Marla Willner’s rise to Commercial Banking Chief Operating Officer & Strategy Executive at TD Bank is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of progress.
Her career is a masterclass in strategic vision, transformative mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to making a lasting impact—a commitment not just to the industry she serves, but also to herself.
An unplanned career path
Unlike many professionals in the financial sector who map out their trajectories early on, Marla didn’t initially envision herself in banking.
“I wouldn’t say I was born to be in banking,” she shared candidly. Her original aspirations leaned toward public service—dreaming of a role like First Deputy Mayor for the City of New York. But as life unfolded, so did opportunities that pulled her toward the private sector.
Her career began in public finance, focusing on helping cities and states bolster their economies. However, over time, Marla transitioned into corporate banking, where she quickly demonstrated her aptitude for strategy and innovation. She built out TDBNA’s corporate bank in the U.S., spearheaded technology transformations, and implemented practices to improve portfolio monitoring and client service.
“I’ve had great mentors and sponsors along the way,” said Marla. “I’ve been able to do a lot of different things that have kept it interesting and fresh.”
Leadership rooted in humanity
Marla’s leadership philosophy is shaped by her personal experiences and TD Bank’s unique values. She's not only engaged in the TD culture, but she's become someone who guides the vision of the culture and leads her team based on its values.
“TD has a unique culture,” said Marla. “We really put an emphasis on developing all high potential talent with a commitment to and understanding of the value of having different perspectives on our teams. ”
Having worked at other financial institutions, Marla appreciates TD’s collaborative environment. “It’s still competitive—people want to win—but there’s less of that negative competition within the organization,” said Marla.
She attributes much of this culture to the presence of strong women leaders, particularly during her early years at TD Securities. “It makes a difference in an organization's culture when there’s a critical mass of women in leadership,” she said.
Marla has embraced her role as a visible leader at TD, especially through the internal community, Women at TD. Originally called Women in Leadership, the group underwent a meaningful transformation in 2022.
"I led a campaign to rebrand from Women in Leadership to Women at TD," said Marla. "We wanted to reflect that we are a community that supports colleagues from all levels - from tellers to the CEO - so we needed to represent what we were focused on, which is the growth and development of women at every level of the organization."
This thoughtful rebranding reflects a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that all women at TD feel represented, empowered, and supported, regardless of their position within the company.
Beyond the name change, Women at TD has launched impactful initiatives, including the Connected Leadership Academy. This program is designed to help participants hone their leadership skills while navigating unique challenges they may face in the workplace.
With around 50 women already progressing through the program, the feedback has been incredible.
“They’ve all found it to be the best program they were able to go through at TD to date—impactful in their careers and helpful in their personal lives,” said Marla.
Growing up and giving back to the city that never sleeps
Marla’s upbringing in New York City shaped her perspective on resilience and community. Growing up decades ago on the Upper West Side, Marla saw firsthand the disparate opportunities and outcomes.
These experiences shaped Marla’s lifelong commitment to community impact and creating positive outcomes for all women. She serves on the boards of organizations dedicated to helping underserved communities, such as the Women’s Prison Association, empowering women to redefine their lives in the face of injustice and incarceration.
“Having done a lot of work with juvenile justice and at the public defender's office at one point during college, I dealt with incredibly challenging and sad family situations, and through that I realized how important the family dynamic is and preserving that, rather than leveraging the institutional system, was always the goal. That love and that support is psychologically so important,” said Marla. “Giving women the tools, the job education, the interview prep, clothing, shelter, providing homes for families when women come back from incarceration, providing them transitional housing, really trying to break the cycle before it starts -- that was important to me.”
Marla also sits on the board of Citymeals on Wheels, an organization focused on providing companionship and meals to the homebound elderly in New York City. As a city native, she understands firsthand how the change in demographics affect the most vulnerable communities.
“I was told growing up that I wasn't supposed to walk past 86th street. Now you can go anywhere up and past Columbia University walking and feel generally safe on the Upper West Side. It’s changed significantly," she said. "But with that change often comes a lack of access for the people who used to live there. They get priced out.”
While her career veered away from municipal finance, her passion for making a difference never wavered. “That piece has really never left."
A vision for the future
As Commercial Bank Chief Operating Officer, Marla is focused on establishing the U.S. commercial bank strategy, as well as overseeing regulatory and operational deliverables across the organization. She is responsible for advancing technology to improve customer and colleague experiences and positioning the bank as a leader in the industry. But it’s Marla's focus on people—whether through mentorship, inclusion initiatives, or community service—that truly defines her leadership.
Beyond her tremendous accolades and her impact within her community, Marla also understands that good leadership often means constant transformative changes, especially amongst younger colleagues.
“Younger generations expect much more access to senior leaders than I would have expected as I was coming up,” said Marla. “It wouldn't have really occurred to me that I could just walk into a managing director's office and have a conversation. People get more comfortable because they feel like they're seen, they're known if they're a good worker. So, the mindset is that if someone must leave early one day no one will think twice. It's understood that leadership already knows who they are and what they contribute.”
It's this level of adaptability, awareness – and understanding people -- that has taken Marla’s career to new heights. Whether navigating the complexities of corporate strategy or choosing what’s best for herself or her family, she leads with purpose, proving that success isn’t just about reaching the top—it’s about the journey, the people, and the difference made along the way.