This month, we introduce you to Christopher Matthews– Business Project Manager at RBC Wealth Management.Learn more about his leadership journey, what he feels are pressing issues in our region, and why inclusive leadership matters.
I was born in…Toronto, Ontario, Canada
And I currently live in….Toronto and I love living here because the city is very vibrant and full of diversity
I speak…..English, basic Spanish and looking to learn Cantonese & Mandarin in the near future!
Diverse leadership is important because……It helps to foster new and innovative ideas, encourages looking at things with a variety of perspectives, inclusion and overall acceptance of others. It’s been assessed that diverse leadership in an organization has shown higher rates of success (in regards to employees & customer satisfaction, and ROI).
The issues in our region that keep me up at night are…how the terms of inclusivity, respect and accountability are being expressed. The recent tone and messaging from various elections i.e. (USA) and major country votes (BREXIT in UK), as well as candidates in one of the party’s Leadership race, along with issues related to race relations such as Pride. All of which have created a divisive tone in our community and a lack of understanding and listening among people.
My greatest city-building accomplishment to date is….my continuous works with the organization that I helped incubate, Proud Politics and being a Diverscity Fellow.
One thing I do to ensure I continue to grow and develop as a leader is….. by always trying to learn new things and being open listen to different opinions, but also defining my own overall vision.
To me, an inclusive city/region/GTHA feels like….. a vibrant metropolitan with a mosaic of people working in all areas & levels of government, corporate and non-profits. A region that celebrates its diversity and incorporates it into the policies that governs the area.
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