Barbara Dirks

Barbara joined PACE Credit Union (PCU) in April 2020 as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Barbara was previously was head of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in Canada, launching theCanadian arm and responsible for all of SVB’s activities, including strategy, business development, sales, risk management and operations. She has also served in various leadership roles including Senior Vice President of Network and Advisor Strategy in Personal and Commercial Banking at the Royal Bank of Canada, and Chief Operating Officer of the North American Commercial Banking Group at Bank of Montreal.

Known for being innovative, entrepreneurial and a top talent magnet, Barbara believes in accountability and community relationships. She has been featured as one of the most influential Torontonians in Toronto Life magazine and remains an active advisor in Toronto’s growing and vibrant technology eco-system.

In addition to her law degree and MBA from the University of Western Ontario, Barbara holds a Bachelors degree in Political Economy and Economics from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management’sInstitute of Corporate Directors program.

Currently on the Board of Governors for the Royal Military College of Canada and a Member of University of Western Ontario’s Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, Barbara and her husband make sure their hockey and dance parent duties for their two talented teens also keep their family active and connected.