"I never really felt like I had to conform. That became my superpower," said Jo Jagadish, Head of Digital Banking & U.S. Contact Centers at TD Bank.
From middle school in Namibia to high school in Saudi Arabia, Jo Jagadish’s childhood was defined by change, movement, and global culture.
Her father, a diplomat, moved the family every three years, exposing Jo to one culture after another, allowing her to adapt and rebuild from an early age. What was challenging at the time would later become the cornerstone of her leadership style — grit, adaptability, and the confidence to be authentically herself.
“It was hard leaving friends every few years,” Jo said. “But it taught me to be okay being uncomfortable and embrace change. And that gave me a kind of self-confidence that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
Now at TD Bank, Jo is leading one of the most transformative journeys in financial services — merging two critical, yet seemingly different departments into a single, future-ready and customer-focused team. But her role extends far beyond that. As an Asian American and Pacific Islander woman in a senior leadership position, Jo is a powerful symbol of representation and resilience.
'You can’t be what you can’t see'
Jo admits that when she was younger, she didn’t always see herself or others from an AAPI background reflected in the places she lived or the industries she aspired to join one day.
“I was always different — there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me in the places I grew up,” she said. “But instead of forcing myself to fit in, I just accepted that I was different. And that mindset shaped everything.”
Today, Jo understands the impact of visibility and the responsibility she has as a woman in a key leadership role.
“Someone once told me, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’ That really stuck with me,” she shared. “If my journey inspires even one person, especially a young woman or someone from an underrepresented background, to think, ‘If she can do it, so can I,’ then I’ve done my job.”
Joining the TD U.S. SET - a seat at the table
Jo's recent elevation the U.S. Senior Executive Team (SET) at TD Bank is a recognition of both her influence and the strategic importance of her role.
“It’s a reflection of how much TD is prioritizing digital and mobile innovation,” she said.
Her role is twofold — driving the product and performance strategy for digital banking platforms across both consumer and commercial banking and oversight of the bank’s network of contact centers. But Jo doesn’t see these as separate responsibilities — she sees them as two sides of the same coin.
“What excites me most is the synergy between digital and the contact center,” she explained. “If we do our jobs right in digital — if we build intuitive, self-service experiences — then fewer customers need to call us for minor issues and inconveniences, Then, we can transform the contact center into a true solutions channel by building the capacity and capability for our contact center teams to deliver next-level, relationship-driven service.”
Jo believes this integration has the power to redefine the customer experience, eliminate friction, and reduce operational costs.
“It’s a flywheel effect,” she said. “Our digital insights make contact center operations smarter, and our contact center insights make our digital capabilities stronger.”
The AI frontier
Jo is particularly passionate about how artificial intelligence (AI), specifically GenAI is transforming financial services, and how TD Bank will leverage the technology to meet customer expectations.
“Consumer behavior is changing so fast,” she said. “Just look at how people are using search. I don’t use Google nearly as much anymore. I go to generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity. And if that’s how I’m adapting, you can be sure our customers are, too.”
She explained that 30% of TD’s digital interactions currently result in a phone call to the contact center, something she sees as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“We have to ask, 'What was the customer trying to do digitally that led them to call?' And then, how do we resolve that as quickly and respectfully as possible?” she questioned.
To do that, Jo and her team are building powerful bridges between technology and human service.
“Imagine you were trying to deposit a check with the mobile app and it failed. When you call, instead of starting over, the contact center colleague says, ‘I see you were trying to deposit a check, how can I help?’ That’s the level of empathy and efficiency we’re aiming for," she said.
But, true to the core of TD's human-focused approach, it’s not just about solving problems, it’s about ensuring all customers feel heard and seen.
“To me, respect is knowing the customer, resolving their issue quickly, and treating them like a person, not a case number," she added.
Internally, Jo’s team is also building a generative AI-powered Knowledge Management System for contact center agents.
“Think of it as an internal GPT,” she said. “It will help our agents find answers faster and reduce call times. It’s about empowering our people so they can empower our customers.”
More than awards, it’s about impact.
Jo’s career was shaped by others who believed in her, often before she believed in herself.
One pivotal moment came during the 2009 financial crisis when she was working at another financial institution in Bangalore.
She wanted to move closer to family in New York but wasn’t sure it was possible. Then a mentor stepped in.
“He advocated for me at a senior level and helped me get relocated to Toronto,” she recalled. “That completely changed the arc of my career. I’ll never forget it.”
Since then, Jo has prioritized mentorship — both in giving and receiving it.
“No one accomplishes anything alone,” she said. “I’m a product of the support I received. That’s why I believe so strongly in paying it forward.”
That mindset is why even though Jo has earned industry accolades and recognition, including being honored as one of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking, the work and the awards are always a distant second when it comes to the people in her life. .
“What meant the most to me was that my family, my team, and my peers were there to share that moment at the American Banker celebration,” she said. “Their pride and support — that’s what I’ll remember forever, not the award itself."
For Jo, true professional inspiration and fulfillment is most about the ability to solve big problems, inspire others, and build exceptional teams.
“I was telling my husband the other day, the thing I’m most proud of in my career is the teams I’ve built,” she said. “They’re inclusive, not just in their backgrounds but in personality, approach, and strength. And we’ve had fun, even when the work was hard. That’s what makes it meaningful.”
A legacy of possibility
Throughout her career journey, Jo has relied on a consistent playbook, including humility, hard work, and relentless curiosity.
“Every job, every challenge, I’ve approached the same way,” she said. “I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll learn. I’ll give it everything I’ve got. And I won’t regret the effort.”
It’s a philosophy that’s served her well and one she hopes others will adopt.
“Confidence comes from doing hard things and knowing you gave it your all,” she said. “That belief in yourself, that’s everything.”
Jo is not just reshaping digital banking. She’s modeling what’s possible for the next generation of leaders, especially those who might not yet see someone like themselves in the room.
“I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to succeed,” she says. “You can lead with kindness. You can lead with difference. And you can absolutely make an impact.”