David Handelman, senior manager, climate strategy (left), and Shazia Ali, associate vice-president, enterprise sustainability, at TD Bank Group.Supplied
Growing up, David Handelman spent a lot of time backcountry canoe camping in Ontario’s Algonquin Park, falling in love with nature and the wilderness along the way. Then, in junior high, a geography assignment on ecological issues shifted his attention to the environment, sparking “an awareness of the negative impacts we’re having on the earth and creating that first precipitous concern for me.”
That passion continued to evolve after he joined TD Bank Group as a loyalty marketing strategist in 2003. Handelman initially devoted a lot of volunteer time to TD green teams and external environmental groups, but a turning point came after the birth of his daughter in 2010.
“Rather than volunteering on the side, I realized that I wanted to spend my full‑time work hours and career on climate change mitigation,” says Handelman, currently senior manager, climate strategy. “Instead of having to leave TD to pivot my career and work in the sustainability field, my preference was to stay and I was able to make that happen at TD.”
He enrolled in a master of science program in carbon management at the University of Edinburgh, completing it online over three years — juggling coursework, a young family and a full-time job at the bank — and graduating with distinction. His dedication over the years to environmental work and his enrolment in a post-graduate degree focusing on climate change helped him apply successfully into a new role at TD in environment, social and governance (ESG) policy and issues.
Today, he helps lead the bank’s Climate Action Plan, working with complex data, metrics and targets to ensure TD’s climate commitments align with its broader business goals. He also contributes to the TD Sustainability Report and informally mentors colleagues who want to move into the sustainability field.
“Teamwork is very critical as so many of the different topics and work streams are interrelated, so we definitely need to develop strong relationships and work together,” he says. “I get a lot of people reaching out to me, so I make a concerted effort to try and help everyone I can in their career journey to work in sustainability.”
Like Handelman, Shazia Ali wasn’t setting out to become a sustainability leader when she joined TD in 2009. A Schulich business school graduate and a certified public accountant, she started her career at TD in the chief accountant’s department, later moving to Internal Audit to lead the TD Global Controls Office, which works to strengthen financial controls and certification processes.
Her pivot to sustainability came when a former colleague began building an environmental and social risk management team. Intrigued by climate as a “top and emerging risk,” she asked to meet for a coffee and was quickly convinced.
“Climate and environment were brand new to me,” says Ali. “But TD focused on the transferable skills — fostering a risk mindset, implementing robust governance and controls, and excelling in stakeholder management — that I brought from Finance and Internal Audit, and created a pathway for me to learn about sustainability.
“What TD did was give me opportunities across the bank, and then the space, resources and support necessary to build my sustainability expertise over time.”
Now, as associate vice-president in the Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship team, she leads groups responsible for measuring emissions, governing sustainability data and advancing the bank’s carbon market instruments strategy.
“I’ve gone full circle with sustainability,” she says. “I began my journey identifying and assessing sustainability risks, and now in my current role, I’m able to drive sustainability strategy. What makes me proud is knowing I’m making a difference.”
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