Visionary Canadian banker to open Sibos 2017 Toronto

Published 
  • Dave McKay, President and CEO of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), has been confirmed for the opening plenary session on Monday 16 October 2017

Brussels – Dave McKay, who leads RBC, Canada’s largest bank based on market capitalisation, will deliver the opening address at Sibos 2017 Toronto, as the country celebrates its 150th anniversary.

McKay has been credited with helping to transform the bank’s retail division, and introducing new technology that has enabled RBC to adapt and evolve to rapidly changing consumer demands. In 2015 he led the acquisition of City National Corporation, creating a platform for growth in private and commercial banking and wealth management in RBC’s second home market, the U.S.

McKay started at RBC as a computer programmer after graduating from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics, before moving to RBC’s retail banking arm. After his initial stint at the bank, he took a short break to complete his MBA at the Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario, before returning to RBC and working in progressively senior roles in Canada and Japan within retail and business banking, group risk management and corporate banking.

In 2013, under his guidance, RBC became the first North American financial institution to introduce person-to-person electronic money transfers to Facebook Messenger, which enabled customers to send and receive money via the RBC mobile app. He has also introduced a range of innovative mobile payments and secure cloud services. In recognition of his services to banking, he received the ‘Retail Banker of the Year’ Award from Retail Banker International in 2012.

Outside of RBC, McKay serves on the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and is a member of the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board and the Business Council of Canada. He was also the 2016 United Way Toronto and York Regional Campaign Chair.

Commenting on the announcement, Sven Bossu, Head of Sibos, said: “It’s an honour to have one of the world’s leading and most lauded bankers opening Sibos 2017 Toronto. This year’s theme is all about how financial institutions can build for the future, and Dave McKay has already demonstrated at RBC that by having the right tools and processes in place, financial institutions can stay ahead of the innovation curve and create the banks of tomorrow.”

“During the opening plenary, Dave will draw on his own background as a coder to discuss how he is driving innovation at RBC, providing the perfect start to a week of high-level discussions on how the industry can build for the future.”

Sibos 2017 will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) between 16-19 October. To find out more about this year’s event, and to register, visit Sibos.com.

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