George Lewis, CA, CFA, ICD.D
Group Head, Wealth Management
Funds Co-Managed:
As Group Head, Wealth Management, George Lewis leads the RBC businesses that directly serve the growing wealth management needs of affluent and high net worth clients in Canada, the U.S. and outside North America, and businesses that provide asset management and trust products. As a member of the RBC Group Executive since February 2007, Mr. Lewis is one of eight executives responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC.
As Group Head, Wealth Management, George oversees Canada's largest full-service brokerage business, RBC Dominion Securities, as well as Estate and Trust Services and Private Counsel, the country's leading discretionary investment management business. In the U.S., George Lewis is responsible for the seventh largest full-service brokerage firm and the sixth largest clearing firm serving independent brokers and registered investment advisors. He also oversees the international division of RBC Wealth Management, which provides wealth management services to clients in 36 offices in 22 countries. George is also responsible for the Global Asset Management division within RBC Wealth Management, which is Canada's largest private sector asset manager and largest fund company through RBC Asset Management and Phillips, Hager & North and, together with Voyageur Asset Management in the U.S., provides global investment management services to all client segments. George Lewis is Chairman of RBC Asset Management Inc., a position he has held since 2000, and he continues to co-manage the RBC Global Dividend Growth Fund.
Prior to joining RBC Asset Management in 2000, George was managing director, head of institutional equity with RBC Capital Markets, responsible for institutional equity sales, trading and research activities. His responsibilities included the management of the firm's client businesses within the global equity division. These businesses comprised over 200 individuals globally with more than 50 per cent of equity sales and trading personnel located outside of Canada.
George’s career with RBC began in the investment banking division of RBC Capital Markets in 1986. He worked on some of the firm's largest merger and acquisition, and underwriting assignments. Between 1990 and 1996, George was a top-rated analyst in the research department of RBC Capital Markets. He covered telecoms, pipelines and gas and electric utilities. He was Canada's top-ranked analyst for three consecutive years from 1994 to 1996. In 1995, George was appointed director of research of RBC Capital Markets, overseeing a period of growth that resulted in the firm having the largest number of "all-star" analysts and top-ranked research in surveys of Canadian institutional investors.
He joined RBC after earning a Master of Business Administration degree with distinction from Harvard University. He acquired his chartered accountancy while working with Arthur Andersen & Co. and a Bachelor of Commerce degree with high distinction from Trinity College at the University of Toronto. While working with RBC, George earned the chartered financial analyst designation, as well as being certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
George Lewis serves on the Board of Directors of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He Chairs the Bishop's Company of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, as well as a member of the Cabinet of the United Way of Greater Toronto and Patron. George is also a member of the Board of Directors of Ontario Power Generation Inc.
Born in Pembroke, Ontario, George and his wife Leanne live in Toronto and have two children.
