AZIM LILA
Toronto,Canada
Summary
AI and digital transformation leader with 14+ years of experience driving enterprise innovation in financial services. Proven track record leading cross-functional teams to build generative and agentic AI solutions, RAG pipelines, and scalable cloud architectures. Skilled in aligning AI strategy with business goals, governance, and compliance to deliver measurable impact. Passionate about empowering teams and redefining client experiences through intelligent, secure, and human-centered technology.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
External Reviewer, College of Reviewers
Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
04.2018 - Current
- Led funding reviews with teams of experts and innovation advisors to fund 50+ startups in AI, digital banking, lending and modular homes. Results: 20+ patents, 6 M&A deals and 10X revenue.
- Mentor startup CEO’s on disruptive innovation across 3 paths based on sustaining innovation, low-end disruption and new market disruption.
- Startups funded examples: PaperStack (FinTech / E-com), Olympia (AI in construction), LocoMobi (Real time parking monitoring), ModularHomes (3 in 1 smart panel), VR/AR skills training for logistics sector.
Director, Commerce Solutions
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
12.2022 - 06.2023
- Spearheaded merchant acquiring product in a 30 person cross functional global team, surpassing competitors in speed, data insights and comprehensive digital workflows.
- Collaborate with leaders at the SVP level at leading payment processors (US Bank, Elavon, CIBC) and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Wallet) to expand share of wallet in Canada.
- Designed marketing goals and metrics for digital marketing campaign to drive awareness and conversion on all social media platforms
- Open Banking pilot with Symcor data exchange and two digital banks successfully executed.
Senior Manager, CIBC Digital Strategy and Analytics
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
07.2017 - 12.2022
- Used Adobe analytics and AEM to empower self-serve digital analytics and tag pages Launched 1st secure AI chatbot with IBM Watson that handled 80% of customer inquiries at 10% of the cost of live agents, while reducing 5,000 monthly calls.
- Converted 746,000 clients to use digital goal planners. Exceeded targets by 30%.
- Advised SVPs on $1B digital growth strategy, prioritizing initiatives, leading competitive analyses, and building a roadmap with foundational investments.
- Delivered impactful presentations at Payments Canada and MasterCard, emphasizing strategies to partner with FinTechs to enable Financial Empowerment.
Senior Manager, Digital Strategy and Platform Product Owner
President's Choice Bank (Loblaw Group of Companies)
08.2014 - 07.2017
- Spearheaded $45M digital banking platform transformation to cross-sell to 11M Optimum clients and drive the bank's next stage of growth by collaborating with 5 core stakeholders in marketing, technology, legal, operations and digital channels.
- Drove digital transformation, ID verification and digital onboarding for new clients.
- Accelerated go-to-market strategies with Meta & Credit Karma to drive 2.3x conversion.
Manager, Digital Strategy and Experience (Product Owner)
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
01.2013 - 08.2014
- Launched RBC West-Jet with MasterCard and created product flows that simplified account openings, increased cross-sell and built brand awareness to become a leading travel card.
- Secured $12M in loans within 30 days by launching the first Canadian online mortgage renewal application that was first to market in digital mortgage renewals.
- 1st to market peer-to-peer (P2P) payments with Meta resulting in 16% MoM P2P growth.
- 2011-2014
Associate, Graduate Leadership Rotation Program
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
02.2011 - 12.2012
- Led $20M core payments renovation. Approved by the Board to renovate a payment hub transferring Trillions per day globally. Collaborated with business, IT and architecture teams.
- Architected and ran a POC resulting in $150M funding to scale intelligent call-routing.
- Selected into a graduate leadership rotation program with RBC for top leadership talent.
- Saved $2M perpetually by streamlining seat licenses used for corporate research.
Co-Founder
Pivotal
12.2004 - 08.2007
- Co-founded tech start-up focused on 3 areas: retail software, AdaptiveTech and importing. $50K profits in 1st year with high customer satisfaction and public funding award.
- Managed, coached and led 5 engineers, worked with the CEO and surpassed business goals.
Education
No Degree - Disruptive Strategy
Harvard Business School
Boston 12-2023
Master of Science - International Relations
London School of Economics
UK12-2009
Master of Arts - Constitutional Law / International Business
York University
Toronto08-2006
Master of Arts - Law
Peking University
China 06-2006
BBA - Business Administration And Management
York University
Toronto08-2005
Skills
- Agentic AI Architecture & Development
- Strategic AI Leadership & Governance
- Cloud & Scalable Platform Engineering
- Cross-Functional Influence & Change Enablement
- Digital banking strategy
- Cross-functional collaboration
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Director, Commerce Solutions
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
12.2022 - 06.2023
External Reviewer, College of Reviewers
Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
04.2018 - Current
Senior Manager, CIBC Digital Strategy and Analytics
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
07.2017 - 12.2022
Senior Manager, Digital Strategy and Platform Product Owner
President's Choice Bank (Loblaw Group of Companies)
08.2014 - 07.2017
Manager, Digital Strategy and Experience (Product Owner)
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
01.2013 - 08.2014
Associate, Graduate Leadership Rotation Program
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
02.2011 - 12.2012
Co-Founder
Pivotal
12.2004 - 08.2007
No Degree - Disruptive Strategy
Harvard Business School
Master of Science - International Relations
London School of Economics
Master of Arts - Constitutional Law / International Business
York University
Master of Arts - Law
Peking University
BBA - Business Administration And Management
York University