Patricia Arocena

Patricia Arocena is a Senior Director and Head of Generative AI Innovation Labs at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where she leads efforts to integrate emerging AI technologies and advance innovation across the bank. Her work has been recognized with the 2023 RBC Performance Conference Award and the prestigious 2024 RBC Leo Award for pioneering technology transformation.

With over 20 years of experience in technology and innovation, half of which is in the financial services industry, Patricia has taken on leadership roles at Tier-1 research institutions and major organizations such as PwC. She was recently appointed an RBC Distinghished Engineer in recognition of her exceptional technology achievements and technical community leadership. Patricia continues to deliver next-gen solutions powered by AI that drive innovation and create measurable value across the industry.

She holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto, with her research published in leading scientific journals. Outside her professional endeavours, Patricia enjoys baking for her family on Sunday afternoons and resides in Toronto.