In the rapidly evolving world of digital finance, trust is emerging as a new currency — and no one understands this better than Adam Ennamli, Chief Risk Officer at the General Bank of Canada (GBC). With a career that spans operations, technology, and strategy, Ennamli leads GBC’s integrated trust function, which includes risk management, compliance, cybersecurity, fraud prevention, Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and even climate risk. Under his leadership, GBC is proving that risk isn’t just something to manage — it’s a platform for growth. 

In conversation with Ben Blanquera, Vice President at Rackspace Technology and Editorial Board Member at CDO Magazine, Ennamli shares how the bank is using AI and data to scale faster, smarter, and more securely. 

Playbook takeaways 

1. Fuse trust functions: Combining risk, compliance, cybersecurity, and fraud into a single function creates faster incident response, better alignment, and reduced compliance overhead. 
2. Use AI to compress time to value: GBC cut its partner due diligence timeline from 60 days to 14 using AI-driven risk tech, improving speed, accuracy, and capacity. 
3. Treat data as a product: Position high-quality, trusted data as a value driver for internal teams and partners. 
4. Design responsible AI with guardrails: Build AI governance that prioritizes explainability, security, and healthy human oversight. 
5. Regulations as enablers: Lean into evolving regulatory frameworks as opportunities to embed discipline and accelerate innovation. 

Redefining risk as a growth engine 

GBC is a Schedule I bank — Canada’s highest regulatory tier — and one of the country’s youngest digital banks. It focuses on B2B lending through auto and commercial loans and is now entering a phase of hypergrowth and diversification.

To prepare, the bank hired Ennamli to reimagine risk as a “trust advantage.”

“Trust isn’t just compliance. It’s about enabling the business to take smart risks, build partnerships, and scale responsibly,” says Ennamli. 

By federating trust-related functions into one team, GBC has streamlined its internal decision-making, improved response times, and reduced redundancies. 

Trust by design: Reorganizing around data and risk 

For GBC, data is not just a byproduct of banking — it’s a product in itself. “We treat data as our most valuable asset. Not just something to protect, but something to fuel smarter risk decisions and build partner confidence,” Ennamli explains. 

Because the bank isn’t burdened by legacy infrastructure, it’s able to move quickly. It has fewer data silos, simpler architecture, and an intentional strategy of working with trusted AI and analytics partners to extend internal capabilities.

“It’s not about owning everything. It’s about curating an ecosystem where trust, not just technology, is the glue,” says Ennamli.

Operationalizing AI to speed decisions and scale trust 

A standout use case at GBC is its AI-enabled due diligence platform. The challenge? Vetting new partners thoroughly but efficiently. 

Historically, the process took 60 days. With the help of a U.S.-based risk tech startup and a customized AI engine, GBC now completes the process in 14 days — with 30% fewer errors and 20% more partners onboarded. 

“This is a perfect example of AI as a competitive advantage. It’s faster, better, and scales our ability to build partnerships—safely,” Ennamli shares.

But the bank also recognizes that AI isn’t magic. It requires oversight. 

A framework for responsible AI

GBC’s responsible AI approach is built on three interdependent pillars: 

1. Explainability – “We won’t hard-code mediocrity,” says Ennamli. Every AI decision must be explainable and justifiable.
2. Security – Strong guardrails are in place to prevent data leakage or misuse.
3. Oversight – Humans remain in the loop. AI outputs are always subject to human review and skepticism.

“Trust AI, but never check your own intelligence at the door,” Ennamli advises. “AI should augment human thinking — not replace it.”

Managing compliance and regulation as a catalyst 

Rather than viewing regulation as a constraint, GBC embraces it as a catalyst for better decision-making. Operating within Canada’s principle-based regulatory model gives GBC room to innovate — so long as it adheres to outcomes.

“We disclose our AI use, collaborate with regulators, and prepare for future frameworks like those emerging in Europe,” Ennamli explains. “It’s about transparency, not avoidance.” He encourages other practitioners to see regulation as a way to build muscle, not slow progress.

Collaboration, culture, and governance 

GBC’s structure allows for nimble AI adoption. Internal use cases — such as risk model development — can be handled autonomously by Ennamli’s team. But for broader initiatives, governance scales through collective oversight.

“We have a leadership team that views the entire portfolio together. If a project spans functions, we use shared governance to ensure alignment,” says Ennamli.

This transparency avoids duplication and helps teams identify overlaps and opportunities in real time.

Advice to CDOs: Build early, trust often

What advice does Ennamli have for Chief Data Officers?

“Bring in trust and risk functions at the beginning. Embed it in design, not just review,” he says. “You don’t want to do a compliance check at the 11th hour. That’s when trust becomes a blocker, not an accelerator.”

He urges CDOs to build relationships with their security and compliance counterparts early, fostering a shared language and common goals. 

Final thoughts: AI is just the beginning

As GBC continues to scale, Ennamli sees AI as one of the most promising value levers — but also just one of many in a growing digital toolkit. “AI is powerful, but it’s still just a technology. The human mindset, critical thinking, and cultural alignment around trust — that’s where the real transformation lives.” 

And while AI, cloud, and data platforms will evolve, the bank’s commitment to operationalizing trust remains a constant. “If you get trust right,” Ennamli says, “everything else becomes easier.”

About Ben Blanquera

Ben Blanquera is Vice President at Rackspace Technology, a global Hybrid cloud and AI services provider specializing in Data/AI, Application Development, and Security. A member of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board, Ben interviews global leaders to surface transformative insights and build actionable playbooks for the industry.