Renate
Cunneen
Executive Leader. Keynote Speaker. Author. Advocate.
Helping organizations lead with courage, clarity, and compassion — from the boardroom to the margins.
About Renate
Renate Cunneen's story does not begin in a boardroom. It begins at fifteen — the age she left home and stepped, alone, into a world far beyond her years. She navigated what many could not have survived: profound hardship, circumstances that would have broken most, and a path forward that had to be carved entirely from her own courage and resolve.
What emerged from those early years was not despite the adversity — it was because of it. A tenacity, a depth of empathy, and a clarity of purpose that no MBA could teach. Renate channelled every hard-won lesson into building one of the most distinguished executive careers in Canadian financial services.
Across two decades, she has held senior leadership roles at some of Canada's most respected institutions — RBC, TD Bank, and Canada Life — before stepping into her current role as Vice President at Scotiabank — shaping enterprise technology strategy, driving large-scale transformation, and advocating fiercely for the humans behind every org chart.
Topics that Move Rooms
When Skill Isn't Enough: How Women Navigate Power, Politics, and Survival in Tech Leadership
The unfiltered truth about what it takes to rise and stay at the top — navigating power dynamics, political landscapes, and survival strategies in male-dominated tech environments.
Enterprise Transformation & Change Leadership
How to architect change at scale across complex organizations, turning resistance into momentum and ambiguity into alignment.
Women in Technology & Executive Leadership
Forging a path to the VP suite and beyond — the unscripted lessons, pivotal moments, and strategies that matter.
Mental Health in the Workplace
Creating cultures where psychological safety isn't a policy — it's the foundation of every high-performing team.
the Lions
Throne to the Lions
A Book by Renate Cunneen
A raw, unflinching account of resilience, identity, and what it truly means to lead when the stakes are personal. 'Throne to the Lions' charts Renate's journey through invisible battles, corporate landscapes, and the fierce courage required to claim your seat at the table — on your own terms.
What Leaders Say
Renate's keynote was the most talked-about session of our entire leadership summit. She changed the conversation.
Rare, honest, and deeply strategic. Renate speaks the language of executives while touching something profoundly human.
We brought Renate back for a second engagement. Her message is that powerful.
Book Renate to Speak
Available for keynotes, panels, leadership summits, and executive workshops across Canada and internationally.
Send an Enquiry