Return to Bay Street Program (RTBS) 2024

Relaunch your finance career

Applications open September 5th, 2024

Relaunching Careers | Retaining Top Female Talent in Canadian Finance.

Since 2010 WCM’s Return to Bay Street Award Program (RTBS) has played a pivotal role in retaining professional women in the industry by providing a pathway back to their successful careers after migration or an extended period of leave.


. The program will be run in 2 cycles:


  • February - May
  • September- November

**Applications will be collected during the first 3 weeks of each cycle


This program will continue to bring experienced women back to the mid to senior roles from which they left, rather than having to work their way up the ladder again.


When you apply please identify if you would be entering in the Returnship or Newcomer stream. See eligibility criteria below.


Successful candidates receive:


  • A paid full-time or contract position at an RTBS partnering financial institution (either at a buy-side or sell-side firm);
  • Access to WCM programming with a one-year complimentary WCM membership;
  • Visibility across the industry (and media);
  • Opportunity to network with firms involved in the program.



Prospective candidates receive:


  • Opportunity to attend an interview skills workshop with HR leaders to practice and receive feedback on interviews;
  • Multiple opportunities to expand their professional network and connect with industry leaders – as well as for partners to meet all prospective candidates;
  • Visibility with RTBS partner firms;
  • Opportunity to re-familiarize with industry trends, job-search and interview process.

To date, RTBS has brought 124 experienced women back to the industry. Of these recipients, 76% plan to remain in the industry, 32% received promotions and 84% progressed their careers in the same firm in which they were placed. Each year, the program continues to gain momentum, and visibility in the media and in the industry, reaching new levels of success.



Candidate Eligibility

RETURNSHIP

Eligible candidates are women in the process of returning to the workforce who:

  • Must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the Canadian finance sector;
  • Have taken a career hiatus for the last 12 months or longer and not currently employed;
  • Demonstrate an interest and commitment to re-launch a career in the finance industry.
  • Must be legally able to work in Canada.


*If you have completed Rotman's Back to Work program this supersedes all previously mentioned criteria for eligibility, other than employment with a sponsor firm.

NEWCOMER

Eligible candidates are women in the process of entering the Canadian finance industry:

  • Must have a minimum of 3 years of experience in the finance sector outside of Canada;
  • Are not currently employed full-time in Canada;
  • Demonstrate an interest and commitment to re-launch a career in the finance industry.
  • Must be legally able to work in Canada.



Application Process

Applications open Feb 20th

Key dates

Cycle 1

  • Info session #1: Feb 12, 3-4 pm

  • Cycle 1:
    • Applications open- Feb 20

    • Applications close- March 11 (9am)

    • Resumes to sponsors- Week of March 18

    • Hires compete- end of May

Cycle 2

  • Applications open- September 16

  • Applications close- October 4

  • Resumes to sponsors- Week of October 14

  • Hires compete- end of November



RTBS: UNITING FIRMS IN AN INDUSTRY-WIDE APPROACH TO STRENGTHEN THE PIPELINE OF MID-SENIOR FEMALE TALENT

As an industry, we lose a significant number of female talent just mid-way through their careers – a loss which has extensive implications for firms and the financial industry.

WCM’s Return To Bay Street Award (RTBS) offers a large-scale response to this female brain-drain, by uniting firms in an unparalleled industry-wide approach to address the gender gap in the senior ranks of finance, to ensure the pool of experienced female talent is accessible to firms, and to support firms in achieving their internal diversity strategy.

RTBS has grown to become Toronto’s most established and prominent returnship. The combined participation, support and resources of our RTBS partners allows the program to scale beyond what an individual firm could realistically achieve. Through RTBS, partners gain access to an incredible pool of skilled and experienced female talent who are seeking to relaunch their careers in capital markets on both the buy-side and sell-side. These candidates have proven success in mid to senior-level capital markets roles, represent an invaluable part of the talent pipeline and are ideal candidates for hire.

The ultimate aim is for these candidates to transition into permanent roles following their returnship and grow into successors for leadership positions.

RTBS: UNITING FIRMS IN AN INDUSTRY-WIDE APPROACH TO STRENGTHEN THE PIPELINE OF MID-SENIOR FEMALE TALENT

Past RTBS Award Recipients

While there is no guarantee of permanent placement after the contract has been completed, 90% of award recipients have completed their work terms and continue to work in capital markets today.

2022

Tarang Agarwal, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Caroline Cruickshank, CIBC Capital Markets

Mary Juwape, BMO Capital Markets

Kavi Khandelwal, TD Securities

Mary Macharia, RBC Capital Markets

Oyinkan Ogungbemile, RBC Capital Markets

Omobola Ogunti, BMO Capital Markets

Adeola Ogunyemi, Manulife Investment Management

Zhen Qin, BMO Wealth Management

Sue Ann Van Damme, Mackenzie Investments

RTBS Recipient, Manulife Investment Management

Catherine Winchell, Gluskin Sheff + Associates

Sabrina Wu, RBC Capital Markets

2021

Bunmi Alao, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets 

Krishnaveni Anantharaman, TD Wealth 

Yamiko Chanje-Nkanza, Manulife 

Grace Efezokhae, BMO Capital Markets 

Naina Garg, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets 

Zahra Hussain, RBC Capital Markets 

Aileen Limketee, BMO Capital Markets 

Sheri Liu, BCI 

Nishar Nwanozie, BMO Capital Markets

Yemi Obigbesan, BMO Wealth 

Morayo (Mo) Olujobi, BMO Capital Markets 

Ahudiya Osiri, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan 

Alix Quashie, Mackenzie Investments 

Kenya Shaimanova, BMO Wealth

Hao Tian, CIBC Capital Markets 

Nicole Turnbull, TD Wealth 

Mirella Villela, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets 

Nicole White, BMO Wealth 

Sara Zheng, BMO Capital Markets

2020

Samantha Amerasinghe, BMO Capital Markets

Julia Barsky, BMO Capital Markets

Ruth Burk, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Josephine Franks, Manulife

Valerie Grimba, RBC Capital Markets

Madiha Javed, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Maggie Lane, TD Wealth

Aigul Narzhanova, TD Securities

Nike Omotayo, TD Wealth

Negar Tabrizi, Scotiabank GBM

2019

Samira Amini, OTPP

Alana Cherwenka Cameron, MacKenzie Investments

Caroline Escott, TD Wealth

Ximena Fierro Langle, Scotiabank GBM

Jacqueline Fry, TD Wealth

Jemi Onyejiaka, BMO Capital Markets

Connie Raddatz, BMO Capital Markets

Erica Roa, MacKenzie Investments

Ivoneke Taylor, OTPP

Katrin Tosine, BMO Capital Markets

Lovelyn Toyo, RBC Capital Markets

2018

Kristine Beese, BMO

Lisa Brown, Scotiabank

Tiffany Dinh, BMO

Anita Ho, RBC

Maria Hunt, CIBC

Dimitra Kappos, BMO

Roanna Kim, RBC

Leila Kulbayeva, TD

Ella Liapis, RBC

Rajeshwari Nair, TD

2017

Claire Blessing, RBC Capital Markets 

Kimberly Berman, BMO Capital Markets 

Christine Darling, Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets 

Lina Dihay, National Bank Financial Markets 

Hannah Green, TD Asset Management 

Carol Lee, BMO Capital Markets 

Amandeep Minhas, BMO Capital Markets 

Christine Sauriol, RBC Capital Markets

2016

Mela Bihuniak, National Bank Financial

Ingrid Blauer, BMO Capital Markets (Montreal)

Anshu Grover, RBC Capital Markets

Vesna Gmazel, TD Securities

Dionne Klein, CIBC Capital Markets

Anita Lee, RBC Investor & Treasury Services

Binah Nathan, BMO Capital Markets

Annette Niebuhr, BMO Capital Markets

Joanna Pollock, RBC Capital Markets (Montreal)

Beverly Sahota, BMO Capital Markets

Elizabeth Seger, CPP Investment Board

Ariane Stren, Scotiabank

2015

Tanja Bey, RBC Capital Markets

Christina Caney, TD Securities

Roberta Carano, Scotiabank

Michelle Fiebig, National Bank Financial Markets

Maria Hunt, BMO Capital Markets

Karin Huo, RBC Capital Markets

Seong Kim, BMO Capital Markets

Meric Koksal, CIBC

Ilaria Rubbini, TD Securities

Jennifer So, BMO Wealth Management

2014

Ellen Bernardeau, National Bank  (New York City)

Andreea Constantin, RBC

Susan Cowan, BMO Capital Markets 

Robin Harris Porter, BMO Capital Markets 

Helen Thomas, BMO Capital Markets 

Judy Tredgett, Scotiabank 

2013

Barbara Glassford, BMO Capital Markets 

Christie MacDonald, BMO Capital Markets  

Rakhi Tejani, National Bank

2012

Mary Ann Mendes, BMO Capital Markets 

Catherine Staveley, BMO Capital Markets 

Sheralyn Mills, BMO Capital Markets

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