John McKenzie, CEO, TMX Group, On How Purposeful Innovation Fuels Growth For Capital Markets
Leading through change requires more than keeping pace with disruption. It means knowing where to evolve, what to preserve, and how to create momentum through uncertainty. In this special episode of the Innovators’ Exchange, recorded at the TMX Market Centre, Hiten Patel sits down with John McKenzie, CEO of TMX Group, to explore leadership, resilience, growth, and the future of capital markets.
During the conversation, McKenzie reflects on the experiences that shaped his journey from finance professional to CEO and the strategic choices behind TMX’s evolution. He also looks ahead to the forces redefining capital markets — from AI and tokenization to global expansion — and shares his perspective on how leaders can navigate change while building for the future.
Key topics include:
- TMX growth strategy: TMX set an ambitious goal to double the business by prioritizing fewer, bigger opportunities and building from its core strengths.
- Purpose-driven innovation: From tokenization to 24-hour trading, TMX evaluates new technologies based on the value they can create for markets and clients, as well as using AI as an accelerator for speed, productivity and automation while being conscious of mission-critical infrastructure and cybersecurity.
- Competing globally: TMX is expanding in markets such as the US and Australia by building on strengths in areas like mining, energy, ETFs, and market infrastructure.
- A career shaped by curiosity and resilience: John reflects on how continuous learning and taking on unfamiliar roles helped build his path to CEO. He shares how both personal and professional challenges reinforced the value of perspective, adaptability, and learning through difficulty.
Leading through change requires more than keeping pace with disruption. It means knowing where to evolve, what to preserve, and how to create momentum through uncertainty. In this special episode of the Innovators’ Exchange, recorded at the TMX Market Centre, Hiten Patel sits down with John McKenzie, CEO of TMX Group, to explore leadership, resilience, growth, and the future of capital markets.
During the conversation, McKenzie reflects on the experiences that shaped his journey from finance professional to CEO and the strategic choices behind TMX’s evolution. He also looks ahead to the forces redefining capital markets — from AI and tokenization to global expansion — and shares his perspective on how leaders can navigate change while building for the future.
“Good strategies should have some things that don’t work or else you’re not trying enough.” John McKenzie, CEO, TMX Group
Key topics include:
TMX growth strategy: TMX set an ambitious goal to double the business by prioritizing fewer, bigger opportunities and building from its core strengths.
Purpose-driven innovation: From tokenization to 24-hour trading, TMX evaluates new technologies based on the value they can create for markets and clients, as well as using AI as an accelerator for speed, productivity and automation while being conscious of mission-critical infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Competing globally: TMX is expanding in markets such as the US and Australia by building on strengths in areas like mining, energy, ETFs, and market infrastructure.
A career shaped by curiosity and resilience: John reflects on how continuous learning and taking on unfamiliar roles helped build his path to CEO. He shares how both personal and professional challenges reinforced the value of perspective, adaptability, and learning through difficulty.
See the full story by Hiten Patel and John McKenzie / Oliver Wyman
