David Heisz is a seasoned executive, transformational business leader, and governance professional whose career spans more than three decades of leadership across financial services, capital markets, strategic consulting, and organizational transformation. Throughout his career, David has built a reputation for combining financial discipline with visionary leadership, enabling organizations to achieve sustainable growth while cultivating strong cultures and lasting stakeholder relationships. His executive experience ranges from advising entrepreneurial ventures to leading one of Canada’s premier financial institutions, providing him with a unique perspective that bridges the needs of high-growth businesses with the governance expectations of complex global enterprises.
David’s leadership journey is defined by progressive executive responsibility and an unwavering commitment to delivering measurable business results. As Chief Executive Officer of RBC Investor Services Trust, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada, he was responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the Canadian Investor Services business while serving as a key member of the global Executive Committee for RBC Investor & Treasury Services. In this capacity, he successfully led initiatives that delivered successive years of earnings and margin improvement, strengthened client relationships, and enhanced shareholder value through disciplined execution and long-term strategic planning. His leadership philosophy centered on balancing financial performance with employee engagement, client satisfaction, and operational excellence.
Prior to serving as CEO, David held the role of Managing Director within the COO Office at RBC Investor & Treasury Services, where he played a pivotal role in designing and implementing a significant global business restructuring following the formation of a new reporting division. He led strategic integration efforts, established governance frameworks for evaluating new business opportunities, and represented the organization within RBC’s Enterprise Strategy Office. These experiences further strengthened his expertise in organizational design, strategic execution, enterprise transformation, and cross-functional leadership.
David’s foundation in executive leadership was built during more than sixteen years with RBC Capital Markets, where he held increasingly senior leadership positions, including Managing Director of Global Markets and Vice President/Director of Global Fixed Income. During this period, he oversaw financial planning, business strategy, budgeting, regulatory initiatives, business integration projects, and mergers and acquisitions activities. He was instrumental in integrating acquired businesses, managing complex financial operations, and preparing executive and board-level reporting that informed strategic decision-making at the highest levels of the organization. These experiences established him as a trusted advisor capable of translating financial complexity into practical business strategy.
Following his executive banking career, David transitioned into strategic advisory work, allowing him to apply his extensive leadership experience to organizations of varying sizes and stages of growth. As Principal Consultant with Humance | Culture & Performance and as a Founding Service Partner with 1864 Ventures, he advises executive leadership teams on business strategy, organizational performance, governance, financial management, and sustainable growth. His ability to work effectively with both established organizations and emerging technology companies reflects his passion for helping leaders navigate complexity while building resilient, high-performing businesses. His current focus on technology companies and growth-stage businesses aligns with his desire to support organizations generating more than $10 million in annual recurring revenue as they scale toward their next stage of success.
A Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Economics from Western University, David brings exceptional financial acumen to every leadership opportunity. His background in accounting provides a disciplined analytical framework that complements his strategic mindset, enabling him to evaluate opportunities through both operational and financial lenses. Demonstrating his commitment to continuous professional development, he is also completing the prestigious Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation, further strengthening his expertise in modern governance, board leadership, enterprise risk management, and fiduciary oversight. This combination of executive experience and formal governance education positions him to make meaningful contributions in corporate boardrooms.
Throughout his career, David has consistently demonstrated an ability to unite diverse stakeholder groups around common objectives. His leadership extends well beyond financial performance to include employee engagement, diversity and inclusion initiatives, client retention, cultural transformation, and executive succession planning. He has successfully led employee town halls, organized conferences attended by more than 500 participants, and cultivated collaborative relationships across executive leadership teams, boards, regulators, clients, shareholders, and employees. Internationally, his work has included significant collaboration with teams across Europe, particularly through Luxembourg, giving him valuable global business experience and a broad understanding of international financial markets.
David’s commitment to governance extends into his community involvement. He currently serves as a volunteer board member with the Nakiska Alpine Ski Association and previously served on the internal board for RBC Investor Services. For many years, corporate conflict-of-interest policies prevented him from pursuing external board opportunities despite his interest in governance. With those restrictions now behind him, he is actively seeking corporate board roles where he can leverage decades of executive leadership, strategic insight, financial expertise, and governance experience to help organizations grow responsibly while creating long-term value for shareholders, customers, employees, and communities.
Outside of the boardroom, David values an active and balanced lifestyle centered on family, service, and lifelong learning. A father of five, he enjoys cycling, skiing, hiking in the mountains, and exploring new recipes in the kitchen. His volunteer work with Rocky Mountain Adaptive and Canadian Blood Services reflects his commitment to giving back to his community and supporting causes that improve the lives of others. These personal pursuits reinforce the leadership qualities that have defined his career: resilience, humility, curiosity, and a genuine investment in helping people and organizations reach their full potential.
Character:
David leads with integrity, accountability, and a genuine commitment to creating positive outcomes for employees, clients, shareholders, and communities alike. His willingness to mentor others, embrace continuous learning, and contribute through volunteer service reflects a leader who values purpose as highly as performance.
Knowledge:
With more than 30 years of executive experience, David possesses deep expertise in finance, governance, strategic planning, organizational transformation, and executive leadership. His combination of CEO experience, CPA credentials, and advanced governance education enables him to provide balanced, informed guidance across a wide range of business challenges.
Strategic:
David consistently approaches complex business situations with a long-term perspective grounded in financial discipline and operational excellence. His track record of leading restructures, improving profitability, guiding mergers, and shaping enterprise strategy demonstrates his ability to translate vision into measurable business success.
Communication:
A thoughtful communicator who builds trust through transparency, collaboration, and active stakeholder engagement. Whether presenting to boards, leading executive teams, speaking at large employee events, or advising leadership groups, he communicates with clarity, confidence, and a focus on achieving shared objectives.
