TD Bank Group global CMO Tyrrell Schmidt is set to step down from her position at the end of the month, ending an 11-year tenure that saw her help shape the bank’s brand across Canada and the U.S. Strategy has learned that Maja Neable, TD’s CMO of Canadian operations, will move into the global position on May 1.

Schmidt joined TD in 2015 as global head of brand, advertising and sponsorship, and went on to hold a series of senior leadership roles across brand, customer experience and U.S. marketing before being named global CMO in 2023.

Discussing the succession plan with strategy on Friday morning, Schmidt points to TD’s enduring brand strength as a defining achievement.

For the fourth consecutive year, the company was named the most valuable brand by Brand Finance in its Canada 100 report, released this week,  and also ranked among the top 100 in the valuation and strategy consultancy’s global Global 500 and Banking 500 lists.

“Brand Finance is the North Star for us, and so that’s a huge point of pride,” Schmidt says.

Her time at TD has featured the expansion of high-profile sponsorships, including partnerships with the Toronto Blue Jays, Union Station and major U.S. sports properties including TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins and Celtics.

TD’s rollout of “More Human” in February marked the first-ever platform that unites the brand across Canada and the U.S., a key milestone that reflects a broader shift toward greater alignment across markets.

“The ‘More Human’ platform is just the beginning. That will be a huge focus, because brand and customer experience is where you build sustainable competitive advantage,” Schmidt says. “And so that will be a huge focus of Maja and the team on both sides of the border.”

The work emerged through collaboration with Raymond Chun, who was named TD Bank Group’s president and CEO in February 2025. Schmidt describes the past year working with Chun as a “career highlight.”

“I think some things happen in a career, you know, it’s serendipity, it’s timing, it’s luck. I’ve been able to work with Ray on defining the purpose, the promise and the brand for the next decade-plus to come, and that has been just an amazing gift,” Schmidt says.

In the global role, the CMO oversees marketing across TD’s North American operations, working with regional marketing leads, such as Canadian CMO Neable and U.S. CMO Jennie Platt, to align brand strategy while adapting to local market needs. The structure includes centralized centres of excellence that support both markets, with a focus on identifying shared opportunities, driving efficiencies and scaling initiatives, like the “More Human” platform, across the organization.

Schmidt describes Neable, a 2026 strategy Marketer of the Year who has been in the Canadian CMO role since January 2024, as “passionate” and “innovative” with a strong external perspective on how broader cultural and technological shifts – including AI — will shape the bank’s marketing approach.

“She’s got a superpower for thinking about what’s going on in the world around us and how it translates to TD and to marketing,” Schmidt says. “And so I have no doubt that she will take the brand, the function and TD to the next level.”

In an interview with strategy, Neable said that her immediate priority will be to build on TD’s existing momentum, particularly as the bank leans into its first North American brand platform.

“We’ll raise the bar on consistent brand building and disciplined execution: staying close to clients as expectations evolve in an AI-powered, digital-first world,” Neable says. “I see marketing as a growth engine for the bank, and we’ll win by earning trust and showing up for clients in the moments that count, and through the channels they choose.”

She adds that the “More Human” platform will remain a key focus, with the next phase centred on building emotional connection and making it easier for customers to navigate increasingly complex financial needs.

In the global role, Neable will work across TD’s North American operations, collaborating with Platt and overseeing enterprise-wide marketing strategy and governance. TD said in a statement that it had no information to share with regards to filling the Canadian CMO position from May 1 onward.

For Schmidt, the decision to step down is both professional and personal. She plans to stay active as a board member with Achilles International, a global organization focused on transforming the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connection. And with her husband already retired and her family growing to include grandchildren, she says the timing felt right.

“I view it as rewiring, not retiring,” Schmidt says. “I view it as the next chapter. I leave here with massive gratitude for everything and the opportunity the organization has given me.”