John Taft, head of the U.S. division of RBC Wealth Management, has been named chair-elect of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) for 2010.
Taft will continue to lead RBCs U.S. wealth management business while assuming this senior role with SIFMA.
For the past year, Taft has been the chair of SIFMAs Private Client Group Steering Committee where he has been advocating reform of the U.S. financial regulatory system, lobbying for a new harmonized federal fiduciary standard of care, expertise and advice for US broker-dealers and investment advisors.
Taft recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services on behalf of SIFMA about the importance of creating a new, federal fiduciary standard for broker-dealers and investment advisers who provide personalized investment advice to individual investors.
RBC is very pleased that John has been appointed as chair-elect of SIFMA, said George Lewis, group head, RBC Wealth Management. Johns appointment reflects the high standard of integrity, responsibility and client stewardship he has brought to both his role at RBC and to his public efforts to ensure individual investors are well served and the regulatory system is fair and efficient.