Bhavesh Vaghela: Hello and welcome to Ops Game Changers, the podcast that shines a light on the crucial role that operations has in driving business performance and improving staff and customer experience. My name is Bhavesh, I’m the Chief Marketing Officer at ActiveOps, and I’ll be your host for this episode. Today we’re going to be talking about leadership and what it takes to lead change and drive transformation across operations. My guest today is Jacinthe Sylvain. Jacinthe is the Vice President of Operations for the National Bank of Canada. Jacinthe won the 2025 Executive of the Year Award at the ActiveOps Awards for the North American region and has over 15 years’ experience working in operations across financial services in Canada. Jacinthe is going to tell us a little bit about what leadership means in operations, how she drives change, and her learnings along the way. But before we jump into the topic, let’s welcome Jacinthe to the podcast. Jacinthe, welcome to Ops Game Changers.
Jacinthe Sylvain: Thank you, Bhavesh. It’s a pleasure for me to be with you today.
Bhavesh: Before we jump into the topic of leadership and how you transform organizations and operations, I have to start with your award. What was it like winning the 2025 Executive of the Year Award? Because it would have been nominated by your staff.
Jacinthe: Yes, and honestly, it was a lot of pride for me to have won the award. It was a team accomplishment. It was a two-year transformation where we really wanted to put forward performance management. It required a lot of involvement, a lot of discussion, and people skills for all of the leaders to acknowledge the fact that we needed to move towards a culture of performance. So it was the final achievement of that transformation.
Bhavesh: It’s great when you get recognized for that. I recognize it’s a team effort, but you need strong direction and leadership, which is why we’re going to talk to you about that today. How did you end up in operations, by the way? What has your career been like? How did you get to where you are?
Jacinthe: I have to tell you, I didn’t really have a career plan. I was somebody who has always been very curious and motivated by challenges. I started my career in operations, actually in wealth management operations, and then I moved towards different leadership roles very early in my career, jumping from the lines of business in account management for corporate clients, then managing client services and a call center, moving towards projects and transformation, and then back into operations.
Jacinthe: I really thought it was a combination of everything I had done before. You’re really at the center of the client experience with the processes and the operation. It’s the final delivery of the outcome for the clients. You have the client expectation in your hands, then you have the transformation of the processes: how do you make it better, smoother, and seamless for clients? In operations, you need to be very quick and involved, and that’s something you don’t find in other sectors of my industry. I find the challenge in operations very exciting.
Bhavesh: I think it’s a really interesting time to be a senior leader in operations, particularly not just in financial services, but generally, because you have a tough role. Change is happening all the time. You’ve got to transform. You’re being asked to simplify, improve customer experience, digitalize, and all of those things are going on. What keeps you awake? As a senior leader in operations, what kind of keeps you awake at night? What are the challenges?
Jacinthe: It’s really a combination of operational risk and change fatigue. When teams are stretched, small issues can become big ones: delays, quality drops, control weaknesses. All of those can impact the client experience and, mostly, our business. That’s the biggest challenge and what keeps me up at night. Asking people to adopt new tools and new ways of working, especially with the automation and AI acceleration, is a challenge.
Jacinthe: My focus has always been on balancing performance today while building capabilities for the future. It’s really about how you balance both things with the teams, knowing that change is happening every day.
Bhavesh: Completely. We would say this, but it feels like a very transformative period of time coming to us, particularly with AI. In our careers we’ve seen lots of change and lots of technology advancements, but this one feels slightly different. There’s a significant before and after potential using AI. Does that scare you? Does that excite you?
Jacinthe: Throughout my career, I decided that I was going to embrace change. I think it’s an exciting moment for our groups and for our operations. That being said, it’s the biggest challenge we will be leading in the next years to come. Operational leaders will need to really balance technology adoption with human leadership.
Jacinthe: For our teams, we are going to reinvent some roles. AI will increase our capacity and our insights, but leaders will have to ensure teams remain engaged, skilled, and aligned with purpose. The future of operations is going to be very positive, I do think. It belongs to the leaders who will be able to integrate people, process, and technology as a whole, and not as separate initiatives.
Bhavesh: Let’s talk about the act of being a leader. What’s your philosophy on leadership? How do you tackle it? How do you think about it?
Jacinthe: As a leader, I think remaining very close and in proximity with the teams and with the employees gives you more insight and visibility on what’s happening on the ground, and you’re able to move a little bit faster on the change and adjust the different strategies. I think this will remain very important.
Jacinthe: One of the key elements I’m also seeing is that, as we recruit in our teams, we’re recruiting more and more Gen Z, and they have a different way of approaching work and a different way of learning. How will we adapt as a group to acknowledge those differences and make it easier for them to integrate? Working life is also going to be important. As leaders, I think we need to remain very open-minded. Transparency will be key, as well as collaboration and ownership.
Bhavesh: We’re made up of all our experiences over time. Can you point to people in your career who were leading, that you learned something from or took bits from? What kinds of things have inspired you as you’ve gone through your journey?
Jacinthe: I have a few of them. Key elements that really stood out for me were their capacity to listen and learn from others, the capacity to mobilize and have people work together, and everything around transparency and authenticity. I think we miss that sometimes in our organizations, but authenticity is key to making good decisions. Those are the behaviors that I’m trying to acknowledge, implement, and really give to my team every day.
Bhavesh: When you think about change and what you’re doing, what you’re really trying to influence is team performance and behavior, and improving that behavior and the performance of your individuals. What do you think are the key behaviors in terms of driving performance within a team?
Jacinthe: In operations, performance improves significantly when people feel really accountable for the end-to-end outcome, not just their part of the process. I think it’s really important that we move towards end-to-end accountability, and key data is also in place.
Jacinthe: We use the data to have honest conversations about what’s working and what isn’t. When the teams trust the data, and they trust each other, performance follows. When I say culture of performance, that was a key element we put in place in our team. How do we bring more fact-based decisions, quality of data, and honest conversations to really make good decisions together? That’s something we’ve tried to keep going all the time.
Bhavesh: What was it like when you first started the transformation journey? You’ve moved through the last few years and it’s much more data-centric now. People trust each other. What was it like at the start?
Jacinthe: At the start, people were well intentioned. I don’t see anybody coming into the office during the day and not wanting to achieve something great by the end of the day. All of the employees and leaders were there for our clients, but we were managing our operations intuitively. Data was there, but it wasn’t used in decision-making. We were not sharing the data with our partners.
Jacinth: The pressure in operations is always: how can you do more with the same or less? The pressure was there, but it’s very difficult to have a strategic discussion with your lines of business in terms of investment if you’re unable to provide the data to support it. That was the conversation I had with the leaders when we started: how do we bring fact-based decisioning, and what’s in it for us? It was really about having a more strategic discussion and being part of the growth strategy.
Jacinthe: Our journey was based on this. My approach was more people-oriented and really about culture of performance, rather than just bringing in a tool with data. It was a conversation with the leaders around what behaviors would be expected from people and from our leaders, and how we make it clear for our employees why we’re doing this. It’s not something we put in place to check. It’s something strategic for us to manage our capacity well.
Jacinth: We started the journey as a two-year journey, but it’s much longer than this because, when you say it’s a culture, culture takes more than five to ten years to implement. It’s something we need to review and remind ourselves of every day, every time.
Bhavesh: Was there a moment in the two-year journey, Jacinthe, where you thought, “Okay, this is going right. My team is getting this and I’m feeling positive about where we’re going”?
Jacinthe: I think the shift was really around the strategic planning at the end of the year. This is where it really stood out for me. We were making changes, but it was a global change: global acknowledgement from all the leaders that we were one team working together and making decisions on capacity, mindset, and budget through tough choices.
Jacinthe: We were clarifying what really mattered and investing in the development of our talent. That’s where I saw the shift. We were not just in daily discussions and decision-making, but in something very strategic where we were discussing investment, making tough choices, acknowledging our priorities together, and using data, automation, and the behaviors we had identified to get the results done. This is where I really felt I saw the shift for the leaders and the employees.
Bhavesh: It sounds like one of the biggest challenges for an operational leader is obviously leading operations, but also aligning that to the business goals and strategies, and connecting the two together. That’s one of the key barriers. You can be a great leader from a team perspective, but struggle from an executive strategic perspective. It seems like that gap has shrunk within your role and what you’re doing. Are there any tips you would give other leaders when they’re thinking about managing that strategy versus operations?
Jacinthe: I think in operations resides all the business knowledge. There’s nowhere else in the organization where you have the end-to-end view of the whole process behind what you’re trying to achieve. The business knowledge is key to strategic decision-making and investment.
Jacinthe: I really feel that my team and the leaders have a responsibility and a key expertise in that field. How do we bring that business knowledge and strategic data into the business growth strategy to influence and prioritize the choices that are there? As a group, and I as a leader, want to be a key player in the growth of our organization. I really do feel that operations has an important place in the overall strategy.
Bhavesh: I agree completely. Sometimes organizations look at operations as their second cousin and they want to remove it and all those things. But the reality is, when you think about transforming an organization, that’s where it starts. The heart of it is that piece. You mentioned earlier your leaders, teams, and people. One big challenge for a leader is finding and developing the next leader. How do you go about doing that? Do you spot talent early and work with them or mentor them? What do you normally do in terms of building the careers for your team?
Jacinthe: Honestly, I’m the kind of person who can go deeper into the details and work my way up very easily. That’s something I do fairly easily. I try to evaluate the needs of my leaders. Some of the leaders are very curious, and most of them really evolve in their different teams. It’s a discussion I have with them to get to know how much they want me to get involved in their development and in their team.
Jacinthe: Sometimes I will do coaching. I have different meetings with them, but I find that the most powerful thing is when you get your hands in the details, in proximity, and you get to challenge the strategy and different ideas, and you learn together. When I say learn together, I also learn things. The way I work with my leaders is that they can challenge me as much as I challenge them. We’re not colleagues, but it feels like we’re colleagues. Everything is welcome and we grow together. That’s my approach.
Bhavesh: Would I be right in saying that’s your superpower, that you can go deep as well as support all the way through that journey? Would that be your key strength, do you think?
Jacinthe: I actually had an exercise done with my leaders and we had to identify the superpower. They said I was a visionary, so maybe that’s also part of my key element. I think I’m somebody who always thinks ahead. What they expressed through that was the fact that I was able to know their business, what they’re doing, and their team enough to be able to challenge and push them forward.
Jacinthe: I’m not saying I’m not visionary. I think it’s part of my role as an executive to have a vision and to push three to five years ahead. But in their role as leaders, and in my contribution to them, I think it’s really the way I challenge things and bring them a little bit further every time.
Bhavesh: When you were going through that exercise, Jacinthe, were you surprised that they positioned you that way, or what did you expect?
Jacinthe: I was a bit surprised, but not that much. They know me well, and I know myself well, so I was not surprised about it. But the conversation around that was more surprising, and it revolved around what I just shared with you: the fact that they feel very supported and they feel I really understand the reality of their different teams, so I can get involved and be very pertinent when I challenge.
Bhavesh: I’m fascinated by the journeys that leaders go on, because there are moments in time that change you based on the experiences you’ve had. When you think about your career, have you had feedback that made you think differently about how you would lead next? Any tips or things in your own personal journey where you think, “My God, he told me that, or she told me that, and it made me change the way I think”?
Jacinthe: It happened to me a few years ago. I was a leader who was really execution-driven and result-oriented. I still am, but one of the pieces of feedback I got was around my impact and how we align intention with impact. The line between, or the alignment of, these two things was not so clear to me early in my career.
Jacinthe: You can execute and be very successful in your results, but your impact can be very important on people. Sometimes, when you don’t realize that, it can be as bad as not getting the results. My leadership philosophy has really evolved towards still being result-oriented, but more people- and outcome-focused. I try to really align my intention with the impact I’m having. That’s something very important to me.
Jacinthe: That being said, I still believe that strong processes and tight controls are linked to performance. I continue that journey around sustainability and performance, and I’m still execution- and result-driven, but more on clarity, trust, and accountability. I try to be clear on that and to create a great culture for the leaders and employees, and to be very aware and kind with people.
Bhavesh: When you think about the transformation journey you’ve been on over the last couple of years, what are you most proud of?
Jacinthe: That’s a big question. What I’m most proud of is that it’s sustainable over time. The reason why it’s still there today is because, as I told you, it was people-driven. It was culture. It was behaviors. We worked on all of these key elements. The journey was more around who we are as a team, what we want to be recognized for, and how we are going to act and behave to get there. I think what I’m most proud of is that the culture of performance is in place, and I still see it after almost six years.
Bhavesh: That’s amazing. You’ve stamped your identity on it.
Jacinthe: I would say so. A few days ago I had an event with some of our citizen developers, something we put in place a few months ago, and one of the students or employees asked me, “What do you want to leave as your mark as a leader?” I told them that my next goal is to really put in place a work environment that will lead the new generation to be as successful as I was, and as we were and still are. For the next generation, I think that’s something really key for me, and I’m hoping to do that.
Bhavesh: That’s awesome, because the next generation really needs the help because of what’s coming. Have you got some thoughts on what that looks like? If you’re thinking about that legacy and supporting Gen Z and bringing them into the workforce, what are your tips, and what are the things you’re thinking about over the next two or three years that you need to do to help that generation come through?
Jacinthe: We did put in place an internship program. It’s at the beginning, but what I foresee, and obviously it’s changing so fast that it’s becoming very difficult to project yourself and see what it’s going to be for them, is that we have a responsibility to give them a work environment that will help them grow.
Jacinthe: What we’re trying to do is make space in our team and manage something different, including students in our different teams so that they get to be involved already in the market and in the work, learn, and be curious. My goal out of that is really to have them build their expertise, get to know how it’s working, and get to know our processes. Once we have AI to support us or technology to automate, which is already the case, we have a strong group of experts ready to work with the different machines, but also to be ambassadors of our organization, regardless of where they are going to evolve.
Jacinthe: We’re trying to have them on board as students and jump into our work organization, and we’re giving them space to change the way we’re doing things. As part of their mandate, we’re asking them to build a training program. As part of your mandate, you’re coming to work with us, build us a training program as you would do it. How do we get them involved in changing the way we work and changing the way we see things? That’s really key to what we’re trying to achieve.
Bhavesh: Have you seen that they’re embracing it? Have you seen the energy?
Jacinthe: The energy level is really high and they’re surprising. They don’t see this as a menace. They’re so involved and super curious. They have great ideas on how to automate. It’s so embedded in them that they come up with lots of ideas, and they don’t feel threatened by any of that.
Bhavesh: It’s amazing. They’re natives, aren’t they? They get it already.
Jacinthe: They get it already and they already foresee what’s next for them. Technology is really a tool that they use in their daily activities to support them. They’re already one step ahead of us in terms of embracing technology.
Bhavesh: As we wrap up the session, we’ve talked about your superpower and the Gen Zs, the next generation and next wave. What’s next for you? What would you like to develop in yourself over the next three to five years?
Jacinthe: For myself as a leader, I still have a lot of things to learn. I think my IT savviness is part of the things I’m hoping to get better at. As for my teams, I think we will need to rebrand operations in the next years.
Jacinthe: I went through an exercise in different universities with my son, and I was trying to find what operations looks like in university. I didn’t find the name operations, so it really stood out to me. What I’m hoping to do as a leader in the next few years, and what’s ahead of us, is really how we rebrand our expertise in the organization with everything that’s coming in. Hopefully, it’s going to be my legacy for the next generation.
Bhavesh: That’s great. What you’ve described is very pertinent in terms of where we’re going and what’s happening. What will operations look like in the future, where you’ve got highly automated, human-in-the-loop, autonomous ways of working? How does that align itself? It’s going to be an amazing journey over the next three to five years.
Bhavesh: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your experience. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. I think there will be lots of leaders listening to the podcast who will take a lot of insights from what you’ve said and shared. Thank you very much for joining me on the podcast.
