Lesley Riedstra
UTAA BOARD MEMBER
(BA 1995 New)
Senior Director, CIBC Enterprise Architecture
Lesley is a collaborative leader and strategist who helps organizations orchestrate forward thinking solutions to achieve client and employee experiences that drive business growth. Her experiences range from developing operational strategies to designing large transformational initiatives across all forms of client interaction from digital self-service to in person and high value relationship-based experiences.
During her time at CIBC, she has been involved in a wide range of initiatives from small-scale tactical changes, to multi-year transformational changes that are advancing the banking industry. Her strength is in her ability to negotiate between many stakeholders and partners, while also navigating complex solutions, to achieve success on each initiative.
U of T has always been a key part of her family – Lesley met her husband and many of her friends while attending New College. During her undergrad years, Lesley was actively involved in the New College Student Council, and credits that experience as forming the basis for her leadership skills today; she is a Gordon Cressy Student Leader recipient as a result. After graduating from U of T, she remained involved with New College, and U of T, in various leadership roles and received an Arbor Award recognizing her significant volunteer contributions to the university.
During her time serving as a member of the College of Electors (CoE) Executive, she led a committee recommending tactics that increased diversity in the nomination pool for Governing Council positions. She has also previously served as President of New College Alumni Association, and continues to be an active mentor and alumni leader.
Lesley currently serves as a Director of the UTAA, as well as leading the UTAA’s Mentorship Committee and its Community of Practice, which focuses on sharing best practices between over 70 mentorship programs across U of T.