Vice President, Treasury Credit – Investment Banking, TD Securities, Oakville, ON. Born: Linstead, St. Catherine, Jamaica.
Marlon Reid has worked in the Investment Banking arm of TD Bank Group (TD Securities) for over 9 years in progressive roles. His focus has involved negotiation and deal execution of TD Securitiesā energy origination transactions, in addition to various other over-the-counter derivative and capital market transactions. He has provided legal support to the Asset Securitization Group, Structured Product Group (Asia-Pacific) and the Commercial Paper desk. And has developed an industry reputation as a skillful, but ādisarmingā negotiator. While others look for differences, Marlon focuses on what matters most, with a view of getting things done.
Marlon is a standout at TD Bank and holds a place in bankās talent pipeline of future leaders. In line with TD Bankās mission to be the best run, customer-focused, integrated financial institution with a unique and inclusive employee culture, he led a project to structure and develop a training program for new and existing employees of the Treasury Credit team in TD Securities to, among other things, help foster a learning environment across industry and functional teams. After running a pilot in 2009, the training program was successfully launched in spring of 2010.
In 2009, he was appointed to co-chair the Black Community Subcommittee of TD Bankās Diversity Leadership council on which he holds a seat among a team of TD executives. With a stated mission of making TD Bank, the bank and employer of choice in the Black community, Marlon is focused on showcasing the individual talent and collective potential of the Black community, through employee, customer and partner engagement.
Marlon is a tireless and committed role model and community leader. He is very active in the community, serving two terms as President of the Urban Financial Services Coalition in 2009 and 2010. In this role Marlon served as chair of the executive board of UFSC Toronto and was tasked with not only delivering professional development, networking and outreach to minority financial service professionals and communities but, through financial literacy, encourage minority kids to see financial services as a viable career option which would ultimately raise the economic condition of member communities. With the launch of a ground-breaking UFSC branded financial literacy program for young adults, the organization is poised to deliver on its mission. Going forward, as President Emeritus of the UFSC executive board, he will chair the Corporate Advisory Board to UFSC Toronto in 2011 and 2012.
Marlon holds an undergraduate business degree from York University, a law degree from the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Finance degree from University of Toronto’s prestigious Rotman School of Management. He received appointments to the AGO Next Committee of the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the YMCA Leadership Council for Innovative Education. In fall of 2010, Marlon was appointed, by Richard Nesbitt, Chairman and CEO of CIBC World Markets Inc., to the Financial Services Advisory Board to the Rotman School of Management, which brings together some of the best minds on Bay Street with the leaders of the Rotman School.
Favourite book? Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. This book makes an important hypothesis and asks pressing questions about success and the things that distiguish people who succeed from those who do not. That so many, with the potential to succeed, fail to recognize and exploit opportunties is largely a function habit. Success is the manifestation of an individual’s (10,000 hour) habit or commitment to obtain ultimate mastery over a skill, resource or gift, while being conscious of opportunties that emerge from time to time.
Favourite quote? “It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture…” – Benjamin E. Mayes
Given the chance, what would you love to do that you haven’t done yet? I would love to chart my ancestral origin back to before the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Who or what inspires you? My high school soccer coach and mentor, Paul DeLyon, once stressed the importance of being fluently bi-cultural. Success for our community will be determined by our ability and willingness to learn how to speak the language of business as well as the language of our community. I am inspired by a burning need to be the best I can possibly be, so that the blood, sweat and tears of those who have paved the way, was not an exercise in futility, but one of sacrifice, commitment and faith in the potential of our race.
Why do you do what you do? I do what I do out of a sense of duty and responsibility. When I know that the success of others is directly or indirectly a function of my success, I am always motivated to hold up my end of the deal.Ā I have a dogged determination to succeed and to show the youth in our community that I am no different that them. The suit that I wear is simply a part of the ‘language’ of business and it says nothing about the food I eat, the music I listen to, or the clothes I wear at home. Pursuing a career in business or finance does not mean that you have to become someone else in the process.