Virtual Event: Women Who Lead: Celebrating International Women's Day

Join the Empire Club of Canada in celebrating International Women's Day with Rania Llewellyn, President and CEO of Laurentian Bank, and Jennifer Reynolds, President and CEO of Toronto Finance International and former President and CEO of Women in Capital Markets. A 2021 WXN Top 25 Women of Influence recipient with over 25 years in the banking industry, Rania Llewellyn will discuss her career and her journey to becoming the first woman to lead a major Canadian bank.

Rania Llewellyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Laurentian Bank of Canada

Rania Llewellyn was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Laurentian Bank of Canada, on October 30th, 2020. She is the first woman to lead a major bank in Canada.

Ms. Llewellyn is a strategic and innovative leader with more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry. She previously served as Executive Vice President, Global Business Payments, at Scotiabank, where she began her career 26 years ago as a part time teller. Over the years, she rose through the ranks and held Senior positions at Scotiabank such as Vice President, Multicultural Banking; President and CEO of Roynat Capital; Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, Growth Strategy; and, Senior Vice President, Products and Services, Global Transaction Banking.

Ms. Llewellyn has distinguished herself as she developed innovative products in retail and business segments. Her focus has always been on improving customer experience, driving growth and shareholder value. In 2018 and 2019, the operations teams she led were recognized for their exceptional customer service by the SMQ Group. In 2019 as well, the teams she was responsible for received the Cash Management and Payments Innovation Award by Aite Group and the Judge’s Choice Award for responsible Innovation in Financial Services at the Annual Canadian FinTech and AI Awards. That same year, she received the Women in Payments Award for Thought Leader from the Women in Payments Association for her outstanding work in modernizing the Canadian payments industry.

Born in Kuwait to an Egyptian father and Jordanian mother, Rania Llewellyn immigrated to Canada from Egypt in 1992 after the Gulf War. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, an MBA and an honorary doctorate from Saint Mary’s University. She is married to Sean Llewellyn is the mother of two wonderful children, Sofia and Zachary.

Jennifer Reynolds, President and CEO, Toronto Finance International

Jennifer Reynolds is the President and CEO of Toronto Finance International, TFI, a public private partnership whose mission is to promote and develop Toronto’s financial services sector, and to establish its prominence as a leading global financial centre.

Jennifer’s 20 year career in the financial services industry has included senior roles in investment banking, venture capital, and global risk management. Prior to joining TFI, Jennifer was the President and CEO of Women in Capital Markets, WCM, Canada’s largest industry association and advocacy group for women in the financial sector.

Jennifer is a Director on the Board of Citibank Canada, Director on the Board of BF and M Ltd, Director on the Board of the Canada Development Investment Corporation, CDEV, and a Director on the Board of Women’s College Hospital Foundation. Jennifer is the Co Chair of the UN convened Financial Centres for Sustainability, FC4S, network and also serves on the Advisory Council for the Institute of Sustainable Finance. In 2015 and 2017, she was named a Women's Executive Network, WXN, Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winner.

Jennifer is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Women's Leadership program, and she received her MBA from McGill University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Economics and Political Science from McGill University. Jennifer also holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation, ICD.D.