John G. TaftSpeaker and Booking Agent Information

Taft is active in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the leading securities industry trade group in the U.S. He served as chairman-elect in 2010 and chairman in 2011. As a representative of SIFMA, John has advocated for responsible financial reform and testified before Congress in support of a federal fiduciary standard of care.

An active diversity advocate around issues of gender identity, Taft also serves as executive sponsor for the firm's Proud RBC Individuals for Diversity and Equality (PRIDE) employee resource group. Under his leadership, the firm has received a 100% rating in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for five years running. John previously was named an “Outstanding Corporate Diversity Leader" by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

Taft is the author of two books. His first book, "Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street," published in 2012, looked back at the financial crisis and called on the industry to return to its stewardship principles. Editors at Amazon selected Stewardship as one of their “top picks" for March 2012, and it was named “best book of spring" on Bloomberg radio, while Bloomberg TV cited it as an “absolute must-read book."

His latest book, "A Force for Good: How Enlightened Finance Can Restore Faith in Capitalism," looks forward and offers innovative ideas on how the financial system needs to evolve to help secure a better future for everyone.