Despite the existence of many different financial service providers, some consumers remain underserved and have limited access to funds or financial products. In some cases, access is limited by an individual’s financial history while in others it can be negatively impacted by their own confidence in their ability to navigate financial service firms. Technology has frequently been suggested as a possible solution to improving financial inclusion and while it brings distinct advantages, it cannot remove all barriers. This talk will explore the role of technology in boosting financial inclusion in addition to the underlying psychological and individual characteristics that may continue to limit one’s willingness or ability to make full use of financial services.

BIO:

Lynnette Purda was appointed interim Dean, Smith School of Business in January 2025. She is also Professor and RBC Fellow of Finance and recently held the role of Associate Dean (Graduate Programs). She is a Chartered Financial Analyst with industry investment banking experience and is an editor of the book Corporate Fraud Exposed.
Her primary research area is corporate finance with a focus on governance. Her work appears in leading academic journals and she has worked with policymakers and practitioners including the Bank of Canada, the Accounting Standards Oversight Council of Canada, and FP Canada. She is a past president of the Northern Finance Association.
Dr. Purda has been nominated for teaching excellence awards at both the undergraduate and Master’s levels. She has taught in programs across the Smith portfolio including Bachelor of Commerce, MBA, Master of Finance (both Toronto and Beijing), and Master of International Business. She also supervises the research of Master’s and PhD students and won the 2022 PhD/MSc Award for Research Supervision.