Helena Gottschling: How would you actually describe what you do and what you like best about the work that you do?

Jennifer Tory: Well, interestingly enough, I have daughters just the age where their friends have actually sought out my advice on career, and they want to understand what other careers are there in banking besides the ones that they would hear about. I've had to actually describe what I do, which isn't that easy in three sentences or less.

I guess, first and foremost, I run a business - a banking business I describe it as. But I think the way I describe it is that it's leading teams of people who are serving a whole range of customers, whether it be Small Business customers, Commercial, Retail, Private Banking, and then I guess the other element I always talk about is then representing RBC in the community. I think that's sort of the simplest way to describe what it is that I do, and then you can always add to that - and I spend a lot of time in meetings.

Helena Gottschling: Yeah, of course. What do you like best of what it is that you do?

Jennifer Tory: I think the thing I like best is the people leadership and people development. I think that throughout my career has been the thing that I've been most passionate about, and it's been the most rewarding, frankly.

Helena Gottschling: Yeah, I know. I can imagine. Did you ever think that you'd end up in a role like the job that you have now as Regional President of GTR?

Jennifer Tory: Well, from a seniority standpoint, absolutely not. I have far exceeded any dreams that I had about where I'd end up in terms of seniority, but from a role standpoint, I only could have hoped. Because, if I look back over my career, the kind of roles that I've had, the variety of roles I've had, I like to say that I've had roles in every nook and cranny of Canadian Banking.

This job has enabled me to bring all the different parts that I've learned throughout my different experiences in Canadian Banking into a job that combines the things that I love the most - people leadership, customers, community work - and so this is really, I think, one of the best jobs - well, I think it's the best job I've ever had, frankly.

Helena Gottschling: And I'm sure no two days are ever the same.

Jennifer Tory: No. I think that's one of the great things about these field roles in particular, is that you don't know what each day is going to bring. You can plan it - but when you're out in the market, which is where you spend a lot of your time, whether it be with customers or employees - you don't know what issues are going to come up. You don't know what kind of a customer, necessarily, you're going to run into and have a chat with and learn about. So, you're right: every day is different. I think that also makes it so that you... Really, I think that's one of the great things about working for a company like RBC, is that you can have a whole lot of careers within a career and have that kind of variety every day.