Aayaz Pira

North York General Hospital Board of Governors

aayaz headshot

As President, Canadian Tire Financial Services, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Tire Bank, Aayaz is responsible for the overall strategic direction and growth for the Financial Services division. His deep experience in technology and innovation within financial services and retail will serve to build upon Canadian Tire Bank’s successful foundation through customer-focused, digital innovation.

Prior to joining Canadian Tire Corporation in June 2021, Aayaz was Senior Vice-President, Digital Banking and Enterprise Innovation at CIBC, where he oversaw digital for the bank, including client experience, innovation, sales, and banking. His work at CIBC has been recognized by industry experts, receiving several accolades, including “Top Mobile Bank in Canada” by JD Power in 2020 and “Top Consumer Digital Bank in North America” by Consumer Finance in 2019. Aayaz was also responsible for building, launching and operating CIBC's direct banking businesses across North America, including Simplii Financial – recognized as one of the world’s best banks by Forbes magazine in 2019 and 2020 – and CIBC Agility in the U.S. Previously, Aayaz spent nearly a decade at PwC Canada LLP, most recently serving as Vice-President, Management & Technology Consulting – Digital Transformation.

Aayaz has been recognized as the “Digital Banker of the Year” by American Banker, and was awarded the Ted Rogers School of Management Alumni Trailblazer award for his contribution to the school and community, the G. Raymond Chang Outstanding Volunteer award from Ryerson University, and was profiled as a “Next Gen” leader in Toronto. He is a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in the workplace, having served as an executive sponsor of CIBC’s Women’s Network and #movethedial, an organization that helps grow the pipeline of women in tech. Aayaz also dedicates time to giving back to various organizations and currently sits on several Boards including North York General Hospital and Ted Rogers School of Management’s MBA Program. He is also an active mentor at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, helping Canadian tech ventures grow and succeed.

Aayaz graduated with an MBA from Queen’s University and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, Information Technology Management, from Ryerson University.