Craig Thompson, Senior Vice President, Scotiabank, Atlantic Region

This month, we talked to Craig Thompson, Senior Vice President, Atlantic Region at Scotiabank. Scotiabank is a Canadian multinational bank serving customers in over 55 countries.

Tell us about Scotiabank and the greatest opportunities/challenges that lie ahead.

At Scotiabank we believe that every customer has the right to be financially better off. Our Financial and Small Business Advisors work with customers and prospects to ensure that they have up to date and accurate financial plans that will help them achieve their goals. These goals could include planning for retirement, helping to finance their children’s education, becoming a first time homeowner, or growing or transitioning a small business. Each plan is specific to each customer and takes into account their unique circumstances. At the same time we’re working hard to help our customers bank easier by ensuring that they are aware of the most recent digital enhancements which can let them do their banking at their convenience on their phone or tablet.

What do you see as the greatest advantages of operating a business in Halifax?

Scotiabank was founded here in 1832, so for the past 186 years we’ve known that Halifax is a wonderful place to operate. Looking ahead, we’re very excited about what the future holds in terms of economic growth, population growth and increasing diversity. We have a large footprint in the city made up of our 18 branches, Dealer Finance Centre, Commercial Banking team, Scotia Wealth Management offices and of course, the Atlantic Customer Contact Centre. Halifax is a great employer market with the local campuses of NSCC, Dalhousie, Saint Mary’s and Mount St. Vincent. As a result, we’re able to source highly-skilled talent from the moment they graduate. We have and continue to build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with these institutions. Cities like Halifax need to ensure they‘re investing in affordable housing and nurturing a vibrant arts and entertainment community to attract young talent beyond graduation day. Thankfully, Halifax delivers on all fronts and it’s one of the reasons we chose to make a significant investment in the Scotiabank Centre.

Hiring youth is important to the economic growth of Nova Scotia – what is Scotiabank doing?

We’re actively hiring youth across all of our business lines throughout the province. We have excellent opportunities for young people looking for a career in the financial services industry. Here in Halifax, we’re just putting the finishing touches on a brand new training centre. This new training centre and a revised training program will ensure that new Scotiabank Advisors are properly prepared when they start seeing customers and the onboarding process is enjoyable. However, our commitment to youth in Nova Scotia extends well beyond career opportunities. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) priorities are focused on helping young people reach their full potential. Investing in young people allows us to invest in the long-term security, stability and growth of our future. We proudly work with community partners like Hope Blooms, Phoenix, and United Way to enhance the health and education of young people in the community.