Join Canadian Club Toronto on March 7, on the eve of International Women’s Day, when we will hear from Laurentian Bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Rania Llewellyn, the first woman to lead a chartered Canadian Bank. Rania will be joined in conversation by Tanya van Biesen (Managing Partner, Board & CEO Succession Practice Canada, Korn Ferry) to discuss her ideas and efforts around equity at Laurentian and beyond, with a focus on the power of mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship.
*For virtual attendees, please note that the live stream will begin at approximately 12:40pm ET & the link will be provided closer to the event date*
Rania Llewellyn
President and Chief Executive Officer, Laurentian Bank
Rania Llewellyn was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Laurentian Bank in 2020, the first woman to head a major Canadian chartered bank. Under her leadership, the Bank has launched a new three-year strategic plan, purpose and core values, and has exceeded all of its financial targets over the past two years.
Rania is a first-generation Canadian, having immigrated from the Middle East in her teenage years. As a transformational change leader, her top priority is building high-performance teams and creating a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. Her focus on improving the customer experience and driving growth and shareholder value has earned her wide recognition and awards, including being awarded the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year Award in 2023, being named on Maclean’s 2022 The Power List, and included as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in 2021.
Rania has more than 27 years of experience in the banking industry. Previous experience includes serving as an Executive Vice President at Scotiabank, where she began her career as a part-time teller. She holds Bachelor of Commerce and MBA degrees from Saint Mary’s University where she focused on Finance, Marketing and International Business. In 2022, Ontario Tech University awarded her with an Honorary Doctor of Laws, and she received an Honorary Doctor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s in 2014. Rania is married to Sean Llewellyn and is the proud mother of two wonderful children, Sofia and Zachary.
Tanya van Biesen
Managing Partner, Board & CEO Succession Practice Canada, Korn Ferry
Tanya is a recognized and accomplished executive and leadership advisor with over 20 years of experience, focused on assignments at the Board, CEO and general management levels. She was also an early contributor to the buildout of the diversity, equity and inclusion practice at another leading global search and advisory firm.
Prior to joining Korn Ferry, Tanya led the client operations team of a global non-profit, focused on the advancement of talented women and other underrepresented groups in the workplace. In this role she was responsible for a team of 35 Relationship Managers and support staff working with over 500 client companies around the world. She was also accountable for leading and operationalizing partnerships in Latin America, the Middle East, and AsiaPac.
Tanya is an architect of change, passionate about exceptional leadership and building strong pipelines across the boardroom and C-Suite Her broad perspective coupled with her advocacy for gender equality as a driver of progress makes her a unique and powerful resource.
Tanya is an active member of the community. She is a Member of the Culture External Advisory Committee at OSFI, a Committee Member of the Executive Sleep-Out at Covenant House Toronto, a Member of the Advisory Board at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, and a Board Member of the Canadian Club of Toronto. Tanya holds a Master of Business Administration in Management from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management as well as a Bachelor of Commerce from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
