Expands collaboration with University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management with additional $4 million to fund exploration of real-world data and analytics applications and opening of TD Management Data & Analytics Lab
TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group (TD) announced today, it will support the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management with $4 million in new funding as part of the school's efforts to attract and develop top data and analytics talent from around the globe.
"By collaborating with TD, we are giving students the opportunity to engage in data-focused problem-solving," says Tiff Macklem, Dean, Rotman School of Management. "We know our students are eager to take on new roles in the evolving field of data and analytics and this generous investment will allow us to move more quickly to further expand our data analytics programming and opportunities."
TD's contribution will be used to fund the development and staffing of a new TD Management Data & Analytics Lab that will focus on student development and engagement in data and analytics, including practical applications of data and analytics theory in the form of ongoing workshops, hackathons and guest speakers. The focus will be on fostering academic collaboration and creating a space that allows for research, ideation and innovation, and elevating the profession of data and analytics. This new contribution builds on TD's financial support last year of the creation of The Rotman Financial Innovation Hub in Advanced Analytics (Rotman FinHub), a venture that has also provided students with the opportunity to work with TD on real-world customer solutions.
"Data and analytics are the engines powering the future of Canada's economy," says Christian Nelissen, TD's Head of Enterprise Data and Analytics. "That new reality means building talented teams that have a deep understanding of the potential of data and analytics, in financial services and beyond. We are looking for visionaries who can see what's possible – things we might not even have thought of yet."
In Demand: Graduates with Data Science and Analytical Skills
This announcement builds on TD's ongoing support of data and analytics talent. Both academic and business communities have an amazing opportunity to expand the learning environment and real-world opportunities for data and analytics students and graduates for the unique skill set they will contribute to Canada's economy and society in today's global data revolution.
Financially supported by a lead $1 million donation by TD last November, The Rotman FinHub offers new classes and learning opportunities for students in financial innovation including machine learning and blockchain in the school's MBA, Master of Finance, and Master of Financial Risk Management programs as well as supporting scholarships and encouraging research in financial innovation and promoting engagement within the financial industry.
Western University has seen rapid growth in the data and analytics discipline. In addition to the University's Master of Data Analytics program launched in September 2017 and an undergraduate program in Data Science planned to be launched this year, Western's Faculty of Science has established the TD Analytics Hub, a professorship in Data Analytics and four annual Women in Data Analytics Bursaries made possible by a $1 million contribution by TD in 2017.
TD's Data and Analytics funding at both the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and Western University help ensure that Canada is building a diverse ecosystem of data and analytics talent and will foster the continued building of critical collaboration between Canada's financial technology sector and leading educational institutions.
These contributions build on TD's support of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, which represents a world-class collaboration between academic institutions, incubators, accelerators, start-ups, and established companies that will advance data-powered artificial intelligence research and drive the adoption of data and analytics and artificial intelligence technologies across Canada.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than 25 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 12 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.3 trillion in assets on July 31, 2018. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
SOURCE TD Bank Group
