscape.
Marinela is also a respected voice in the global tech community. She shares her insights on data science trends and industry priorities at conferences worldwide. As a published author and contributor to various industry publications, she fosters dialogue on the critical issues and opportunities surrounding data and AI.
Marinela Profi is an expert in ethical and trustworthy AI, helping organisations operationalise advanced analytics while also championing women in AI leadership and inclusion.
Thomas Roehm
Vice President, Corporate Marketing, SAS
Thomas Roehm is responsible for SAS Corporate Marketing. Roehm provides global direction and services across product and industry market strategy, messaging and content, corporate events, customer engagement, and the SAS Executive Briefing Center. He leads positioning and market facing activities in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, cloud and industry offerings. He helped pioneer SAS’ investment in IoT and consults on the use of analytics in the connected world. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in defining and bringing new offerings to market as well as leading many enterprise-wide projects.
Agenda
8:00 – 8:45am
Registration & Breakfast
8:45 – 8:50am
Welcome – Country Manager
8:50 - 10:30am
Where Human Ingenuity Meets AI in Action
Discover how leading organizations are putting AI to work—responsibly, at scale, and with measurable impact. In this session, you’ll see how human expertise and intelligent systems come together to deliver trusted, enterprise -ready AI. From governance and transparency to real -world use cases powered by SAS Viya, this is AI delivering value now—and how you can apply it in your organization.
Opening Video
Technology Keynote (25 mins)
Brian Harris TBC
Trustworthy AI (15 mins)
Reggie Townsend TBC
SAS Viya Portfolio (25 mins)
Marinela Profi TBC
SAS Industry Solutions (25 Mins)
Thomas Rohem TBC
10:30 – 11:00am
Coffee Break & Networking
10:30 – 11:00am
Globe & Mail Fireside Chat – Financial Crime
11:00 – 12:00pm
Industry/Solution sessions: Banking, Viya, Public Sector
12:00 – 1:00pm
Lunch & Networking (Media Interviews)
1:00 – 2:00pm
Keynote topic
Quantum AI with Bryan Harris
2:00 – 3:00pm
Industry Sessions: Public Sector, Insurance
3:00 – 3:30pm
Coffee Break & Networking
3:00 – 3:30pm
Innovation Labs Showcase
3:30 – 4:45pm
AI Panel
4:45 – 5:00pm
Closing Thoughts Country Manager
5:00 – 6:00pm
Cocktail Hour
What to expect
Join us in Toronto to learn how to boost productivity with data and AI. This complimentary event will provide something for everyone – top executives, IT directors, data scientists, engineers, analysts and SAS partners across industries.
Turn data into decisions you trust
Hear how SAS makes sure AI can be trusted and how industries feel safe and confident in the decisions they make.
Responsibly use trusted and transparently governed AI
Learn how you can drive meaningful impact for your organization using data and AI responsibly and effectively, all while prioritizing transparency and governance.
Industry-first insights
Hear real stories from your industry and learn how peers are applying AI to solve sector specific challenges.
Actionable ideas, real impact
Discover ways to scale AI across your organization with simplicity and speed. Get practical guidance on building compliant, future-proof AI systems.
SAS Innovate on Tour
Highlights 2025
Conference Experience
Join us and bring your team. We’ll bring content, inspiration, networking, and fun!
Innovation Hub
Get to know our partners, their services and solutions and check out the SAS interactive demos.
More experiences will be added so stay tuned!
Registration
It’s free to attend SAS Innovate on Tour in Toronto however spaces are limited, so register now to secure your place.
Thanks to our sponsors and partners
