We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Maria Saros

A senior corporate communications and community investment executive with expertise in financial services and higher education, Maria Saros is Vice-President and Global Head Social Impact at Scotiabank. In her current role, she focuses on removing barriers to advancement and increasing access to opportunities in the communities where Scotiabank operates.

Previously, Maria was Vice-President of Enterprise Communications at Scotiabank, where she had accountability for issues management, corporate communications and brand journalism. Before joining Scotiabank, she spent 11 years at TD Bank Group holding progressively senior roles in Canada and the U.S., including Vice-President of Corporate Communications.

An active champion of workplace diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, she works to help those around her reach their full potential.

Maria began her career as a Communications Officer at the University of Toronto where she was immersed in academia, advancement and research. With a firm belief that technology is pivotal for the prosperity of the next generation―and of Canada—she has a keen interest in technological innovation and the creation of technologically advanced professions.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and has completed the Financial Analysis for Non-Financial Managers course with the Schulich School of Business Executive Education Centre at York University. She also earned a Canadian Securities Certificate, and a Corporate Communications Certificate from Centennial College.