Oakville, ON
Jim Westlake is a retired senior financial services executive. He spent 17 years at RBC in roles including head of RBC’s Canadian retail, commercial banking and wealth management businesses. Most recently, he was head of International Banking and Insurance for RBC. From 2000 until 2012, he also served as a member of the bank’s group executive which is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC. Prior to that, he spent 19 years at MetLife, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, Canada.
During his career, Jim served on many Boards, including acting as Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Canadian Bankers Association. His community involvement extended to additional community-driven positions including Director of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Chairman of Ottawa Ronald McDonald House and Campaign Chair for the United Way of Peel Region. As recognition to his commitment to community service, Jim received both the Queen's Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals.
A long-time supporter of the Paralympic Movement, including 12 years as a Director of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and being the founding Chair of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, Jim believes in an inclusive and accessible sport system. “Para sport is about so much more than the competitions,” he says. “High performance sports have changed the way many people think about people with a disability and has been a driving force in areas such as accessibility.”
Jim has an MBA from Queen's University. He is married and has four children and, in his spare time, enjoys travel, golfing and boating.
