Vince to focus on Canadian bank's cross-border, cross-channel initiatives. The Royal Bank of Canada has put Brenda Vince, formerly head of the Toronto-based bank's asset-management group, in charge of strategy for its wealth-management division. She continues as a report to RBC Wealth Management head George Lewis.

As RBC describes it, Vince's new job is to "focus on initiatives which will have impact across businesses, product lines, channels and clients."

Canada, the U.S. and globally

RBC Wealth Management takes in the bank's Global Asset Management unit -- comprised of RBC Asset Management and Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management in Canada and Voyageur Asset Management in the U.S. -- as well as its U.S. retail-brokerage business -- formerly RBC Dain Rauscher, now RBC Wealth Management, USA.

"Brenda has been tremendously successful in building RBC Asset Management into an industry leader in Canada," says Lewis. "With her exceptional strategic insight, client focus, experience and commitment to operational excellence, [she] will now be a great asset to all of our wealth-management businesses as we continue to execute our strategy to extend our lead in Canada, expand in the U.S. and internationally, and attract and retain experienced professionals across all of our businesses."

Doug Coulter, who now runs discount-brokerage business RBC Direct Investing, will replace Vince as head of RBC's Canadian mutual-fund unit when she steps into her new role in February 2009.

Globally, RBC Wealth Management has more than $400 billion in assets under administration, nearly $200 billion of assets under management, and more than 4,000 financial consultants, advisors, private bankers and trust officers. -FWR

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