Despite rising costs, regulatory obligations, increased competition and technological advancements, Canadian banks continue to deliver impressive results. Join us on October 13 as Group Heads from three of Canada’s largest banks discuss strategic solutions for the Future of Banking. Canadian Club Toronto welcomes Colleen Johnston (TD Bank Group), James O’Sullivan (Scotiabank), Neil McLaughlin (RBC) and moderator James Bradshaw (The Globe and Mail), for a panel discussion on innovation, compliance, new technologies and their planned trajectory for success.
Colleen Johnston
Group Head, Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Corporate & Public Affairs, TD Bank Group
Colleen is currently Group Head Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Corporate & Public Affairs, TD Bank Group. Prior to this she was Group Head Finance, Sourcing and Corporate Communications, and Chief Financial Officer, TD Bank Group.
Colleen began her career in 1982 with Price Waterhouse. She spent 15 years with Scotiabank in various senior positions, including CFO of Scotia Capital. She joined TD in March 2004 as Executive Vice President, Finance Operations, and was promoted to the senior executive team in November 2005 as Group Head and CFO.
Colleen graduated from York University in Toronto with a bachelor of business administration. She received her chartered accountant designation in 1984 and in 2006 was elected a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA), the highest designation conferred by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, recognizing her outstanding career achievements and dedication to community activities.
Colleen has received numerous top industry honours as a senior finance executive – she was recognized by Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women three years in a row and inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2007. Colleen was named “Best Chief Financial Officer” in October 2009 by Canadian Business magazine, and in 2011, for the third year in a row, was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker. In 2012, Colleen was recognized as Canada’s CFO of the Year, an award that is presented annually by Financial Executives International Canada, PwC and Robert Half International. In 2013, Colleen was awarded the Catalyst Canada Honours in the Business Leader Category.
Colleen is on the boards of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Shaw Festival and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business at York University. She previously served as Chair of the Board for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Bridgepoint Health and the ShareLife Corporate Campaign. At TD, she is actively involved in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, as a founding member of the Women in Leadership Committee.
Born in Vancouver, Colleen currently resides in Toronto with her husband. She enjoys travelling, reading and an active lifestyle.
Neil McLaughlin
Group Head, Personal & Commercial Banking, RBC
As Group Head, Personal & Commercial Banking, Neil McLaughlin is responsible for RBC’s banking businesses in Canada and the Caribbean, including personal and commercial financial services, credit cards and payments, digital solutions, as well as RBC’s sales and branch distribution, operations and advice centres. Together with other members of Group Executive, Mr. McLaughlin is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC.
Immediately prior to this position, as Executive Vice President, Business Financial Services for RBC’s Canadian Banking division, Neil was responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading all lines of business that serve small business and commercial clients through an extensive business banking network.
Neil joined RBC in 1998 and has held a wide range of senior management and executive positions within Canadian Banking, including roles in the Credit Card and Personal Lending lines of businesses and distribution and operations. As well, Neil was Senior Vice President Marketing & Channel Strategy, responsible for leading Brand, Marketing, Advertising and Sponsorship, with direct accountability for digital channels, the physical distribution network, client knowledge and insights and the client information management team. He also served as Senior Vice President, Risk Operations within Canadian Banking Operations, responsible for credit adjudication, fraud, collections, operational risk and the Commercial Advisory Group.
Neil holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree and an MBA. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their two children and currently serves on the board of the Children’s Wish Foundation, Ontario Chapter.
James O’Sullivan
Group Head, Canadian Banking, Scotiabank
James O’Sullivan is Group Head, Canadian Banking. He was appointed to this position in June 2015. In this role, he is responsible for all retail, small business, commercial banking, wealth management and insurance operations in Canada, as well as the Bank’s administrative function of shared services.
James has been with Scotiabank since 1990, and has held senior leadership roles in Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, Finance and Asset Management. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President, Global Wealth Management.
James holds a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from York University, a Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business, York University. He is a past Chair of the Board of Directors at Humber River Hospital and current board member of Soulpepper, Toronto’s largest not-for-profit theatre company.
James Bradshaw
Banking Reporter, The Globe and Mail
James Bradshaw is banking reporter for the Report on Business. He covered media from 2014 to 2016, and higher education from 2010 to 2014. Prior to that, he worked as a cultural reporter for Globe Arts, and has written for both the Toronto section and the editorial page. He is a recipient of the Edward Goff Penny Memorial Prize, and joined The Globe and Mail in 2007.
