“Innovation and perspective comes from the margins.” – Linda Crompton
Linda Crompton (Dallas. Texas) is an internationally recognized thought leader with a focus on helping women to reach their full potential, and on transforming the nature of leadership to fit the priorities of today. With more than 25 years of experience in leading organizations to achieve both profitability and mission-driven objectives in various markets, she has served as senior executive, consultant, and strategy advisor in nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She has more than 25 years of experience as a CEO of six national organizations across Canada and the US, and brings a strong and diverse background in pioneering innovative strategies to achieve mission-driven objectives.
The first woman to head a bank in Canada, Linda has a track record of innovation – including initiatives to help pave the way for women’s advancement, as well as being an influential force in the world of ethical investment and corporate governance. She is an outspoken proponent of corporate responsibility and ethical business practice, holding the view that within the next 20 years, the only successful corporations of the future will have a human-values base, rather than profit-only approach, to doing business.
In 1987, Linda began her career in the Canadian banking industry, where she was the driving force behind the creation of Canada’s first electronic bank, as well as the first bank with a social mandate. From 1996 through 2001, Linda served as Founding President/CEO of Citizens Bank of Canada in Vancouver.
Since 2001, she has called the U.S. home, when she was named President and CEO of the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute. From 2007 to 2013, Linda served as President/CEO of BoardSource. Since 2013, she has been an adviser to organizations wanting to expand their capacity and respond to new market demands.
She is currently the President and CEO of Leadership Women, Inc. – the largest and longest-running women’s leadership development organization in the nation. The role allows her to combine a lifelong interest in accelerating opportunities for women with a passion for recreating the concept of ‘leadership’.
A lifelong advocate for women, she has used a gender lens in her work to ensure equality and leadership opportunities for women. In the banking industry, Linda spearheaded the creation of Return to Work, a program designed to encourage women to stay engaged with their work while taking maternity leave. As CEO of Citizens Trust, the predecessor to Citizens Bank of Canada, she revised loan criteria in order to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs.
Linda has also been a columnist for Woman to Woman magazine and, in more recent years, advocated for more women candidates in corporate board roles.
In addition to her commitment to equity for women, Linda has advocated for global sustainability and action on climate change for almost thirty years. She served on the first boards of directors for ethically screened funds, and was an early supporter of ESG factors to be included in mainstream investment decision making – serving as CEO of IRRC (Investor Responsibility Research Center) in the mid 2000’s. In 2020, she was appointed Co-Chair of the Global Advisory Board of Ethical Markets Media, a leading provider of sustainability-based research and technologies worldwide.
Linda holds B.A., M.A., and M.B.A. degrees.
