Julie Gaudry, Vice President, Creditor & Travel at RBC Insurance appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Directors as Valerie Gillis steps down.
(Toronto, Ontario, June 22, 2026) – The Canadian Association of Financial Institutions Insurance (CAFII) is pleased to announce the appointment of Julie Gaudry, Vice President, Creditor & Travel at RBC Insurance, as the incoming Chair of its Board of Directors. Ms. Gaudry succeeds Valerie Gillis, SVP, Head of Life, Health and Credit Protection at TD Insurance, who has completed her term as Board Chair as of June 2024. Ms Gaudry assumes the role at a pivotal time for the industry, bringing a distinctive combination of insurance leadership, client strategy and health sector expertise to the position.
“Insurance products, such as credit protection insurance, play a real and meaningful role in the financial security of Canadians, and I am deeply committed to ensuring CAFII continues to advance that cause,” says Julie Gaudry, Vice President, Creditor & Travel at RBC Insurance. “I am grateful to Valerie for her leadership and look forward to working alongside our members including her to shape a marketplace that delivers real value to consumers.”
In her new role, Ms. Gaudry will work closely with CAFII’s member institutions to advance the association’s advocacy priorities, deepen engagement with federal and provincial regulators, and ensure that the association remains a credible and effective voice for innovation in financial services insurance. Her appointment reflects CAFII’s commitment to leadership that is both strategically focused and grounded in deep industry experience.
“Over the last two years we have strengthened CAFII’s position and impact in building a more accessible, consumer focused insurance marketplace. It has been a privilege to serve as CAFII’s board chair,” says Valerie Gillis, SVP, Head of Life, Health, and Credit Protection at TD Insurance. “Julie is a thoughtful and accomplished leader who understands both the complexity of this industry and the responsibility we have to the Canadians we serve. CAFII is in excellent hands.”
CAFII represents a broad coalition of financial institutions committed to making insurance accessible, transparent, and relevant to Canadian consumers. Since 1997, the association has worked to foster a competitive and open insurance marketplace, distributed through a wide range of channels including contact centres, agents, brokers, direct mail, and digital platforms. The association also works closely with government regulators at both federal and provincial levels to help shape a legislative and regulatory framework that ensures Canadian consumers have access to insurance products that suit their needs. CAFII remains dedicated to maintaining high standards in the distribution and marketing of all insurance products and services.
As Vice President, Creditor & Travel at RBC Insurance, Ms. Gaudry leads a team of insurance professionals responsible for product development and management, and the strategic direction of the Creditor & Travel insurance businesses. She works closely with Personal and Commercial Banking to ensure insurance solutions are seamlessly integrated within the client journey, helping to address insurance coverage gaps for Canadians. A trained healthcare professional, Ms. Gaudry joined RBC in 2006 and has held progressively senior roles across Human Resources, Group Benefits, and Insurance leadership. She began her career as a Doctor of Chiropractic and holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University and a Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
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About CAFII: The Canadian Association of Financial Institutions in Insurance is a not-for-profit industry association dedicated to the development of an open and flexible insurance marketplace. CAFII believes that consumers are best served when they have meaningful choice in the purchase of insurance products and services. CAFII’s 15 members include the insurance arms of Canada’s major financial institutions–BMO Insurance, CIBC Insurance, Desjardins Insurance, National Bank Insurance, RBC Insurance, Scotia Insurance, Canadian Western Bank and TD Insurance, along with major industry players Assurant Canada, The Canada Life Assurance Company, Canadian Tire Bank, Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada, CUMIS Services Incorporated, Manulife (The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company), and Securian Canada.
For further information and media requests:
Contact: Wendy Bairos, Media Consultant
Email: wendy.bairos@cafii.com
Phone: 416-831-9820
