RBC appoints Chana Martineau to lead the bank's Indigenous banking and economic reconciliation strategy

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2026 /CNW/ -- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), today announced the appointment of Chana Martineau as National Head, Indigenous Banking and RBC Origins, which combines the bank's Indigenous Banking strategy team and Truth and Reconciliation Office, effective February 1, 2027. This strategic hire underscores RBC's long-term commitment to Indigenous economic empowerment and helps to position the bank as a leader in advancing reconciliation through actionable solutions.

Ms. Martineau will lead RBC's Indigenous banking strategy and economic reconciliation efforts, reporting directly to Sean Amato-Gauci, Group Head, Commercial Banking. In this role, she will lead the RBC Origins team and advance RBC's Indigenous market strategy to drive business growth and market share expansion, stewarding integrated deal opportunities across the bank's business lines. She will partner with businesses and functions across RBC -- including Wealth Management and Capital Markets -- to unlock the full value of the organization's scale and advisory strength, positioning the bank as the partner of choice for Indigenous clients and communities.

"Indigenous economic development is a strategic priority for RBC and a generational opportunity for Canada," said Mr. Amato-Gauci. "Chana understands both the financial mechanics and the community relationships that turn reconciliation commitments into real economic participation. She's the right leader to take RBC Origins to its next chapter."

Ms. Martineau brings over two decades of financial expertise to the role, most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer for the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC). In that role, she worked with the Government of Alberta to triple the corporation's loan guarantee capacity from $1 billion to $3 billion. Under her leadership, Indigenous partnership shifted from a reconciliation strategy alone to a core pillar of Alberta's economic development agenda. Prior to her role at AIOC, she held multiple executive roles at Canadian Western Bank (CWB) including leading Commercial Banking centres across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and rural Alberta, and served as executive sponsor of the CWB Sharing Circle, the bank's Indigenous employee group. She is a proud member of Frog Lake First Nation.

"With the growth of Indigenous economic participation, we've seen Indigenous Peoples having an increasing impact on Canada's long-term competitiveness," said Ms. Martineau. "I'm looking forward to joining RBC as we aim to deliver on the bank's ambitions and steward the evolution of its reconciliation journey."

As Canada advances major nation-building projects, meaningful Indigenous participation is essential to the country's economic prosperity. According to a report from RBC Thought Leadership, Indigenous communities and businesses have the potential to unlock significant opportunities -- including driving Canada's major projects forward and closing persistent gaps in access to capital and economic participation.

RBC Origins: A track record of impact

RBC Origins was launched in May 2024, building on decades of working with Indigenous individuals, organizations, businesses and communities. In June 2025, RBC published its Reconciliation Action Plan. Since then, RBC Origins has worked across the bank to help deliver on the following milestones:  

• Announced RBC's Indigenous Advisory & Finance practice
• Expanded RBC's collaboration with Futurpreneur, including the Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program
• Launched its first Indigenous bond
• Invested in an Indigenous-focused housing fund, Seven Generations Capital
• Increased access to no-cost banking accounts for Indigenous Peoples

To learn more about RBC Origins and RBC's Reconciliation Action Plan, visit rbc.com/indigenous.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 105,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.‎

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.

For more information, please contact:
Lara Banlaoi, RBC Corporate Communications

SOURCE RBC Royal Bank