Biography: Dave McKay

David McKay

President & Chief Executive Officer, RBC

President & Chief Executive Officer, RBC

Dave McKay is President and CEO of RBC, Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization. He is reimagining the future of financial services to help RBC’s clients thrive and communities prosper.

An unwavering champion of big ideas and bold ambition, Dave is actively transforming RBC with a focus on deepening client relationships and delivering personalized advice and insights that people and businesses can’t get anywhere else. Under his leadership, the bank is bringing more value to clients through unique partnerships with leading brands and investing in technology that helps clients make better decisions.

Dave has led strategic acquisitions across several key markets accelerating growth and expanding the bank’s global presence, including City National Corporation in the U.S. and Brewin Dolphin in the U.K. Most recently, he guided the bank through the once-in-a-generation acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada, expanding RBC’s global banking capabilities and further positioning it as the bank of choice for internationally connected clients.

In his home market, he is a passionate advocate for Canada’s future prosperity and preparing youth for the future of work, he is also the Chair of RBC’s Diversity Leadership Council.

Dave joined RBC in 1983 as a co-op student in computer programming before moving to the organization’s retail banking arm. He then held progressively senior roles in retail and business banking, group risk management, and corporate banking. He became Group Head of Canadian Banking in 2008. During his tenure leading the division, Dave helped reinvent the bank’s retail operations for the digital age and rapidly changing consumer expectations.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Mathematics and an honorary Doctor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo. He also holds an MBA and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and an honorary degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Dave has served on the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and on the University of Waterloo Board of Governors. Currently, he is both a member and a Board of Director at the Business Council of Canada, a member of the U.S. Business Council, a Board of Director with the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and the Bank Policy Institute (BPI). Dave also serves on the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board and is the chair of the Business/Higher Education Roundtable, which brings together Canada’s top businesses, universities and colleges to find ways to better link workplaces and classrooms.

Among his many business leadership achievements, Dave is a Member of the Order of Ontario, a recipient of the Ivey Business Leader of the Year Award and was named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year for 2022.

Dave is a LinkedIn Influencer. You can follow him here.