Al Ramsay

Vice President and Head 2SLGBTQ+ & Black Customer Segments, TD Bank Group

Creating Connections: Building bridges together as Black Business Stakeholders

As Vice President and Head 2SLGBTQ+ & Black Customer Segments, TD Bank Group, Al and his team act as a key liaison between Retail, Wealth and Business Banking to embed segment support across the enterprise. Designing and executing innovative strategies for both segments, these programs are considered leading edge within the financial industry across North America.

Originally from Jamaica, Al and his family moved to Canada in 1994 to start a new life and complete his education. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University. Over the past 20 years in the financial industry, Al has held increasingly senior positions supporting TD’s Diversity and Inclusion mandate leading customer, employee, and community initiatives. He has been instrumental in helping TD to become a leader in the 2SLGBTQ+ and communities.

Al’s previous work experience at TD includes: Associate Vice President, Diverse Customer Segments; National Manager, Diversity Community Relations; Senior Manager, Corporate Diversity; Senior Manager, Marketing Diversity and Branch Manager.

Al has a passion for advancing inclusiveness in the workplace and in his community. He spearheaded the launch of several of TD’s Employee Resource Groups, including its 2SLGBTQ+ and Black Employee Networks which have now expanded to include thousands of employees across North America.

He has served on numerous work committees and boards championing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Currently, Al is a board director of The Canadian Opera Company and Rainbow Railroad. He is also a member of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Alumni Advisory Committee and is a trusted advisor to the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

In 2016, Al was awarded TD’s Vision in Action Award, the Bank’s highest honour for an employee. In 2018, Al was awarded the Ted Rogers School of Management’s Trailblazer Alumni Award for his leadership work in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. In 2020, Al was the recipient of the International Day of Pink Executive Pride Award and the National Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding contributions

in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. In 2021, Al was recognized by The Black Professional Business Association, Decade Leaders Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence, and Start Proud Leaders to be Proud of Award, for Professional Excellence. In 2022, Al was honoured by The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention with the Lifetime Advocacy Award, the recipient of the Black on Bay Ball Trailblazer Award and named one of Canada’s 100 Most Influential Black Canadians. In 2023, Al was inducted into Sheridan College’s Pilon School of Business Hall of Fame. Most recently, Al was honoured with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Alumni Awards of Distinction.

In his spare time, Al is an advocate for promoting health, wellness and creating safe spaces for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. He also enjoys mentoring students and young professionals to help them achieve their full potential both personally and professionally.

Black Opportunity Fund (BOF)

Black Opportunity Fund (BOF) is a community-led registered Canadian Charitable organization, that supports a  prosperous, healthy and thriving Black Canada by challenging anti-Black racism in two ways by:

  1. Responding to long-standing underinvestment in Black communities 
  2. Working nationally to strengthen collective actions by Black organizations and leaders, helping them to create new and more impactful ways to support and advocate for our community. 

 

BOF prioritizes initiatives around education and youth, health, women and gender, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and recreation, and food insecurity, that impact the quality of life in Black communities across Canada.  

Upcoming events to highlight:

  • BOF x ByBlacks National Restaurant Week: we are a lead sponsor for the ByBlacks National Restaurant Week, Spring edition 2024 which runs from May 20 to 26, 2024.  ByBlacks Restaurant Week (BRW) is a semi-annual national food festival. During this event, Black-owned Canadian restaurants, caterers, pop-ups, and food trucks offer a Prix Fixe (special) menu or a $10 special discounted by up to 25% for seven days. Join us in this week-long celebration of culinary diversity! There are a number of restaurants in Western Canada participating so check it out: https://byblacks.com/restaurantweek

 

  • BOF x DoorDash #BlackFoodEnergy grant program: BOF has confirmed funding for the #BlackFoodEnergy grant program for Black Restaurants across Canada for the next 4 years. #BlackFoodEnergy celebrates, amplifies and supports Black Chefs and Black-Owned restaurants and the amazing things they are serving up in neighborhoods across Canada. The funding commitment for the extended agreement will be announced in June 2024 along with the launch of the #BlackFoodEnergy grant

Juno

Juno develops a compact, discreet and wearable device that eliminates menstrual pain instantly and over long periods.

Work and Chill Games

Work and Chill Games is a platform that helps companies find and book fun activities for their employees. It makes it easy for companies to plan engaging experiences that boost team spirit and productivity. With Work and Chill Games, employees can enjoy memorable activities that make work more enjoyable and build a positive work culture.