News Release

Wealth Management CEO John G. Taft Recognized as a "Leading Individual" at the Family Wealth Report Inaugural Awards

MINNEAPOLIS (March 17, 2014) John G. Taft, CEO of RBC Wealth Management – U.S., has been named as a “Leading Individual” by the Family Wealth Report at their inaugural awards gala on March 13, 2014. The Family Wealth Report Awards celebrate best-in-class providers of private banking and wealth management services, with winners selected by a panel of judges based on their “demonstrated innovation and excellence” during 2013.

“While being recognized as a leading individual in the industry is no small feat in a very competitive marketplace, this award is very well earned as John has consistently, and with great commitment, applied his voice, visibility and influence to lead positive change within the industry, our business, and the community,” said George Lewis, group head, RBC Wealth Management & RBC Insurance. “John has actively strived to enact changes that benefit clients and reinforce integrity in the industry and has been a strong and very public advocate for stewardship and diversity.”

RBC took home three awards and was shortlisted for six others in the first-ever Family Wealth Report Awards. In addition to Taft’s award, RBC Wealth Management was recognized as the leading “Canadian Private Bank”, and RBC Investor & Treasury Services took the top spot in the “Global Custodian” category, based on the reliability and strength of its custody business which provides excellence in custody services to private clients.

In addition to its award wins, RBC was shortlisted for six other Family Wealth Report Awards:

RBC Wealth Management for Private Bank – Offering for Family Offices
RBC Wealth Management for Outstanding Contribution to Thought Leadership
RBC Wealth Management for Women in Wealth Management
RBC Wealth Management for Brand Launch
RBC Global Asset Management for Private Client Investment Platform
RBC Global Asset Management for Fund Manager

Taft has been very active in the financial services industry, striving to enact changes to improve the reputation of the industry by advocating for regulatory changes to re-build trust and confidence and shaping a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society. He is also the author of Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street, a book that explores the importance of stewardship as a core principle – for Taft personally; for the financial services industry; for the global financial system; and for society. He has shared his insights nationally with many top news outlets, in addition to authoring articles that appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider and Forbes. Taft also writes thought-provoking blogs as one of a select list of industry leaders who are part of the prestigious LinkedIn Influencer program.

John has been honored recently by other organizations, including Investment Advisor magazine who named John to its 2013 IA 25 list of the most influential people in the financial industry, and was included on the 2014 list of Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business by Trust Across America.

About RBC Wealth Management - U.S.
In the United States, RBC Wealth Management operates as a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Founded in 1909, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and other major securities exchanges. RBC Wealth Management has more than $260 billion of assets under administration and nearly 2,000 financial advisors operating in 190 locations in 42 states. Recently RBC Wealth Management was ranked “Highest in Investor Satisfaction With Full Service Brokerage Firms” in the J.D. Power & Associates 2013 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study.SM For more information, visit jdpower.com.

Contact Info:
Jonell Lundquist, RBC Wealth Management: 612-371-2239 or jonell.lundquist@rbc.com

Important disclosure information about Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and RBC Capital Markets, LLC