Spokespeople - Mark Usher

Mark Usher is a Managing Director and North American Market Leader at CIBC Innovation Banking. CIBC Innovation Banking is focused on providing commercial banking services (loans, deposits, trade and treasury services) to North American technology and innovation companies throughout their entire lifecycle, from start-up to IPO and beyond.

Prior to CIBC Innovation Banking, Usher was Partner at Wellington Financial LP (acquired by CIBC), a Toronto based, privately-held, bridge finance & venture debt fund.

Prior to joining Wellington Financial in mid-2006, Mr. Usher gained 16 years of finance experience, primarily as Royal Bank’s Vice-President responsible for Knowledge Based Industries practice for Ontario.

Mark's career began in 1988 at Royal Bank. He joined RBC's Commercial Banking Group in 1993, where his roles included marketing and strategy in the Bank’s head office, and as a Senior Account Manager.

Mark was recruited by Cisco Systems in 2000 to join the Cisco Capital structured finance team in Toronto, where he financed the sales of Cisco equipment and services to customers in Canada and the US Eastern Seaboard using a combination of debt and equity structures. Mark returned to Royal Bank in 2001 to lead the bank’s Information Technology Banking team in the Greater Toronto Area.

Mark holds an MBA from Queen’s University School of Business. Mark is the former Chair of the Canadian Venture Capital Association.