Enterprise Communications Leader

I help leaders turn strategy into employee understanding and action.

For 20+ years I have advised CEOs and C-suite executives across banking, insurance, pensions and institutional wealth. I currently lead commercial banking communications at M&T Bank and speak regularly on AI in communications. I earned my MBA at Cornell.

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Russell Evans speaking at a conference
20+years advising C-suite leaders
93%+trust after town hall redesign
100K+podcast downloads
25person team led
What I do

What I focus on.

Linking communication to results

Connecting executive communication to business outcomes, so strategy is understood, acted on and reflected in performance.

Raising employee engagement

Turning town halls and leader voices into two-way conversations that build understanding, trust and participation.

Building high-performing teams

Aligning leaders and employees around clear priorities, so teams move faster and stay focused on what matters.

Results

Numbers that matter.

93%+trust and understanding after redesigning Commercial Bank town halls at M&T Bank
98%of employees reported improved understanding of strategy after rebuilding town halls at CAAT Pension Plan
+120%brand awareness from the Pensions for Everyone campaign
25people on the integrated communications and marketing team I built and led
The Contributors Podcast cover art — a maple leaf formed by a crowd of people with the word Contributors in a navy speech bubble
Creator and host

The Contributors Podcast

Interviews with Canada's top CEOs. Ranked in the top 1% of podcasts globally, with 100K+ downloads and multiple Gold MarCom and Hermes awards.

100K+downloads
Top 1%of podcasts globally
+24%increase in the sales funnel
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Track Record

The organizations I've worked with.

Twenty years advising CEOs and C-suite leaders across banking, insurance, pensions and professional services.

2024 — Present · New York
M&T Bank
Head of Commercial Banking Communications

Direct advisor to the head of the Commercial Bank and its senior leadership team. Rebuilt town halls around business goals, built a performance dashboard with Finance, and led AI implementation across the communications team.

93%+trust & understanding
5xparticipation in IB calls
+25%leader LinkedIn growth
2023 — 2025 · New York
Cornell University
Executive Coach, EMBA Metro New York Program

Selected by Cornell to support the development of working executives enrolled in the Executive MBA Metro New York Program, coaching on communication, influence and strategic decision-making.

2020 — 2024 · Toronto
CAAT Pension Plan
Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Enterprise communications and brand leader for a $25 billion, 125,000-member pension plan. Built a 25-person team, created the Contributors Podcast, and led the Pensions for Everyone campaign.

+120%brand awareness
100K+podcast downloads
50KLinkedIn followers
2019 — 2020 · Toronto
PwC
Senior Communications Leader

Strategic communications advisor to the CEO and senior partners of one of the world's largest consulting firms. Designed and launched a firm-wide AI upskilling strategy years before generative AI went mainstream.

85%AI upskilling participation
2008 — 2018 · Toronto
Foresters Financial
Chief of Staff to the CEO & AVP, Culture & Communications

Primary strategic partner to the CEO on enterprise planning and executive alignment. Led a 10-year enterprise strategy rollout, a CEO blog, and an internal engagement program recognized with a Gold Quill Award.

91%role-to-goal clarity
+30%executive empowerment
Gold QuillAward of Excellence
2000 — 2003 · Toronto
The Walt Disney Company
College Marketing Representative

Began my career in marketing at Disney while in college — the foundation for two decades of executive-level communications leadership.

Russell Evans presenting at a Cornell event
Recognition

Awards and credentials.

2026

Editor's Choice Winner, Banking Tech Awards USA

Led recognition efforts behind M&T Commercial Bank's win for its AI-driven continuous credit monitoring partnership with RDC.AI.

2023

Hermes Creative Awards, Best Series and Best Episode

For the Contributors Podcast.

2022

MarCom Awards, three Gold awards

Best podcast series, best podcast episode and best web elements, for the Contributors Podcast.

Foresters

Gold Quill Award of Excellence

For an internal engagement program that built 86% understanding of the company's business strategy.

Credential

Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP)

Certification in strategic planning, executive advisory and enterprise-level influence.

Education and service

Education, teaching and community.

2023 · Ithaca, NY

Master of Business Administration

Cornell University

2004 · Toronto

Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing Major

Toronto Metropolitan University

2023 — 2025

Executive Coach, Cornell Executive MBA Program

Selected by Cornell to support the development of working executives enrolled in the EMBA Metro New York Program, coaching on communication, influence and strategic decision-making.

Board

Renascent Foundation

Board member for the foundation, which supports addiction recovery services.

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Speaking

Conferences and keynotes.

Talks on AI in communications, executive alignment and leadership visibility.

Book Russell to speak

Russell delivers practical, story-driven keynotes and panels that help communications leaders navigate AI, build executive visibility, and connect strategy to measurable results. Available for conferences, corporate events and podcast appearances.

Business leaders

How internal communications drives business objectives

How CEOs and their teams can use employee communication so that strategy is understood, acted on and reflected in performance.

Leaders and communicators

Why AI makes real communication more valuable

People quickly tell whether a message came from a person or a machine. What that means for how leaders and communicators use AI, and where a human voice matters most.

Communicators

Rebuilding the town hall

How a town hall built around business goals, simple performance indicators and interview-style segments raised trust and understanding above 93% at M&T Bank.

Russell Evans presenting at the Ragan Employee Communications Conference
Speaking at the Ragan Employee Communications & Culture Conference, presenting on stage to a packed ballroom.
Past speaking

Selected speaking engagements.

July 2026

Advanced Learning Institute Internal Communications Conference

Featured speaker on the challenges facing internal communicators today.

July 2026

Ragan's AI Communications Virtual Conference

Spoke on the impact of AI on internal and corporate communications.

May 2026

Keynote Ragan's Employee Communications & Culture Conference

Delivered the highest-rated session of the event, on executive-level approaches to alignment, leadership visibility and organizational performance.

May 2026

Staffbase Voices Americas

Spoke on AI's impact on internal and corporate communications.

The Contributors Podcast cover art — a maple leaf formed by a crowd of people with the word Contributors in a navy speech bubble
Creator and host

The Contributors Podcast

Interviews with Canada's top CEOs — ranked in the top 1% of podcasts globally, with 100K+ downloads and multiple Gold MarCom and Hermes awards. Past guests include leaders from across financial services, technology and public sector organizations.

100K+downloads
Top 1%of podcasts globally
3 GoldMarCom awards
2 HermesCreative awards
Featured episodes

Conversations with Canada's top CEOs.

Episode

A Thriving Future – How Deloitte is harnessing optimism for a better Canada

My conversation with Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada and Chile, on opportunities for Canada, talent strategy, and his immigrant journey and leadership lessons.

Episode

A New Era of 'Enabling' – How CIBC is leading modern change in the banking Industry

My conversation with Victor Dodig, CEO of CIBC, on how the bank approaches modernization, including its investments in technology, sustainability, employees and Canada's future after the pandemic.

Episode

Removing the Burden – How one organization is reshaping Canada's access to healthcare

My conversation with Zahid Salman, CEO of Green Shield Canada, on widening access to dental, oral and mental health care, the barriers to care, and the future of Canada's healthcare system.

Speaking inquiries

For conference keynotes, panel discussions, podcast interviews or workshop facilitation, connect on LinkedIn to start the conversation.

Connect on LinkedIn
About me Read and listen My track record
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Media

Articles and coverage.

Pieces I have written and coverage of my work. More on LinkedIn.

14 Sep 2026

Written by meAI;DR: Why AI Made Real Communication More Valuable, Not Less

Strategic. My argument that people now quickly sense whether a message came from a person or a machine, which makes live town halls and direct-to-camera video more valuable.

10 Apr 2026

InterviewWhat Channels are Actually For: a deep conversation about #internalcomms channels

Strategic. A conversation with Jeff Corbin and me, from a PRSA Internal Communication Certificate course, on what internal channels are for, including fragmentation, cascading, informal networks and AI.

25 Mar 2026

FeatureInside M&T Bank's town hall rebuild: Dashboards, interviews and focused agendas

Ragan Communications. A feature by Sean Devlin on how the Commercial Bank rebuilt its town halls around business goals, with simple performance indicators, interview segments and follow-up questions that test understanding.

11 Oct 2023

Press releaseCAAT Pension Plan's Award-Winning Contributors Podcast Tops 100,000 Downloads

CAAT Pension Plan. Announcement that the Contributors Podcast, which launched in October 2021 and has hosted top Canadian CEOs, passed 100,000 downloads after winning several industry awards.

About me See where I have spoken My track record