At RBC’s Investor Day in March of this year, the bank’s president and chief executive Dave McKay took the opportunity to highlight why he believes Canada’s largest bank is also among its most trusted.

“At the heart of everything you hear today is a relentless long-term focus on our clients and the market-leading franchises that bring them value every day,” he said to a roomful of analysts, investors and senior executives (with more tuning in to the livestream) during its first investor day in seven years.

“As you know, we are a purpose-driven company that exists to help clients thrive and communities prosper. This is our north star and defines who we are,” he said. This October RBC once again earned the highest in customer satisfaction among Canada’s Big Five retail banks by J.D. Power.

The meeting was convened after a successful growth year for RBC that would also not be without its challenges. As the year progressed, these centered around global uncertainties such as market volatility and an escalating trade war and tariffs with the U.S., which accounts for more than a quarter of RBC’s revenue.

“2025 was a year of significant macroeconomic uncertainty, market volatility and geopolitical shifts,” McKay told Extel. “Managing that uncertainty and its impact on clients—from retail clients right through to large corporates—has presented both challenges and opportunities, and helping our clients understand and make sense of the world around us has become more important than ever.”

The respondents to Extel’s 2025 Canada Executive Team agree that McKay and his team have managed this uncertainty well and voted him the top chief executive in the financial institutions sector of its annual survey.

Buy-side analysts, money managers and sell-side researchers at securities firms and financial institutions that cover Canada were asked to name the best chief executive officers, chief financial officers, and investor relations professionals at the companies in their coverage universes.

An integral part of the Canadian economy remains the mining sector, and Ammar Al-Joundi, the chief executive of Agnico Eagle Mines, Canada's largest mining company and gold producer has once again been recognized as No. 1 in the basic materials category in this year’s ranking.

As gold continues to hit price setting records—and Agnico Eagle Mines delivered record free cash flows—it is important to not lose focus, according to Al-Joundi, whose company has six operating mines.

“Despite these results, we have remained focused on our priorities, maintaining financial discipline and taking a balanced approach to capital allocation,” he said. “The projects we are advancing are the same projects that are profitable at much lower gold prices and we continue to work on de-risking them as they progress.”

Read on to hear more from these top Canadian executives on their proudest moments and greatest challenges from the past year—and what is already top of mind for 2026.

What are you proudest of in 2025?

The safe and consistent operational performance from our sites across the board. By focusing on productivity initiatives and disciplined cost management, our teams have reinforced operational reliability and delivered consistent production, quarter after quarter. At the end of the third quarter, we were on track to meet our full year production and cash cost guidance. This strong operational performance, paired with a higher gold price environment, translated into record financial results and margin expansion. Some would say that’s just business as usual but maintaining that disciplined approach in a higher gold price environment is a differentiator, enabling us to deliver strong leverage to gold and drive sustained value creation for shareholders.

What has been the most challenging aspect of running your business this year?

This year, we delivered record free cash flows underpinned by our strong operational performance and higher gold prices. Despite these results, we have remained focused on our priorities, maintaining financial discipline and taking a balanced approach to capital allocation. The projects we are advancing are the same projects that are profitable at much lower gold prices and we continue to work on de-risking them as they progress. We have strengthened the balance sheet by building cash and reducing debt, increased shareholder returns through share buy backs and reinvested in the business, all while staying disciplined.

As the year draws to a close, what is on your mind for 2026?

In 2026, our priorities are clear. First, we will continue to focus on safety while driving productivity, efficiency and disciplined cost management to continue delivering consistent, reliable results and reinforce our strong performance. Second, we are committed to advancing and de-risking our pipeline projects by setting and executing clear milestones. These initiatives are designed to unlock sustainable growth and create long-term value over the next decade and beyond.