Demetra Streda – SVP & National Head, Corporate Client Group at RBC

Catherine Clark: Talk to us about your job, Demetra – you’ve got a really big role. Tell us about the job that you do, but also how you got there. 

Demetra Streda: Growing up, my dad really wanted me to be a CA. He knew a lot of CAs, and he saw that as a good career, but also very entrepreneurial. So he loved the idea that they could do anything. And I think he’s absolutely right. And I tried, I really did. I did my B Com, and I tried to get an internship with an accounting firm, and I hated it. And I was like, “Oh no, what am I going to do with my life?” I had disappointed my dad. I really didn’t love this. I didn’t love the tax side, and I just couldn’t see myself going through that very regimented career path that you follow to become a CA. But I realized I loved the economic side. I loved the business side.

So I thought, “Okay, well, maybe there’s a follow-up, like a CMA or something like that.” I finished that, but then, coincidentally, I also started looking into an MBA. And I think that’s where things really changed for me, career-wise, because I developed a real appreciation for real estate.

I found it fascinating. I’ve always had this natural curiosity – wanting to do more and take on new challenges. I think that curiosity eventually led me to take bigger career risks. And I think that’s important, to take career risks.

That mindset is what led me to an opportunity with RBC, which probably solidified my career. I’ve now been with RBC for almost 24 years! That’s really where I found my stride. I felt like I truly belonged. From there, I just kept progressing, driven by that natural curiosity, a willingness to take risks, and confidence in myself.

But honestly, I don’t know that I ever sat back and thought, this is the role I want to do one day. It was more about seeking out the next opportunity and expressing that curiosity.

Jennifer Stewart: What’s the most rewarding risk you’ve ever taken?

Demetra Streda: I have a long background, mostly in real estate finance. But right before COVID, there was an opportunity to go into our head office and run a strategy team – strategy for everything but real estate.

So, I was about to launch myself into something I had never done before – a strategy role. I had no prior strategy experience, but it was so exciting because it would teach me how to look at the bank’s operations differently. I’d have to consider all of our stakeholders: our communities, clients, employees, shareholders, and regulators, and think through that entire gamut of accountability. I found that fascinating, so I went for it.

It was an incredible career risk because I didn’t have the deep strategy background. I had to really dig deep and say, Okay, I’ve got this. I know the basics – I just need to think about it through a different industry lens. The fundamentals were already there.

It came down to trusting myself, making connections with people, listening intently, learning quickly, and applying what I already knew. I had to have confidence in the skills I had built over the years.

And it was fascinating – I learned so much through that role.

Catherine Clark: Demetra, I’d really love to follow up on what you just said, because I’m always fascinated by the number of conversations I have with highly accomplished women who you ask to do something, maybe a public presentation or something of that nature, and they really hesitate, because they think to themselves, can I do this? I’m not sure I can. It sounds like you’ve managed to figure out a way to overcome that, or maybe you don’t worry in that way either. How did you get to that place?

Demetra Streda: Trial and error. I just kept trying, kept proving to myself that I could do it. With every role that came up, I would think, Wow, that would be such a cool opportunity to try.

And deep down, you have that little voice inside saying, I can absolutely do that. But then you have your outside voice telling you, No, be humble. You’re not ready yet. You don’t have all the skills for that role.

There’s also that other side of you saying, No one has come to you and asked you to do this job, so you can’t put your hand up. You can’t go for it. I don’t know if that’s due to upbringing or just being a woman, but I do find that mindset common. That’s why I try to coach other women to be more declarative – to trust that they already have enough skills to take the next step.

For me, it took many steps along the way before I was ready to take a truly significant career risk. But through that, I learned to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I recognized the feeling. It was like, Okay, I’ve been here before. I managed it before. This feeling goes away, I just have to trust myself and keep going.

You have to push through the butterflies, the worry, and the anxiety. You have to trust yourself. When you rely on all the past experiences where you succeeded, you realize you can handle it. That’s what I learned to do, but it took a lot of time to get there.

Jennifer Stewart: Did you have a mentor? 

Demetra Streda: I’d say I had various people throughout my career who were helpful – people I could reach out to at different times. I don’t know if there was one specific mentor. I think as you grow in your career, you probably need different people along the way.

I’d say the person closest to me in that role is my husband. He’s been my biggest supporter. When I talk about things with him, it’s always helpful to get his perspective on how I might be perceiving a comment or an opportunity. He often has a completely different view – he’ll stand back and say, Oh, I didn’t think about it that way.

That really helps me – it’s valuable to talk to people and get different perspectives. You don’t have to follow everyone’s advice, but it’s good to listen and consider things from all sides.

Catherine Clark: What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received from a career perspective? But then also, I think we’d love to hear the worst piece of advice you’ve received too, because, to your point that you get a lot of advice, you don’t have to take it all. Sometimes filtering out the bad advice is just as important. 

Demetra Streda: If I think about the best advice I ever received, it was early in my career when I realized I wanted to do more – but I didn’t exactly know what.

You have these little inklings. You look up and think, Wow, I think I could do that. I would love to be in that kind of senior role one day. But then humility kicks in, and you tell yourself, No, that’s not for me. I need to be humble. I just need to work hard and eventually, I’ll get noticed.

Then someone gave me a piece of advice that really stuck with me. They said: Think about your next role based on all the ones you want to do after that. It’s not necessarily a ladder – it’s more like a matrix or a lattice. The idea is to think about all the experiences you need to pick up along the way to get where you want to go.

And then, set really ambitious goals. You don’t have to actually reach them, but if you don’t set big goals, you might not get anywhere. It’s that old saying: Shoot for the stars and land on the moon. If you don’t aim high, you’ll probably never push yourself far enough forward.

So, I started applying that advice to my own career. Coupled with a bit of natural curiosity, I think that’s what really helped me grow. I’ve relied on those pieces of advice ever since to ground me and to keep my career moving.

Catherine Clark: Just as a final question, what advice would you have for other women listening today in terms of their own career progression, taking risks as you have done? What are your thoughts? 

Demetra Streda: I think the most important thing is to believe in yourself. You’re capable of more than you think.

If I look back over the last 24 years, I never would have imagined myself in this role. So, I’d say: first, believe in yourself, and then let your confidence grow by embracing every challenge.

You have to step up, take risks, trust yourself, stay curious, and remain open to learning. Seek out challenges and surround yourself with people who push you to grow.

We talked a little bit before about mentors – you need to surround yourself with people who genuinely want you to succeed. Sometimes that might be people more senior than you, but it could also be your peers. For me, it was often my husband or friends outside of work who gave me the encouragement I needed. And finally, set bold ambitions for yourself.