the Portico
“Our mission is to enhance the relationship between the University and its alumni and friends and promoted pride and commitment within the University Community.”Consumers are No. 1 with banker
Consumer behaviour is a topic that captivated Anne Lockie, B.A.Sc. ’73, even before she came to the University of Guelph as a consumer studies student.
“I’ve always been fascinated by consumer behaviour and why people do the things they do,” says Lockie, president and CEO of RBC Financial Group’s Royal Mutual Funds Inc. “It was also the era of Ralph Nader, and I was interested in consumer protection.”
At RBC, Lockie leads the organization’s personal and business sales forces. She’s responsible for client satisfaction, revenue growth, cost-effectiveness and providing co-ordinated, streamlined client-centric delivery across all RBC’s personal and business sales teams. She joined the Royal Bank in 1976 in St. Marys, Ont., and has held senior management positions in administration, recruiting, financial management, employment equity and human resources planning in Toronto and Montreal. Her present work portfolio includes RBC Asset Management Inc., Action Direct, RBC’s self-directed brokerage business, and Look Good Feel Better.
Lockie says her U of G education gave her an understanding of the role of the consumer in the business context at a time when customers weren’t always a company’s first priority. She now sits on the advisory board for the College of Management and Economics.
“Looking back, I think Guelph’s consumer studies program was ahead of its time because of its focus on consumer behaviour and how that behaviour could lead to company loyalty in clients. At the time, this was a relatively new idea, but now it’s everything in business.”
An important part of her job is serving as a consumer advocate for RBC clients.
“This is the time when you need to be so proactive with customers because they’re so uncertain,” says Lockie of the current economic climate. “They want reassurance that you’re on their side as they work to build a future.”
Another key component of today’s business attitude is commitment to social corporate responsibility, she says.
“It’s part of the culture; an important thing that people talk about here a lot,” she says, adding that RBC donated $51.5 million globally last year, including $45 million donated in Canada.
“As the largest corporate donor in the country, we try to support a full spectrum of things, including arts, education, environmental initiatives, health and wellness, civic responsibility and social services. Every time I go out and visit branches around the country, they talk about the types of community activities they’re involved in. It’s really become an important part of the business culture. I’m such a huge proponent of corporate social responsibility. It makes such a difference to our communities and to the way we do business.”
By Rebecca Kendall
