Brian Johnston Porter (born 9 February 1958) is a Canadian

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

who served as the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

(CEO) of the

Bank of Nova Scotia The Bank of Nova Scotia (), operating as Scotiabank (), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. One of Canada's Big Five banks, it is the third-largest Canadian bank by deposits and ...

from 2013 to 2022. Porter began his career in 1981 with the investment brokerage

McLeod Young Weir McLeod, Young, Weir & Co. Limited, and after 1977, McLeod Young Weir Limited, was a Canadian investment brokerage that operated from 1921 to 1988. The firm grew to become one of the country's largest brokerage houses and provided services includi ...

, which was acquired in 1987 by the Bank of Nova Scotia. Over the ensuing decades he was appointed to a series of increasingly senior roles with McLeod and the bank. On 1 November 2012 he succeeded Richard Earl Waugh as the bank's president. He remained in the office until 1 December 2022, when he was succeeded by Lawren Scott Thomson.

Early years and education

Brian Johnston Porter was born in Calgary on 9 February 1958 to Johnston Donald Porter and Shirley Ann Wight. Porter studied at

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

, where he graduated bachelor of commerce in 1980.

Career

Porter began his career in 1981 with the investment brokerage house

, and by 1986 had become a vice-president. In December 1987, McLeod Young Weir was acquired by the

and renamed ScotiaMcLeod. In 1988, he was elected a director of ScotiaMcLeod and in 1990 became a senior vice-president. In 1996, he became managing director for institutional equities. Two years later, in 1998, he attended the

Advanced Management Program An Advanced Management Program (AMP) is an intensive non-degree senior executive education program often offered by elite business schools and aimed at senior managers and government officials. It is offered by business schools in several parts o ...

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

. From 2005 to 2008, he was the bank's executive vice-president and

chief risk officer The chief risk officer (CRO), chief risk management officer (CRMO), or chief risk and compliance officer (CRCO) of a firm or corporation is the executive accountable for enabling the efficient and effective governance of significant risks, and re ...

, from 2008 to 2010 was group head of risk and treasury, and from 2010 to 2012 was group head of international banking. On 1 November 2012, Porter succeeded Richard Earl Waugh to become the bank's president, and on 1 November 2013 succeeded Waugh as chief executive officer. He held the office until December 2022, when he was succeeded by Lawren Scott Thomson. In 2023, Porter was appointed as the chair of the Ontario Infrastructure Bank.

Personal life

On 24 May 1986, Porter married Megan Anne Mustard. They have three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Brian J. Living people 1958 births Canadian bankers Dalhousie University alumni Scotiabank presidents Businesspeople from Calgary