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She found that opportunity when she
learned about CWB’s plan to open a new
banking centre in the region. She was
immediately impressed by its down-to-
earth approach when it comes to banking
and company culture, and gladly accepted
an offer to lead its team when the location
opened several months ago.
“The entrepreneurial spirit of CWB really
marries well to the entrepreneurial drive
of our clients here in Waterloo Region,”
says Rebecca, who shared her insights
and career journey this past fall at the
Chamber’s Women Take Charge event.
“It came with some really long hours She credits her work in the equestrian “Businesses here are rapidly growing
and was emotionally taxing. Here you sector and running her own business for alongside the massive growth of the
have this wonderfully deep relationship giving her the competitive edge required Region, but that’s not without its growing
with your horses and clients, but it to master this new world. pains. So, I think many owners are
is those connections that make it “I knew how to work hard, how to fail looking for a bank who is truly a partner
heartbreaking when a horse has an injury, smartly and learn from it. I have that and who literally knows what that journey
and my workplace satisfaction could be sense of a competitive athlete, plus the feels like. We’re smaller than the big 5, but
dependent on something as unpredictable grit and trainability, which I think was a this just means we can be more focused
as whether or not a horseshoe stays on.” real differentiator, coupled with 10 to on what makes you need to achieve your
goals.”
She also found it difficult financially, and 12 years of relationship management,
began seeking a new path that would because horses don’t write checks, people Rebecca feels her personal momentum
provide more stability. It led her to do,” jokes Rebecca, who was becoming a building as she champions CWB’s role
develop networking opportunities with CFA charter holder during this time. “I was in the business community. For her,
a group of mostly women professionals, able to apply the can-do attitude of being maintaining ambition is key when it comes
including accountants and business a small business owner to find and carve to succeeding, admitting that determined
owners, whom she met during her out new roles at the bank.” women are often not rewarded the same
equestrian career. way as their male counterparts.
Rebecca’s combination of education,
“At this point, I was in my early thirties characteristics and experience
and had very limited work experience
in an office setting. I really didn’t know resulted in several global and high-
much about equity research or what’s a profile private banking placements
capital market, and I’m looking at this in Grand Cayman, London, England,
path, these roles and thinking about what Manhattan, and Toronto. It’s a
characteristics or strengths I can bring to phase of her career that resulted in
them,” says Rebecca, who while obtaining a lot of travel, and eventually, some
her MBA would often travel to Bay Street
on Friday afternoons when she had no soul searching.
classes to meet with financial experts. “I loved dealing with entrepreneurs, but
“I was having incredible conversations there was something not relatable to PHOTO BY BRIAN RODNICK
with these women and would ask them, structuring credit for billionaires. It was
‘What do your days look like, and who a bit surreal,” says Rebecca, who gladly “It’s good to have personal drive and set
else should I speak with?’ and by the end accepted an opportunity to move into lofty goals,” says Rebecca, who still finds
of that school year I had probably spoken the commercial banking side for RBC time to help as an equestrian judge at
with 10 to 15 different people from all of in Waterloo Region. “It felt like a return the grassroots level. “But you have to
the big banks.” home.” marry those goals with ambition for the
enterprise, ambition for your team and
With her sights clearly set on a banking However, she likens working in that big ambition for your clients.”
career, she was recruited by RBC just after banking environment as trying to bake
the ‘credit crunch’ of 2008-2009 into a cookies using a recipe that isn’t your
very competitive rotational program. She own and allows no room to substitute
describes the experience as ‘institutional ingredients.
speed dating,’ allowing her to spend “I was at a crossroads and was looking for
six-month intervals learning different something where I could express more
aspects of the industry, including wealth entrepreneurial drive and really have an
management. impact,” says Rebecca.

www.cambridgechamber.com Winter 2025 47