Meet Zabeen
Postcards from my journey
Hello, I’m Zabeen. I’m an advisor, coach, mentor, connector, board member, speaker, writer and media commentator. In short, I’m a retirement disrupter. I share ideas on work and life to inspire new thinking, action and impact. Here’s my story.
First Act: Growing up
1960 - Born in Moshi, Tanzania, to Kassamali and Malek, my parents of Indian heritage. My doting brother Mahmoud behind me.
1965 - Fifth birthday celebrations with my powerhouse grandmother looking on.
1967 - Causing some mischief.
1968 - Started being on stage early in life: School performance, with my best friends Rubina and Fayza.
1972 - Visiting Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania - I returned fifty years later with my children.
1974 - Immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, with my recently widowed mum and brother. Best country to live in!
1974 - First part time job at McDonalds earning $2.10/hour.
1977 - Graduated from Burnaby South Secondary School.
1977 - French immersion at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
1977 - Gap year after high school: Teller at Royal Bank. Who knew I’d stay 40 years, and “retire” as the Chief HR Officer? (Photo: branch in 2024 - exterior hasn’t changed much.)
1979 - Crowned Miss Indo-Canada. (Surprised that I entered a pageant? I am!)
1980 - My first car, a Camaro Berlinetta, with my cousin.
Second Act: Career and family
1980 - Graduated from the management training program at Royal Bank.
1986 - Married Mark (until 2013).
1990 - Moved to Toronto, an RBC career inflection point.
1994 - Completed MBA from Simon Fraser University (a week before Adam was born) with Ann Louise Filbert, Jack Choi, and Linda Reinbold - "The infamous group of 4."
1996 - Welcomed Aliya with big brother Adam (born 1994). Curiosity runs in the family!
1997 - Management Team performing "you're the one that I want" from Grease for staff RBC. Yup, that's me in the air.
1997 - Playing hooky in High Park. (Same year I was appointed to my first VP role at RBC, as VP, Employee Effectiveness, after 20 years and 14 business roles.)
2001 - An RBC “most proud of” moment - introducing RBC values with CEO, Gord Nixon. Service, teamwork, responsibility, integrity and diversity (yes, in 2001!).
2002 - Next most proud moment: Established RBC Diversity Strategy - talent, customers, communities - with the CEO as Chair of the Diversity Council. This strategy rooted in business strategy and leadership sparked comprehensive strategies in other businesses.
2007 - Appointed RBC CHRO, overseeing 80,000 employees in 40 countries; member of RBC’s Group Executive (this one was for papa!). In 2010 added responsibility for brand, communications and corporate citizenship.
2009 - With Gord Nixon, RBC CEO, one of many people who shaped my journey to CHRO, not just by mentorship, but by powerful sponsorship - speaking up for me when it mattered most.
2011 - Joined CivicAction (City Building organization) Board of Directors, beginning a decade of engagement, taking on Chair in 2018.
2012 - Hall of Fame inductee, Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 by WXN. Prior to that, named to the 100 most powerful women list in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
2014 - Career launch. An innovative program developed by the HR Team.
2014 - Honoured by Catalyst Canada as a champion for leadership in the advancement of women and minorities.
2015 - My journey has never been a solo one, thank you to my incredible HR Team.
2016 - What an honour to receive Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal for contributions to workplace diversity and inclusion. Beloved Governor General David Johnson, who made my mum feel so special, along with my daughter.
2016 - What a full circle moment for me: Conferred with Simon Fraser University’s Outstanding Alumni Award in Vancouver.
2017 - Fireside chat with Senator Ratna Omidvar, then Maytree Foundation President, in my role as Co-Chair, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) which elevated economic inclusion of immigrants to a business imperative. “Both the right and the smart thing to do.”
2017 - Lifetime Achievement award for HR Leadership at the Canadian HR Awards.
2017 - Retired from RBC after 40 years; 20 in Human Resources, 10 as CHRO. Bittersweet goodbye to an organization that gave me many opportunities and leaders who helped me unlock my potential.
My Purposeful Third Act
2018 - Launched my Purposeful Third Act, inspired by opportunities for impact, learning and joy.
2018 - Joined Deloitte as Executive Advisor, Future of Work; continued opportunity to make work better for humans, and humans better at work. One of my first responsibilities? Interviewing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
2018 - Appointed Special Advisor to the Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada by Clerk Michael Wernick. Also served Clerks Ian Shughart, Janice Charette and now John Hannaford (pictured in 2023).
2018 - Meeting the remarkable Malala.
2020 - Appointed Executive in Residence at Simon Fraser University, Beedie School of Business. Their mission: develop innovative and socially responsible business leaders with a global perspective (with Dean Ujwal Kayande in 2022).
2022 - Appointed Senior Advisor to Knockri, an AI-based HR firm that supports hiring and promoting efficiently and equitably.
2022 - Disrupting Retirement in my Purposeful Third Act - chasing bubbles on vacation in Lisbon, Portugal.
2022 - Named Co-Chair, City of Toronto Economic Development Plan Advisory Panel.
2023 - Honored to join Junior Achievement Worldwide Board of Governors, a top-10 NGO that builds employment, entrepreneurial, and financial literacy skills for 20 million youth annually, with a goal to reach 100 million by 2050. (Photo in Oslo, Norway)
2023 - Delivering the Convocation Speech for University of Toronto, Scarborough Business graduates, a deeply meaningful experience.
2023 - My journey back to Moshi, Tanzania, my birthplace, with my children, 50 years after I left: Reconnection and healing (finally brave enough to complete the grieving process for my dad).
2024 - Deloitte Partners Meeting with my Human Capital colleagues.
2025 - Hosting a fireside chat with Premier Susan Holt at Canadian Club Toronto, where I’m proud to serve as a board member.
2025 - Humbled to accept an Honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Trent University.
Today - Seven years later and still loving my Purposeful Third Act - “Unlocking human potential and building inclusive prosperity” through a portfolio of activities: Impact, Learning, Joy. Deep gratitude to my incredible supporters!
The twists and turns of my Purposeful Third Act
“Now what?” That’s the question I asked myself after I “retired” from a rewarding 40-year career at RBC. I was excited about my next chapter, yet uneasy about the future. Virtually overnight, I had lost much of my identity and my status. For 10 years, I had been the Chief Human Resources Officer at the largest Canadian bank. My life was built on disciplined routines and an overflowing work calendar. Retiring felt like I was stepping into an abyss. Now what was I supposed to do? Then it dawned on me that I had thrived in previous transitions. I wondered if I could make this one my best yet.
I took a step back to reflect on my first two acts. I wanted to see who I was then, who I really was, not who other people told me I was, or wanted me to be. How was I supposed to live my life now? What was I supposed to accomplish? And the toughest question: Who did I want to be? After much contemplation, I landed on my purpose: To unlock human potential and build inclusive prosperity. I set out to design a framework and a playbook for a meaningful and balanced life where I could use my experience, skills, relationships, resources and passion to make social and economic impact. I was inspired by the philosophy papa (my dad) lived by: ”To whom much is given, much will be required.” I immigrated to Canada as a teenager with my brave mum and brother, shortly after my papa passed away, and felt grateful for the opportunities I’d had. I wanted to do my part to ensure the next generations in Canada also have opportunities to succeed.
Using my newfound freedom to live more authentically was full of twists and turns. As I transitioned into my P3A, there were times when I felt isolated, uncertain and even overwhelmed. Loss of identity and status sometimes even brought feelings of shame. All this was destabilizing. Thankfully I allowed myself to be vulnerable and asked for help from advisors, coaches, trusted friends and colleagues. They pushed me to dream big and not to constrain myself because I’m “older” and supposed to be retired.
I had expected my P3A to last five years or so, after which I would retire the conventional way. I was wrong! My early experiences and reflections during the Covid-19 pandemic changed my perspective. I realized my P3A could last 20+ years and be the path to living my best life by contributing to building a better Canada for all.
Today, I wear many hats: I’m an advisor, speaker, writer, mentor, connector, convenor and board director. I’ve built a portfolio of complementary roles and activities and work across all sectors—business, government, post-secondary institutions, and not-for-profits—because I strongly believe in the power of cross-sectoral collaboration. My choices are guided by my purpose and values. I prioritize impact, learning, well-being and joy.
One thing has become clear about my Purposeful Third Act: I get more than I give.
Purpose is my North Star
Values guide my actions and behaviours
My values guide me day-to-day as I work to unlock human potential and build inclusive prosperity. I strive to align my actions and behaviours to my values. When I don’t get it right, I learn from it, say sorry when I need to and move on.
Inspire Change
Responsibility
Collaboration, Community
Authentic, Empathetic
Diversity & Inclusion
Curious, Always Learning
Zabeen’s bio
Zabeen is a strategic advisor to the private and public sectors, a thought leader on the future of work and leadership, culture, purpose, AI, skills and work, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Her senior leadership and board experience bring a practical perspective to her advisory work, and as a speaker, writer, and media commentator. Now in her Purposeful Third Act, she creates impact by activating her purpose: Unlocking human potential and building inclusive prosperity.
Prior to this, Zabeen had a distinguished career at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) culminating in a decade as Chief Human Resources Officer, where she oversaw 80,000 employees across diverse businesses in 40 countries. She was a member of RBC's Group Executive Committee, which set the bank's strategic direction, and she also held responsibility for brand, communications, and corporate citizenship. RBC was consistently recognized as a leading employer, brand, and corporate citizen.
Zabeen’s current business roles include Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte and Senior Advisor to Knockri, an AI-enabled HR firm.
Zabeen spends half her time doing pro-bono work. She is Special Advisor to the Clerk of the Privy Council for the Government of Canada, and a member of the Mayor of Toronto’s Economic Action Team. Active in post-secondary education, she is Executive-in-Residence at Simon Fraser University's (SFU) Beedie School of Business, and an advisory group member of University of Toronto's Reach Alliance and Bridging Divides at Toronto Metropolitan University. Zabeen serves on the boards of the Public Policy Forum, Junior Achievement Worldwide, Canadian Club Toronto and is the past Chair of CivicAction. She also acts as an informal advisor to leaders across these sectors. She taps into her network to connect individuals with shared goals for social impact, and to help emerging leaders advance their careers.
Zabeen’s recognition includes the Canadian HR Awards Lifetime Achievement in HR Leadership, Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal for Diversity and Inclusion, SFU Outstanding Alumni Award, Catalyst Canada Honour for championing women and minorities in business, Top 25 Women of Influence, three-time WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women list and Hall of Fame inductee, Corporate Executive of the Year, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. She also holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Trent University and is a fellow of Centennial College. She has been listed in the Canadian Who’s Who for over 20 years.
She holds an MBA from SFU and an ICD.D (from the Institute of Corporate Directors).