Our more than 18,000 employees in Global Technology and Operations (GTO) and Global Functions together form our Corporate Support team, which uses best practices to help meet the needs of our clients and help RBC develop innovative ways to generate revenue, realize cost savings and facilitate efficient processes and resource allocation. Corporate Support provides professional advice and timely support to our businesses, and maintains a sound governance framework that is critical to our success.

Global Technology and Operations
In partnership with our businesses, GTO provides the operational and technological foundation required for delivery of the client experience. We also deliver client sales and service directly through our contact centre network.

GTO comprises Personal and Business GTO Centres, Wholesale GTO Centres, Enterprise Operations, Information Technology (IT) Applications, IT Infrastructure and Innovation and Process Design. Our priorities are to:

•	Provide new solutions to drive client value and make it easier to do business with RBC.
•	Explore opportunities to leverage innovation by identifying emerging trends in applied technology, processes, and sales and service capabilities.
•	Ensure our systems, processes and operational capabilities are secure and sound, meeting all regulatory requirements.
•	Establish an effective and cost-efficient GTO organization while maintaining responsiveness to our businesses.

During 2005, we continued to maintain and enhance the means of delivery for new products and services, developed our technological capability and ensured all regulatory and compliance requirements were met. RBC was named to CIO Magazine’s list of the best companies in the world for technology and organizational excellence in 2005.

Global Functions
The Global Functions team consists of specialized professionals driving enterprise strategy that is aligned with strong performance management capabilities. We effectively manage our people, asset/liability profile and spread income, capital ratios and tax position while maintaining our risk profile and relationships with investors, credit rating agencies, regulators and other stakeholders in the increasingly challenging environment facing global financial services organizations.

Our team consists of Human Resources, Corporate Treasury, Finance, Group Risk Management, Strategy and Corporate Development, Internal Audit, General Counsel, Brand Management, Sponsorships and Corporate Communications.

Our priorities are to continue to:

•	Align our training, development and rewards programs to help employees meet the needs of our clients.
•	Invest in capabilities to better measure, understand and manage risk and capital, in conjunction with the Basel II initiative.
•	Enhance our controls to ensure our legal, financial and corporate systems reflect sound governance and best practice.
•	Develop enterprise compliance management initiatives.
•	Enhance performance measurement and the level of disclosure to the investment community.
•	Work with our businesses to effectively optimize external spending through enterprise-wide procurement and real estate initiatives.
•	Implement our Client First Initiative by streamlining processes and improving organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

In 2005, we contributed to our corporate goals and objectives by providing more focused, efficient and responsive support to the enterprise as a whole and to each of our businesses.