About Foteini
Foteini Agrafioti is a distinguished engineer, entrepreneur, and leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biometric security. Originally from Greece, she moved to Canada to pursue her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. During her doctoral work, she invented HeartID, a groundbreaking biometric technology capable of authenticating a user’s identity based on their unique electrocardiogram (heart rhythm). This innovation earned her the title “Inventor of the Year” in 2012 and led her to co-found Nymi, a company that developed the first wearable device using this heartbeat authentication technology. Foteini transitioned her focus from biometrics to large-scale AI, and she currently serves as the Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of Data and AI at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). In this major financial role, she oversees Borealis AI, the bank’s artificial intelligence research institute, and manages the entire data and AI ecosystem. Her work focuses on developing ethical and responsible AI solutions, like the financial forecasting tool NOMI. Recognized as one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40,” she is a leading voice in technology and also serves as the Co-Chair of the Government of Canada’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence, guiding the country’s strategy on the future of AI.
