Public Policy at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy | University of Toronto

Ed Clark retired as Group President and CEO of TD Bank Group on November 1, 2014 after 12 years as CEO.

Ed graduated from the University of Toronto in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He earned his Master’s degree and Doctorate in Economics from Harvard University in 1971 and 1974 respectively. Ed has received honorary degrees from Mount Allison University, Queen’s University, Western University and the University of Toronto and York University.

Ed joined the federal government in 1974, where he held several senior positions in Finance, the Anti-Inflation Board, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Treasury Board. He was recognized as the Outstanding Civil Servant in 1982. He left the public sector to work for Merrill Lynch in 1985.

Three years later Ed was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Financial Corporation, a position he held until he joined Canada Trust Financial Services Inc. in 1991 as Chief Operating Officer. From 1994 to 2000, Ed was CEO of Canada Trust.

Following TD’s acquisition of Canada Trust Financial Services in February of 2000, Ed joined TD Bank Group as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TD Canada Trust. In this role he oversaw the successful integration of the TD and Canada Trust banking operations. He then served as President and Chief Operating Officer of TD Bank starting in July 2000. Ed became CEO of TD in 2002 in which position he transformed TD into a leading North American bank with a strong U.S. presence while achieving among the best total shareholder returns of large banks in Europe and North America.

Ed has throughout his career actively given back to the community both financially and with his time. He was the 2010 Cabinet Chair for United Way Toronto, and he is currently a member of the Chair’s Advisory Council for Habitat for Humanity Toronto. He provides support to WoodGreen Community Services, and organization that delivers programs to build sustainable communities in the Toronto area, and to Egale, Canada’s only national charity promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) human rights. Ed is also chair of the Advisory Board for the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto.

In 2014, Ed was elected to the Board of Trustees of US public policy organization, the Brookings Institute. He was also appointed Chair of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. In 2015, he was appointed as the Premier’s business adviser, to advise the government on how it can advance today’s economy and move to a knowledge-based economy.

Ed is regularly asked to speak at a number of prominent international events on a wide range of topics, including the Canadian economy, the banking industry, leadership values, and the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive culture in the workplace.

Ed has been honoured numerous times for his vision, integrity and strong leadership. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2010 as “one of the country’s highest distinctions” for his “contributions to Canada’s banking and financial industry, and for his voluntary and philanthropic endeavours.”  Ed has also received Egale’s Leadership Award in honor of his leadership in supporting LGBT communities, and the inaugural Catalyst Canada Honour, awarded to individuals who have made a critical and visible difference to women’s advancement.

In 2010, Ed was named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year, widely viewed as the most prestigious award in Canadian business. In 2011, Ed was named Ivey Business Leader of the Year by the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He was acknowledged by GTA Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) with the 2011 Outstanding Philanthropist award. In 2012 and 2013, Ed was named to Barron’s prestigious annual list of the World’s 30 Best CEOs. Canadian Business awarded Ed CEO of the Year in 2013, and in 2014, American Banker named Ed a Lifetime Achievement Honoree. In October 2014, the Harvard Business Review named Ed to The 100 Top Performing CEOs in the World.

Ed and his wife Fran make their home in Toronto. They have four grown children.