BY J.M.LEE
Jacky Gill is the Regional Vice President, Investment & Retirement Planning – BC West, with RBC Royal Bank. He was recently appointed to this new and expanded role, building on his previous position as the Regional Vice-President, Fraser Valley. Having been a part of the RBC family since August 2000, Jacky is grateful to RBC for the unique opportunities to be of service in the community. A continual learner, Jacky is currently completing his Executive MBA through SFU’s Beedie School of Business. Previously, he has completed his Bachelor’s degree in Business at BCIT and holds his Certified Financial Planner designation.
“About two months ago,” Jacky reflects, “I had a colleague, Mark, reach out to see if RBC could assist in helping a wish come true for a young teen. Mark’s cousin, Clint Hamilton, was trying to help a 14 year boy, Jasper, to meet his hero – hockey goalie Roberto Luongo.”
As Jacky learned about Jasper and his journey with a rare illness, MPS VI—Mucopolysaccharidoses, he wanted to do everything he could to make this happen. MPS is very rare and affects approximately a thousand people worldwide, including about 15 people in Canada. Jasper was among eight patients who received experimental gene therapy treatment in Italy. The family travelled to Italy for this treatment in January 2020 with follow-up visits every 6 months for the next 3 years. We are pleased to share that the gene therapy has been successful!
Clint’s hope was to arrange for Jasper to meet Luongo on December 14th, when Luongo was to be inducted into the Ring of Honor. Naturally, it was in high demand and it was challenging to get tickets. “When I heard Jasper’s story, I felt compelled that RBC needed to help this young man realize his dream. I quickly connected with my managers executive assistant, and within a few days she was able to secure four tickets for Jasper and his family. I offered to join them and host them for the evening.”
This story is truly inspirational. When we asked Jacky who inspires him, he immediately mentioned his older sister and the various roles she has played in his life; whether that was to help raise him, provide advice on post secondary education, and career advice. He also acknowledged the endless love and support received from his parents and his siblings. “Our parents have been our inspiration. They have shown us what it means to have a strong and respectful marriage, be resilient and how to deal with adversity. I admire what they have done and the difficult decision to immigrate to Canada with very little resources and to build a better life for their intended family.” In addition, Jacky highlights the many mentors and managers throughout his career at RBC who have helped guide him over the last 23 years. “It’s not just one person who stands out. Each of them has played a role at different points in my career to help shape me into who I am today.”
Jacky reminisces, “I initially joined RBC to get some experience and then maybe leave afterwards, thinking that I might get lost in this big organization. Then I discovered RBC has a fantastic culture of developing and supporting their employees in building meaningful careers. In addition, the collaborative work environment made coming in to work engaging and fun. My managers invested in me and provided opportunities to learn, grow, and take on various roles and responsibilities. Working for a large organization like RBC, you can have multiple careers within the same company.”
Jacky believes in the servant leadership philosophy which is when the needs of employees are put first, power is shared, and the leader helps people develop and perform as to their highest potential. “The best part of leading people is playing a role in their development and career and helping them build confidence and skills so that they can thrive.” When asked what attributes and traits has helped him be successful, Jacky responds “I am known as a thoughtful, authentic, and empathetic leader who has a passion for coaching and developing others, as well as strong communication and collaboration skills.”
Jacky also highlights some of the adversity he’s faced in leadership. “The pandemic hit within three months of taking on my previous role. I had to quickly get to know and help my leaders and over 300 employees in the Fraser Valley and help them to navigate this difficult time. This experience challenged and stretched me in ways I’ve never experienced. It required a lot of patience, transparency, and over-communication, underpinned with deep empathy.”
Jacky is actively involved in the community currently serving as a board member for Archway Community Services Society in Abbotsford. He has dedicated his time and effort in championing initiatives for several organizations including JDRF Canada, Covenant House Vancouver, BC Children’s Hospital, and the United Way of BC. “This desire to give back comes from my upbringing as well as the incredible job RBC does to encourage employees to participate, contribute, and find opportunities to support the local community.”
Outside of work, Jacky enjoys spending quality time with his wife Karin and two daughters, Kiana and Aria. “I try to be the best father and husband I can be while staying focussed on my career and currently, making sure I allocate enough time for my MBA program. Life is certainly full, I couldn’t do it without my support system which includes my family, my RBC leader, and my colleagues.”
A defining quote about life and balance that Jacky abides by comes from Dolly Parton: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
