Howard Hammond

Howard Hammond is the president and chief executive officer of City National Bank, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada. He is also a member of City National’s board of directors and the executive committee of RBC’s U.S. intermediate holding company.

Howard is City National’s fifth CEO since the company was founded in January 1954. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and a strong track record of transforming organizations for operational strength and risk management. Prior to joining City National in November 2023, he held numerous leadership roles at Fifth Third Bancorp, including head of Retail Banking and Brokerage Distribution and managing director of Fifth Third Securities. Howard began his career at Citigroup, where he rose from management associate to eventually manage the largest investment group within Citicorp Investment Services.

Howard serves on the board of directors for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. The Los Angeles Business Journal has twice named Howard to its annual “LA500” list of the most influential people in Los Angeles and, in 2025, included him on its Top 100 Bankers List. 

Howard earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and an MBA in finance from Wagner College in New York City.