TD hires COO and general counsel amid executive departures

Toronto-Dominion Bank hired a chief operating officer from HSBC Holdings Plc and is replacing its general counsel as two top executives depart the company.

Taylan Turan will join Toronto-Dominion on Sept. 29 as COO and senior executive vice president, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Raymond Chun, the bank said in a statement Wednesday. At HSBC, Turan served as global CEO of retail banking and more recently led the global integration of the international wealth and premier banking businesses. He’ll relocate to Toronto from London.

Toronto-Dominion also said Simon Fish will join the bank as general counsel on Sept. 15, reporting to Chun as well. Fish was formerly general counsel at Bank of Montreal. 

The hires come as Christine Morris, senior executive vice president of transformation, ennoblement and customer experience, prepares to retire after almost four decades with the bank. Jane Langford, Toronto-Dominion’s current general counsel, who has been with the firm for 13 years, is also leaving. 

Toronto-Dominion hasn’t traditionally had a COO, though Chun himself, who became CEO in February, held the role for an interim period after the bank announced last year that he would succeed Bharat Masrani in the top job. 

The company has also promoted Paul Whitehead, a veteran Toronto-Dominion executive who currently leads Canadian branch banking, to be Turan’s deputy. Whitehead will start in the role of global head of client and colleague experience and marketing on Dec. 1. 

The latest leadership shuffle comes ahead of Toronto-Dominion’s investor day on Sept. 29, during which Chun plans to announce the firm’s new strategic direction. The management changes are tied to a focus on “disciplined execution and client experience leadership,” Chun said in the statement.