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Biography

Shari Austin served as Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the RBC Foundation, leading RBC's corporate social responsibility strategy, philanthropy, environmental affairs, and social finance across the bank's operations in over 45 countries. During her nearly two decades at RBC, she held a range of roles spanning payments systems policy, regulatory and industry affairs, and risk management before becoming a passionate internal advocate on environmental issues, co-developing the RBC Environmental Blueprint and the RBC Blue Water Project. She subsequently served as a senior executive at Century Initiative, a Canadian organization dedicated to ensuring the country's long-term prosperity in the context of its ageing population, where she led strategy development and all aspects of organizational operations. Her distinguished career spans over 30 years across the corporate and non-profit sectors, beginning as in-house legal counsel to a financial services industry association in Ottawa. Shari currently serves as President of Shari Austin & Company, providing strategic advisory services to corporations, foundations, and individuals on social impact, philanthropy, ESG, and governance, and coaches senior executives navigating career and life transitions. She is an active non-profit board member and advisor, and a recognized voice on corporate citizenship, Indigenous reconciliation, and social innovation in Canada. She holds a degree from McGill University and was nominated for the King Charles III Coronation Medal by United Way Centraide Canada.