Q1: Reflecting on 2025, what were your bank’s major milestones from an operational perspective, and how did you achieve them? Conversely, what were the setbacks and challenges encountered along the way, and what measures were taken to surmount them? How have those lessons shaped your 2026 strategy?

Building on the strong momentum from 2025, RBC Wealth Management continues to grow in Asia by strategically recruiting private bankers across Hong Kong and Singapore and scaling client assets.

Enhancing the client onboarding journey operationally remains a priority to ensure a seamless experience for both clients and relationship managers (RMs). We aligned functional, front-office, and advisory teams around a shared experience framework that successfully reduced acquisition friction.

In response to the increasingly complex regulatory environment, we continued to embed risk management as a core operational discipline, designing new processes and technologies with compliance integrated from inception rather than retrofitting controls. This approach strengthens our ability to navigate the regulatory landscape while maintaining operational agility.

We have also observed distinct shifts in client preferences, including reduced risk appetite, heightened focus on yielding strategies, and earlier next-generation engagement seeking education and technology tools. We’re addressing these needs by deploying internal AI tools for hyper-personalisation, expanding our alternatives AUM, and building end-to-end system integrations.

As the only Canadian bank offering a comprehensive suite of global wealth management services in Asia, we are uniquely positioned to support clients through local advisors backed by our global team, deepening relationships while embracing private markets and responsible investing.

Q2: As private banks invest in upgrading their KYC systems and scaling AI capabilities, how are you addressing the operational challenges of integrating these technologies while driving measurable KPIs in revenue growth and delivering hyper-personalised client experiences?

We’re pursuing a phased, modular approach that minimises disruption to operations while establishing a flexible foundation needed for innovation and growth.

We recognise that data quality underpins the effectiveness of AI. We are investing in data governance frameworks that standardise client information across all touchpoints, ensuring our AI models operate with reliable, consistent data. This foundational infrastructure enables meaningful personalisation and actionable insights that drive client value.

AI is evolving rapidly and has the potential to fundamentally reshape how we work. Over 35,000 employees globally have been onboarded to RBC Assist, our internal generative AI tool, which helps to uncover opportunities to better serve and understand our clients and enables productivity gains that help our teams focus on higher-impact work.

Q3: The cost-to-income ratio is a key metric for assessing bank performance. What range do you consider optimal, and how is the bank managing the cost side—across investments, real estate, and other operating expenses—to maintain efficiency and competitiveness in the region?

The current landscape is marked by heightened regulatory requirements, inflationary pressures, and accelerating technological change. Against this backdrop, achieving operational efficiency through intelligent scaling has become paramount.

We balance disciplined cost management with strategic investments in digital transformation initiatives to reduce manual processes, while ensuring regulatory compliance and improving client experience.

Q4: With regulatory requirements continually evolving, private banks are reassessing their compliance systems and processes. From an operational perspective, what are the biggest challenges you face in meeting these requirements, and how is the bank tackling them to maintain both efficiency and client trust?

As regulatory frameworks evolve across multiple jurisdictions, our best practice-driven approach enables us to meet these requirements more effectively while navigating operational complexities.

We are actively investing in AML, third-party risk management, and data security and governance. Equally important is fostering a culture built on trust, dignity and respect through rigorous, ongoing compliance training. As a values-driven organisation, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and remain committed to earning the trust of our clients and maintaining our reputation for doing what’s right.