Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 116
116
( 2026)
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Branching out: where RBC employees launch great careers
W
hen Spyros
Zarros
graduated from
a Toronto-area
university in
2023, he had both a bachelor of
commerce degree and impressive
organizational and moneymanagement skills, thanks to a
concurrent full-time job with the
students’ union. Yet he hadn’t
decided what his next move
should be.
So Zarros was open to the idea
when a close friend urged him to
apply to his own employer, Royal
Bank of Canada (RBC).
Working in a branch
is a remarkable
experience. You hone
foundational skills like
problem-solving and
critical thinking that
transfer well to any line
of work.
— Michelle Waite
Regional President, Greater
Toronto Region
“My friend worked at the RBC
branch at Pape and Danforth and
based on my education and career
goals, thought that it would be a
really good fit for me,” Zarros says.
“He’d always had great things to
say about his experience at the
bank, so I submitted my application to the branch.”
After rigorous formal and
on-the-job training, Zarros
became a banking advisor,
helping clients with their everyday
banking, credit and investment
Michelle Waite, regional president, Greater Toronto Region, at Royal Bank of Canada.
needs. In mid-2024, he became a
credentialed financial advisor and
now provides financial planning
and investment advice to personal
and small business clients.
He enjoys the work and
appreciates RBC’s collaborative
culture. “I’ve been amazed by all
the support I’ve received from my
colleagues, mentors and managers,” he says.
Michelle Waite, regional president, Greater Toronto Region, says
RBC’s branches are more than just
supporting banking transactions.
They are a place where ideas
happen — where employees can
experience a variety of meaningful
jobs great for launching, growing
and developing a career, she says.
It’s a crucial message for young
job seekers who all too often are
caught up in the “no experience,
no job” cycle, Waite adds. RBC is
committed to helping young
people overcome that barrier,
helping thousands of young people each year gain practical work
experience to launch their career.
“Working in a branch is a
remarkable experience. You hone
foundational skills like problemsolving and critical thinking that
transfer well to any line of work,”
says Waite, who launched her
own career at a branch in 2001
when she joined RBC’s summer
undergraduate program.
“At first, I was excited to have
a job, but I soon learned I could
have a career with RBC,” she says.
“In fact, I’ve had 11 different roles
within the bank so far.”
Some were with RBC’s branch
network, but Waite also expanded her expertise and skills in
divisions as varied as human
resources, national office, business
advisor enablement, and business
and commercial financial services.
One of Canada’s largest
employers, RBC offers numerous
career opportunities in personal
and commercial banking, and in
fields as diverse as tech, insurance
and corporate functions such as
law and marketing. RBC also encourages and enables employees
to explore roles in areas they may
never have considered.
Waite says the branches are
where employees can have a
direct and meaningful impact
on RBC’s purpose of helping
clients thrive and communities
prosper. This includes volunteer
