▁Railway . ▁ ▁Biography ▁▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Montreal , ▁Quebec , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁West mount ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁B . Com . ▁from ▁the ▁McG ill ▁University ▁Des aut els ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁Management ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁While ▁at ▁McG ill , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁def ensive ▁lin eman ▁for ▁the ▁McG ill ▁Red men ▁football ▁team ▁that ▁won ▁the ▁national ▁championship . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁brother ▁in ▁P si ▁U psilon . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Char tered ▁Account ant ▁and ▁subsequently ▁a ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Char tered ▁Account ants ▁of ▁Ontario ▁and ▁Quebec . ▁ ▁He ▁joined ▁Royal ▁Bank ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁becoming ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁chief ▁operating ▁officer ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁and ▁chairman ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁A ▁champion ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁rest raint , ▁he ▁sold ▁off ▁the ▁corpor ate ▁jet , ▁closed ▁the ▁executive ▁d ining ▁rooms , ▁and ▁ended ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁executive ▁lim ous ines . ▁He ▁frequently ▁rode ▁the ▁sub way ▁or ▁fle w ▁economy ▁class ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁interact ▁with ▁customers . ▁He ▁also ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁tal ks ▁with ▁Matthew ▁Bar rett , ▁chairman ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁Montreal , ▁to ▁merge ▁their ▁respective ▁institutions , ▁however ▁Fin ance ▁Minister ▁Paul ▁Martin ▁later ▁blocked ▁the ▁proposed ▁arrangement