Taft will continue to lead RBC's U.S. wealth management business while assuming this senior role with SIFMA.

For the past year, Taft has been the chair of SIFMA's Private Client Group Steering Committee where he has shown leadership in advocating reform of the U.S. financial regulatory system, playing a key role in lobbying for a new harmonized federal fiduciary standard of care, expertise and advice for US broker-dealers and investment advisors.

Taft recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services on behalf of SIFMA about the importance of creating a new, federal fiduciary standard for broker-dealers and investment advisers who provide personalized investment advice to individual investors. The proposed uniform set of federal fiduciary regulatory standards is designed to strengthen safeguards for investors and preserve investor choice.

"RBC is very pleased that John has been appointed as chair-elect of SIFMA," said George Lewis, group head, RBC Wealth Management. "John's appointment reflects the high standard of integrity, responsibility and client stewardship he has brought to both his role at RBC and to his public efforts to ensure individual investors are well served and the regulatory system is fair and efficient."