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Good morning, welcome to the TD Bank Group annual meeting of shareholders. My name is Joshua Kaye, and I am the diversity talent sourcer supporting Indigenous peoples at TD Bank. I'm from Ottawa, a proud Anishinaabe from the Algonquin Nation, and I'm from the Bear Clan. Before we begin the meeting, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the land upon which I am situated, and I'm proud to call home. In doing so, share an affirmation which was developed in partnership between the University of Ottawa and members of the local Indigenous community as an example of how we can continue to evolve our territory acknowledgments in a meaningful and respectful way.
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Even though we are not physically together, I would encourage each of us to continue on our journey to learn about the history and ongoing stories of Indigenous Peoples where we live and work. Thank you.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the 2021 TD Bank Group annual meeting of shareholders.
For our French-speaking shareholders, I welcome you to this annual meeting of our shareholders.
I'm Brian Levitt, Chair of the Board of Directors. I'll act as Chair of this meeting as stipulated by the bank's bylaws. This meeting is called to order. Before we begin the meeting, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. When we met last year, we were just at the beginning of this challenging journey. A year later, we meet again virtually to protect the health and wellbeing of our shareholders, customers, and colleagues, and to meet government requirements. With the benefit of experience, we've made a few noteworthy changes to last year's meeting format that we believe will improve the experience while adhering to recommended safety protocols. These are as follows. First, in order to provide a better virtual experience for our shareholders, this year's meeting is being simultaneously webcast by video.
As in past years, both English and French will be spoken during this meeting. Simultaneous translation will be provided over both our English and French webcasts and phone lines. Shareholders and proxy holders will be able to ask questions verbally over the phone line, as well as in writing through the webcast. Let me explain how this will work. If you are on the webcast and have a question, click on the Ask a Question tab at the top right of the webcast page. Please read the instructions in the text box before submitting your question. We ask that you identify whether your question relates to a motion being considered as part of the formal business of the meeting, or whether it is of a more general nature.
We will address questions that directly relate to a particular motion at the appropriate time, and we will ask you to save your general questions for the question and answer period following the formal business. Shareholders who wish to submit a question or comment through the webcast platform can do so at any time, and we will address them at the appropriate time of the meeting. Scott Fixter, our corporate secretary, will receive the questions and read them out for everyone to hear. If we have several questions that are the same or very similar in nature, we will read out one of the questions and mention that we've received similar questions. To ask a question over the phone, you'll be prompted to enter the question queue at the appropriate time. When we are ready to take your question, the operator will introduce you.
For example, if you have a specific question about the election of directors, please don't queue for a question until I prompt you to do so during that portion of the meeting. If your question is of a more general nature, please wait until after the formal business of the meeting when you'll be prompted to submit your question. We would like all of our shareholders that wish to ask a question have the opportunity to do so. We ask that you limit yourself to one question at a time over the phone line. If you have additional questions, please re-queue in the telephone line to allow us to speak with as many shareholders as possible during the meeting. Bharat or I will address questions from the webcast or the phone as appropriate.
With enhancements to this year's virtual meeting, a representative from MÉDAC will be able to present the two shareholder proposals. Like you, I would prefer to have this meeting in person. With the enhancements that we've added, we will look forward to engaging with you, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding. As in past years, the vast majority of shareholders submitted their proxies or voting instructions in advance of this meeting with only a small number of shareholders opting to vote their shares at the meeting. Under our normal procedure, shareholders and proxy holders who wish to vote at the meeting would be required to attend the meeting in person. Since we can't have in-person participation today, voting during this meeting can only be done through our virtual voting platform.
You are logged into the webcast, click the Vote tab at the top right of the webcast page and a separate browser window will open. Shareholders that are not logged into the webcast can access the virtual voting platform from the 2021 annual meeting page on the TD website. You've accessed the voting platform, you can register to vote by entering your control number as your username and entering TD2021, all uppercase, as your password. Voting will be open so long as the formal portion of the meeting is proceeding. If you have voted in advance of the meeting and do not wish to change your vote, then you do not need to do anything. I've received satisfactory proof that the notice calling this meeting was duly publicized and sent to all shareholders of the bank.
We received proxies representing more than 53% of the approximately 1.8 billion outstanding common shares. Accordingly, we have a quorum present, and I hereby declare the meeting duly and properly constituted. As in past years, we will have a question and answer session after the formal business of the meeting is completed. As I noted earlier, during the formal portion of the meeting, we will pause to address questions and comments submitted by shareholders and proxy holders that are specific to the motions being presented. As always, we ask that any questions that you submit relate to the business or affairs of the bank and not be of a personal nature. If your question is of a personal nature, we will defer your question and have one of our customer care representatives get in touch with you after the meeting.
To allow shareholders the time to register on the phone, we intend to address questions from the webcast first and then address questions from the phone line. The agenda for today's meeting is available on the annual meeting page on TD's investor relations website. I'd like to introduce the individuals who are here with me today. Bharat Masrani, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, and Scott Fixter, Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the bank. Scott will act as secretary of the meeting. Riaz Ahmed, Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ajai Bambawale, Chief Risk Officer of the bank, and Norie Campbell, the bank's General Counsel, are available to assist with questions if necessary. Pat Lee and Cindy Harrett, representatives of AST Trust Company, the bank's registrar and transfer agent, will act as scrutineers.
Before I turn the floor over to Bharat, I'm pleased to note that Joe Natale has been nominated for election to the board today. Joe is the Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Communications, a leading Canadian telecommunications provider, and brings a wealth of experience as well as deep strategic, technological, financial, and customer engagement expertise. The board will benefit from Joe's experience and business acumen. This year, TD successfully steered through one of the greatest challenges in its long history. The pandemic posed the challenge of a lifetime for the health and well-being of our customers, our communities, and our colleagues. Guided by our purpose and values, we delivered for all our stakeholders. The bank's performance enabled it to pay dividends to shareholders, support our colleagues, invest in new capabilities, launch an ambitious global climate action plan, and take important steps to further advance our unique and inclusive culture.
On behalf of the board, I'd like to thank our Group President and Chief Executive Officer and his senior team for their engagement and calm leadership in these uncertain and challenging times. I'd also like to recognize the hard work and dedication of TD's 90,000 colleagues, particularly those on the front line who, in the face of unprecedented challenges, continue to deliver the customer experience that is the TD hallmark. To my fellow directors, thank you for your ongoing counsel and leadership. To our shareholders, thank you for your ongoing support, and to our customers, thank you for the opportunity to serve you. We will continue to strive to maintain your trust. Please note that discussions during the meeting may contain forward-looking statements about the bank's outlook and objectives and strategies to achieve them. Bharat will be referring to non-GAAP financial measures, also known as adjusted results in his remarks.
Details regarding forward-looking statements of non-GAAP financial measures are on the slide on the webcast and can be found in the bank's financial reporting. Now I would like to call on Bharat Masrani to deliver his remarks.
Thank you, Brian, and thank you to our shareholders for joining us. Today, we gather virtually once again. I look forward to the day we can meet in person to discuss TD's performance and to take your questions. Thankfully, that day may be closer than it was just a few months ago. Testing is expanding, and vaccinations are being rolled out across our footprint. We are not out of the woods yet, and cases are rising in some jurisdictions. There is hope that the worst of this devastating pandemic may be behind us. Economies are opening up, and consumer confidence is rising. As we look ahead to better days, we must also pause and reflect on the significant impact the pandemic has had and continues to have. The lives lost, the impact on families, the economic hardship experienced by millions. These are not just statistics.
These are parents and grandparents, siblings and children, friends and colleagues. They are the people TD spent the past year serving. As always, 90,000 TD bankers around the world embraced our purpose. In the toughest moments of the crisis, when schools were closed, businesses shuttered, and streets quiet, our people were there when they were needed most. We were there on video and on the phone through new and enhanced digital platforms, and when we could do so safely, in person. We also stood by our customers, listening and helping them navigate through challenging times. Through TD Cares and TD Helps, we offered thoughtful and timely advice and support to customers and clients who, like many of us, were experiencing an incredibly challenging year. We provided mortgage, insurance, and loan relief to hundreds of thousands of individuals and business owners.
We worked with governments to get relief funds to those who needed it, including through the CERB and CEBA programs in Canada and the PPP program in the U.S. We continued, uninterrupted, to support the economies that rely on us, extending CAD billions in new credit to both businesses and individuals. When the crisis called on us to serve, we delivered. We rapidly implemented safety protocols across the bank, reprioritized certain investments, enabled 10s of thousands to work from home, and deployed new technology and applications in record time. It wasn't always easy, but we did it, and I could not be more proud. We never, not for a moment, stopped believing that banking serves a higher purpose. To help our customers and clients achieve their dreams of buying a home, saving for retirement and higher education, and starting or growing a business.
In 2020, the TD Shield we proudly wear stood for service, caring, compassion, and resilience. Early in the pandemic, it became clear that vulnerable communities already struggling prior to the crisis faced higher infection rates and deeper economic impacts. Through the TD Community Resilience Initiative, we quickly deployed CAD 25 million to help organizations on the ground address urgent challenges and promote a more rapid recovery in these communities. This included CAD 10 million in grants through the TD Ready Challenge to 15 North American organizations working on innovative approaches to help those hardest hit by COVID-19. Through these and other initiatives, we provided a total of CAD 130 million to community groups in 2020 alone to help create a more inclusive future. Economic and social inclusion is the foundation upon which we must build for the future. As we look ahead, there is still so much more to do.
Today, I'm pleased to announce that we will allocate an additional CAD 5 million through the TD Community Resilience Initiative to help organizations on the ground address the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic in vulnerable and racialized communities. TD will be there as they rebuild and beyond, because at TD, we know that when our communities thrive, we all thrive. Over the past year, we all witnessed tragic and horrific acts of racism and violence targeted at Black, Asian, and Indigenous communities. These events delivered an urgent call to action. We all have a role to play in combating racism. At TD, we have a long history of inclusion, but we can and will do more. In 2020, we established new programs, invested in community groups that work to address the impacts of racism, and held transparent conversations across the bank and beyond to advance awareness, understanding, and action.
We've also increased our minority representation targets in leadership roles with a focus on Black and Indigenous talent. TD will always raise its voice to condemn hatred and violence and enhance our efforts to create a more inclusive future. We also know that long-term prosperity requires sustainable growth and that climate change is a critical business and environmental challenge. I am proud of TD's environmental leadership. More than a decade ago, we were the first North American bank to become carbon neutral. Since then, we've helped drive growth in the green, social, and sustainability bond markets and have deployed millions of dollars towards research and technological innovation. A vibrant planet is a central pillar of our philanthropic efforts through the TD Ready Commitment, and the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation has been a positive force for progress for the past 30 years.
To further extend our efforts, three years ago, we became the first Canadian bank to set a clear financial target in support of the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we are already more than halfway there. Here, too, we can and will do more. We announced an ambitious climate action plan last year, and we were the first Canadian bank to set a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations and financing activities by 2050, aligned to the associated principles of the Paris Agreement. Now, 2050 is a long way off. We cannot take comfort that we have three decades to get this done. We will challenge ourselves and work with our clients to accelerate the transition. To further this effort, we established a center of expertise to help us set targets, measure progress, and actively participate in the global efforts needed to develop new solutions.
Within TD Securities, we now have a specialized team dedicated to supporting our clients in key industries with advice and financing to support their progress. Journey to net zero will require new innovations, new strategies, and broad adoption of new technologies, some of which have yet to be invented. We will work across the economy to drive progress. It won't happen overnight. At TD, we believe it is important to take a balanced and realistic approach and continue to support responsible energy development to meet current needs critical for our economies and the recovery. TD also has a long history of leadership in corporate governance. Our commitment to ESG principles contributes to our strong risk management culture. Across the bank, we continue to embed environmental, social, and governance values and practices into both our strategy and our operations.
I'm particularly proud that for the seventh consecutive year, TD was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices , the only North American bank included in the ranking. In keeping with our continued commitment to transparency, we measure our progress and regularly enhance our reporting. Board has taken an active role in monitoring our progress. In fact, for 2021, ESG priorities are now part of my own performance metrics and those of the senior executive team. TD's strong performance was instrumental in supporting our progress. We entered the pandemic from a position of strength, with a strong balance sheet, deep liquidity, and millions of customers.
While our financial results reflected the severe and rapid economic downturn caused by the pandemic, TD still delivered earnings of CAD 11.9 billion in fiscal 2020 and ended the year with a peer-leading Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 13.1% and a liquidity coverage ratio of 145%. Capital and liquidity are the cornerstones of a strong bank, and TD, your bank, is strong. Our diversified business model delivered, and we continue to pay dividends to shareholders who rely on the bank's performance for their financial well-being. We continue to grow. Today, we serve more than 26 million customers across the globe. We are, after all, a 166-year-old growth company. In 2020, we also advanced key strategic initiatives and deployed new capabilities across the bank.
With the acquisition of TD Ameritrade by Charles Schwab, TD became the largest shareholder of a wealth industry leader in the U.S. with more than CAD 6 trillion in client assets. We solidified our position as Canada's largest digital bank, with a significant increase in digital adoption across our footprint. We launched the TD Ready Advice program, online resources, and tools to offer personalized advice to millions of Canadians. In the U.S., we invested in new ways to serve our customers. Virtual store check-in, a self-service portal for TD Auto Finance, and an end-to-end experience for unsecured lending further reinforced our digital capabilities. The strength of our diversified business model supported our performance, with wealth, insurance, and wholesale businesses delivering their best year ever. In wealth, we enhanced our mobile direct investing capabilities with the introduction of TD GoalAssist app to help Canadians invest with confidence.
In TD Insurance, we improved digital self-service and advice capabilities, deepening connections through even more personalized experiences. Wholesale banking supported clients through the height of the crisis and benefited from the multi-year investments to broaden our client and product base. I'm incredibly proud of what we achieved and of the tremendous efforts made by all TD bankers. As we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there is no doubt that tomorrow will not look like today or the days before. We've seen customer and client needs shift with millions adopting digital as their first point of contact. At the same time, we know that increasingly complex financial needs require elevated advice to give customers confidence when making important financial decisions. We are seeing entrepreneurs reinvent their businesses, reshape their offerings, and participate in the new opportunities of a shifting marketplace.
To meet these changes and address the growing expectations of our customers and clients, TD will continue to innovate. Investments in new technology and capabilities are key to our continued growth. We will also focus on operational excellence, on being even more agile, which will enable us to respond to changing expectations even faster. We don't run the bank from the inside out. We run the bank from the outside in, evaluating the world around us and the evolving needs of our customers and clients, and we adapt. This crisis has been one for the ages. From the first days, governments in Canada and the U.S. have played and continue to play a central role in tackling its many challenges. Looking forward, the public and private sectors have the opportunity to work together to rebuild even better.
There are a number of things we may want to consider. First, we have an opportunity to encourage the growth of critical domestic industries, including vaccine manufacturing and the production of PPE here in Canada. Though we live in an interconnected world, the pandemic has highlighted risks in relying on international procurement alone to provide for our safety and security. I'm pleased that governments are already acting on this front. Second, with economies showing strong signs of recovery, we should adopt policies to encourage consumers to spend pent-up demand in local economies and support small and mid-sized businesses as they rebuild. Third, we must collaborate to build the world's most competitive economies by training and investing in the world's best talent.
Key sectors such as the environment, technology, digital, and artificial intelligence are going to create many opportunities, and we must work together to seize them and equip our people to thrive. After all, highly skilled talent is the competitive advantage of any economy. This is true for TD as well. This is why my optimism for the future comes not just from how well we perform through this pandemic or from the continued progress on our strategy, but also from a deeply held belief in our people. In branches and stores across Canada and from Maine to Florida, thousands of colleagues maintain our presence in the communities we serve with our customers at the heart of their efforts. Data centers, contact centers, and trading desks, thousands more support our operations and provide a voice of calm and stability to our customers and clients.
Tens of thousands continue to work from home at kitchen tables, bedside desks, and coffee tables. Our people are TD's greatest asset and serve as a source of strength and competitive advantage. I salute them and thank them for their tremendous efforts under trying circumstances. Fellow shareholders, a year ago, I told you that we would emerge from this crisis even stronger. I am pleased to report that our bank, your bank, is doing just that, and we are positioned to continue to grow as the recovery takes hold. As vaccines roll out and economies rebuild, we look to the future with renewed optimism. This long, difficult period will end. We will meet again in corner stores and restaurants. We will help small businesses recover and thrive once more. We will foster growth and support our economies.
We will see new graduates find well-paying jobs and equip those in mid-career to prepare for the future. TD will be there, investing in our communities, supporting those we serve, and promoting a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow. I would like to thank the board of directors for its guidance and steady stewardship throughout an unprecedented year. Above all, I'd like to thank our customers and clients for their trust, our colleagues for their commitment, and you, our shareholders, for your support. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Bharat. At this point, I'd like to move to the formal business of the meeting. For shareholders and proxy holders who have registered to access our online voting platform, the polls are open and will close after the presentation of our items of business. If you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you would like to change your vote. When proxies are submitted to our registrar and transfer agent, they are counted and tabulated by their officers. The scrutineers of the meeting will then verify and report the results. A simple majority of the votes cast during this meeting or by proxy is required to pass each of the matters to be voted on today.
If you are a shareholder or proxy holder and wish to ask a question via webcast, you can submit your question at any time. As a reminder, if you wish to ask a question by phone, you will be prompted to do so at the appropriate time of the meeting. If your question is of a general nature and is asked during the formal business, we ask that you defer your question until the general question and answering session. Copies of TD's 2020 annual report, which contains the bank's 2020 financial statements and the auditor's report on them, were sent to shareholders in advance of this meeting. You can obtain a copy of our annual report on our website at td.com. We'll now address any questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders directly related to the 2020 financial statements.
If you are on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this matter, please press star one now on your phone keypad. If at any time you wish to cancel your question, please press star two and you will be removed from the queue. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
Chair, there have been no questions received regarding this matter from the webcast.
Thank you, Scott. We'll now address questions from the phone. Operator, have any questions come in?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this item.
Thank you. Scott, any additional questions through the webcast on this matter?
No, Chair.
Thank you, Scott. We'll now move to the election of directors. Information about each nominee is included in the proxy circular. To facilitate the introduction of the nominees, we refer you to the slide on the webcast, and I will read the names now. Our nominees for director at this year's annual meeting are Amy Brinkley, Brian Ferguson, Colleen Goggins, Jean-René Halde , David Kepler, Brian Levitt, Alan MacGibbon, Karen Maidment, Bharat Masrani, Irene Miller, Nadir H. Mohamed , Claude Mongeau, Joe Natale, and Jane Rowe. The board of directors has fixed the number of directors to be elected at 14, and I confirm that all the nominees are eligible for election. I'll now ask Scott to move the motion.
I hereby move the nomination of each of the persons whose name appears in the proxy circular under the heading "Director Nominees" to be a director of the Bank until the close of the next annual meeting of the Bank's common shareholders.
Thank you, Scott. I will now address any questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders directly related to the election of directors. If you're on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this motion, please press star one now. If at any time you wish to cancel your question, please press star two, and you will be removed from the queue. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
Chair, no questions have been received regarding this matter via the webcast.
Thank you, Scott. Operator, have any questions come in on the phone?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this item.
Thank you, operator. Scott, any additional questions from the webcast?
No, Chair.
Thank you. Voting is open. We invite shareholders and proxy holders to submit their vote if they have not already done so. As I mentioned earlier, if you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you would like to change your vote. The next item on the agenda is the appointment of the auditor. The board recommends that Ernst & Young LLP be appointed as the auditor of the bank until the close of the next annual meeting. Bill Schlich, André de Haan, and Troy Butner, representatives of Ernst & Young, are available to assist with questions if necessary. I'll ask Scott to move the motion.
I hereby move the motion that Ernst & Young LLP be appointed auditor of the bank to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of the bank's common shareholders.
Thank you, Scott. I will now address any questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders that directly relate to this matter. If you are on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this motion, please press star one now. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
No questions, Chair.
Thank you, Scott. Operator, have any questions come in on the phone?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this item.
Thank you, operator. Scott, any additional questions on the webcast?
No, Chair.
Thank you, Scott. We now invite shareholders and proxy holders to submit their vote if they have not already done so. As a reminder, if you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you would like to change your vote. The next item of business is the advisory vote on the Bank's approach to executive compensation. The resolution on the approach to executive compensation is set out in the proxy circular under the heading "Advisory Vote on Approach to Executive Compensation." I'll ask Scott to move the motion.
I hereby move the motion that the resolution set out in the proxy circular under the heading "Advisory Vote on Approach to Executive Compensation" be passed.
Thank you, Scott. We'll now address any questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders that directly relate to this matter. If you are on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this motion, please press star one now. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
No questions have been received.
Thank you, Scott. Operator, have any questions come in on the phone?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this item.
Thank you, operator. Scott, any additional questions on the webcast?
None.
Thank you, Scott. We invite shareholders and proxy holders to submit their vote if they have not already done so. If you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you would like to change your vote. Next to be put before the meeting are the shareholder proposals. There are two shareholder proposals for consideration at this meeting. Proposals one and two were submitted by [Non-English content] , also known as MÉDAC of Montreal, Quebec. I would also like to mention that MÉDAC submitted six additional proposals that were withdrawn following discussions between MÉDAC and the bank, and we will invite MÉDAC to present a statement regarding those withdrawn proposals after we address the shareholder proposals that are to be voted on.
The withdrawn proposals and supporting statements, as well as the bank's responses to them, were included in the proxy circular at MÉDAC's request. We now turn our attention to the proposals. The proxy circular includes statements by MÉDAC in support of their proposals, as well as the reasons why the board is recommending to shareholders that they vote against the proposals. As a result, in the interest of time, we will not be revisiting the reason for the board's position during the discussion of the proposals. The first item is shareholder proposal one and is set out in the proxy circular under the heading "Shareholder Proposals" starting on page 73. I will ask Scott to move the motion.
I hereby move the motion that the resolution set out in the proxy circular under the heading "Shareholder Proposals" be passed.
Thank you, Scott. I now invite Mr. Gagnon to present a statement on behalf of MÉDAC.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can you hear me?
Yes, we hear you very well. Thank you.
Very good. As you have stated. First of all, my name is Willie Gagnon. I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Willie Gagnon. I act on behalf of the MÉDAC, as you have stated. Today, we celebrate our 25th anniversary. We submitted eight proposals this year. Seven of those proposals were submitted to all major Canadian banks. Those were not necessarily proposals that targeted the TD directly, but that were intended to change the corporate practices of public companies. One proposal is on the floor and will be voted on in a moment, and is entitled Circular Economy. It is resolved that the bank produce a report on loans it has made in recent years in support of the circular economy. The circular economy is an area in which much less progress has been made than climate change and carbon emissions.
This is a proposal that we have made to all major Canadian banks. We've agreed that that proposal not be put to a vote at the meetings of two other banks that have signed up to the proposals for responsible banking of the United Nations Finance and Environment arm. We wanted to know whether the TD Bank is intending to subscribe to those principles. As I've said, we've agreed that that proposal not be put to a vote at the meetings of other banks, including the National Bank. We would have hoped that the TD Bank would sign up to those principles as well. In light of our discussions, I understand that that has not been done.
Do you intend to sign up to those principles, and if so, do you agree with the principle of developing financial indicators to measure the bank's involvement in companies that contribute to the circular economy? This was the subject of our first proposal, and we would obviously invite all shareholders to support our proposal. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Gagnon. To answer your questions, the bank is considering the issue of those principles, questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders that directly relate to this proposal. If you are on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this motion, please press star one now. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
Chair, no questions have been received via the webcast related to this proposal.
Thank you, Scott. We'll now address questions from the phone. Operator, have any questions come in?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this item.
Thank you. Scott, any additional questions on the webcast?
No.
Thank you. Your board of directors has recommended voting against proposal one. Voting on our webcast is open, and we invite shareholders and proxy holders to submit their vote if they have not already done so. If you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you'd like to change your vote. The next motion is for shareholder proposal two, which was also submitted by MÉDAC and is set out in the proxy circular under the heading Shareholder Proposals starting on page 74. I'll ask Scott to move the motion.
I hereby move the motion that the resolution set out in the proxy circular under the heading Shareholder Proposals be passed.
Thank you, Scott. I'll now invite Mr. Gagnon to present a statement on behalf of MÉDAC. [Non-English content ], Mr. Gagnon.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, Willie Gagnon for MÉDAC. The second proposal deals with a diversity target. Be it resolved that the bank set a target of more than 40% for the composition of its board of directors for the next five years. This is not the first time we make this proposal. It was made specifically to TD, given the level of support that we've obtained in the past. We made this proposal to other banks, and we agreed that it not be put to a vote at the meetings of certain other banks, given that those banks agreed to enshrine the notion of parity in their policies. Had it been the case at TD, we would not have required that this motion be put to a vote.
We would be happy that the notion of parity be enshrined in your policies. We would obviously invite all shareholders to support this initiative and support this proposal. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Gagnon. Any questions or comments that have been submitted by shareholders or proxy holders that directly relate to this proposal. If you're on the phone and have a question or comment directly related to this motion, please press star one now. As you register on the phone, we will proceed with questions submitted from the webcast. Scott, have any questions come in?
Chair, no questions have been received in respect of this proposal.
Operator, have any questions come in on the phone?
Chair, no questions have come in related to this matter.
Thank you. Scott, any additional questions on the webcast?
No.
Your board of directors has recommended voting against Proposal 2. Voting on our webcast is open. We invite shareholders and proxy holders to submit their votes if they have not already done so. If you have already voted or sent in a proxy, there is no need to do anything unless you would like to change your vote. That completes the proposals. Wait a moment while you finish voting. I'll now ask [Non-English content] Gagnon to present his statement on behalf of MÉDAC regarding the six shareholder proposals that were withdrawn. [Non-English content] Gagnon, .
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We had also made six other proposals that we had also made to all major Canadian banks. As I've said, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Given there's a lot of material, I'll try and be as brief as possible. We have designed a proposal to illustrate all of the values that we defend, a proposal that the bank identify a purpose, which was already the case, but also enshrine the monitoring of the corporate purpose in the mandate of a board committee. In our discussions with the bank, we agreed that mandate would be specifically entrusted to the governance committee, which is unfortunately not set out in writing in the bank's response.
I hope and trust that what has been agreed orally can be enshrined in the text of the committee's mandate, which is the reason why we did not require that this question be put to a vote. In fact, this is a matter on which we found agreement with almost all Canadian banks. Another proposal dealt with the conditions for holding virtual annual meetings. We agreed that proposal not be put to a vote, given that it is now possible to speak during the meeting, which we felt was very important, not just for us, but for all shareholders. We are happy that this is the case, given that that was not possible last year. We have agreed with the bank on the principle that a virtual meeting should resemble as much as possible an in-person meeting. This is not yet entirely the case.
There are still improvements to be made. Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has become used to organize virtual meetings where it's possible to speak and even to appear on video, which is not possible today. I understand there are technical issues with that, but we hope that improvements will continue. We also made a proposal dealing with the Human Resources Committee. It was proposed that the board of directors review the mandate of its compensation or Human Resources Committee in order to include more specifically responsibilities regarding the health, safety, and well-being of all of its employees. This is a requirement that was formally enshrined in the mandate of the Human Resources Committee of the National Bank. Based on our discussions with the TD Bank, it was agreed that this would also be done for this bank.
We made a proposal on the fair sharing of the burden of recovery following the health crisis. We very much appreciate the detailed response that you provided in which there is a lot of new information. Obviously, this proposal was designed to elicit information. It would be well if all the information provided in the response to our proposal be provided in the circular in future. This is the proposal, rather, this is the practice that we aim for. For each of the items of information in your response, we would like that this information be published in your corporate materials in the future.
We also made a proposal on climate change and global warming, given that you're one of the signatories to the IPCC or TCFD proposals, and that you have joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, and that you've agreed with us on the need to publish financial indicators on the bank's investment and loan portfolio related to polluting enterprises. We have agreed for these reasons not to put this matter to a vote. Finally, we had made a proposal related to the discretion of the Board of Directors and Compensation Committee. We are happy with the disclosure in your response that the Human Resources Committee had determined that it was not necessary to exercise discretion in terms of corporate performance related to remuneration. This is found in the third paragraph of your response.
This is the kind of information, again, that we feel ought to be disclosed without the need for shareholder proposals to be made. Information about the discretionary power of the Board and Remuneration Committee. This is a significant power. This is important information, and it is important to disclose the reasons why it is exercised or not each year. That is the reason why we did not require that proposal be put to a vote.
I am sorry that it has taken so long to comment on all of our proposals. Nonetheless, we believe that these are important questions in this crucial year, not just for us but for all of Canada's population. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I gather there's one question that's come in, Scott, on the webcast. Scott, do you want to deal with that? Then we'll have the scrutineer's report.
Yes, thank you, Chair. This was a question submitted in French, and it has been translated. The question is from Mr. Gagnon, a proxy holder who wishes to comment on the bank's advisory vote on the approach to executive compensation. "Hello, my name is Willie Gagnon, and I represent MÉDAC. As every year, we oppose the bank's remuneration policy for many reasons, including the fact that the bank does not publish the vertical analysis ratio for executive compensation.
[Non-English content]
Thank you, Mr. Gagnon, for your comment. I'm not surprised because this is a topic of discussion that has been ongoing for a long time. For the reasons that we have elaborated on in past years, we have a difference of opinion on this.
I understand that the scrutineers have a preliminary tabulation of votes cast in respect of each of the items of business before the meeting and have provided it to the Corporate Secretary. I'll ask Scott to read out the scrutineer's report.
For the information of the shareholders, we wish to report that more than 53% of the eligible shares voted at this meeting. The results with respect to the election of directors are that a substantial majority of the votes cast at the meeting voted in favor of the 14 nominees named in the proxy circular, with each nominee receiving in excess of 98% in favor. The result with respect to the appointment of auditor is not less than 99% voted in favor of Ernst & Young LLP. The result with respect to the advisory vote on the approach to executive compensation is that no less than 95% voted in favor of the resolution. The result with respect to the shareholder proposals are proposal one, no more than 9% voted in favor and no less than 91% voted against, with less than three million shares abstained from voting.
Proposal 2, no more than 8% voted in favor and no less than 92% voted against, with less than five million shares abstained from voting. Chair, that concludes the scrutineer's report.
Thanks, Scott. Final voting results will be made available shortly on td.com. This concludes the formal business of the meeting. We'll now move to shareholders' questions or comments that we received through the webcast or over the phone. I remind you that questions should be of general interest and not of a personal nature. In addition, if your question relates to a customer service matter, we will defer your question and have one of our customer care representatives get in touch with you after the meeting. I will now proceed with the questions, and I'll ask Bharat to conduct the remainder of this portion of the meeting.
Thank you, Brian. I always look forward to this part of our meeting, where we have an opportunity to hear from you, our shareholders, and answer your questions. Let's begin with questions from the webcast. Scott, do we have any questions?
Yes, Mr. Masrani. This question comes from Dr. David Shore on behalf of Grand K Holdings, Inc., a shareholder. "It has come to my attention that migratory birds continue to collide with the TD Towers, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dead birds each year. I understand the problematic windows are on the first few floors.
Yes, thank you for your question. Yes, this is an issue that we've been talking to our landlord for a while now. As you probably know, we don't own the buildings. We are a tenant in this building. We have not, nevertheless, engaged with a third party to give us more advice as to what we should do. In addition, recently, we installed a special film on some of the floors to make sure that we can minimize this issue, as well as have our cleaning staff, to the extent they can, perform their tasks during the day so there is minimal use of the building at night. We have installed sensors on those floors as well to ensure that whenever it's being used at night, that the lights do go off when people leave.
We are attempting to mitigate the problem as much as we can, but we'll continue to work with our landlord to see what else we can do. I appreciate the concern. This is an issue, and our people are thinking of creative ideas in addition to what we've already implemented to make sure that we can mitigate it further. Thank you for your question. All right, next question.
Yes, we have a question submitted by Dana Klein, a shareholder. "We noticed that TD embraces ESG principles. Recently, in Ontario, there's been a great deal of press relating to developments on wetlands and floodplains. With the insurance industry reporting CAD 12.4 billion in insurance losses due to flooding, why does TD continuously choose to be partners with developers on documented floodplains, such as the proposed development in Burlington? Will the bank commit to withholding financing from these projects?
Thank you for your question. This undoubtedly is an important issue. With respect to this specific project, obviously, I can't comment on any specific project or a client, although I'm not aware that we are involved here. Nevertheless, just to give you a sense as to how we approve projects or how we approve financing for such projects, these projects require all kinds of approvals from local municipalities to various other agencies set up by the government. It goes through various levels of approvals that take into account the type of issues that you brought forward. In addition, as a bank, we have to do our own assessment because we are financiers, and we want to make sure that we are doing the right thing. It goes through, again, a vigorous assessment within the bank.
Overall, that's how our credit policies work here, where this is considered as an important issue. We will look at if there's other things we should be doing, but this is an important issue that you're raising, and I want to make sure that you understand how the bank looks at it, that we are actually part of various approvals that are required before a project like that would proceed. Scott, any other questions?
Yes. We have a question from Nicholas Saracen, a shareholder. "I oppose your approach to executive compensation, in particular CEO compensation. The approach that embraces pay for performance, short-term and long-term incentives, sweat equity is sound, but the outcome defies common sense. Mr. Masrani still makes over CAD 10 million a year, Mr. Dorrance's not far behind. That's about CAD 40,000 per day worked, not far from the average Canadian's pay for a whole year, not counting the dividends on the tens of millions of stock they now own through past compensation. At what point will they make enough to feel adequately compensated?
I appreciate. I will pass it on to you, Brian.
Just a minute.
One minute about my own comp because I think it's important that our Chair comments on that. Just to give you a sense, you talked about some other executives. We make sure that we are compensating our executives at market. There's a whole process internally before it goes to our Board and our HR Committee. We ensure that we need to have the best people available for these jobs. We run a very complex business that requires specialists to be part of our organization in order for us to be successful for the past 166 years. With respect to my own situation, I think it's more appropriate that our Chair takes that question.
Yeah, I would just echo what Bharat said. It applies to him. We run a market-based pay-for-performance system. I think you can see from the results we've had over the years that our shareholders overwhelmingly support our approach. In addition, you will see that, as we've stated in the proxy statement this year, we set the goals for performance at the beginning of the year. As happened this year, there were unforeseen events, but management was paid according to the performance against those criteria. No discretion was used to vary the outcome.
Thanks, Brian, and thank you for your question. Scott, any more questions on the webcast?
Yes. This is a question from Michael Del Grande, a shareholder. "I've been a customer for 57 years. At one point, TD Canada Trust used to win eight years running Best Customer Service. We no longer have that honor. I notice that customer service is not what it used to be. Your operating divisions are in silos. I'm the only customer. When I talk to any of the divisions, I'm told that they cannot see my accounts. Staff tell me they cannot help me. I should go and speak to the other division. That's not helpful. When will you strive to be on top for customer service and examine how not to push customers away?
Thank you for your question. I regret the experience that you just outlined. That is not what we strive for and what our bank is known for. We've got dedicated, tremendous people, and that's the hallmark of TD to provide legendary experiences to our customers. I know there have been some issues over the past one year. A lot of it is to do with the pandemic. We've had to make adjustments as to how we operate. We've had to quickly take a lot of our folks out of physical locations and have them work from home. We have redeployed technology. There have been issues, and I regret that. I apologize to our customers who've been impacted by that. On top of that, we've had record volumes of calls coming into our call centers, et cetera. We will strive to do better.
I feel very proud as to how the bank has been able to manage through this, but there have been instances where we've not been up to par, and I regret that. We will work hard to make sure that we once again perform at the levels that you and others would expect in those limited circumstances where we could not meet the standards that we've set. I appreciate the question, and if you have any other specific issues regarding your account, please leave your name on our website, and we will make sure our people get in touch with you directly.
The next question.
Any other questions?
Yes. The next question is from Kenneth McPherson, a shareholder. "Where do transgender folks fit into the concept of gender parity on our board?
Just generally for the bank, then I'll maybe pass it on to the chair with respect to the board. Diversity and inclusion has been a core part of our value set for many, many years. Feel very proud as to how TD has embraced diversity. In fact, as a core part of our culture, and frankly, I feel that is part of our secret sauce. We are a purpose-driven company, and a core part of that is our own people, is how we strive to have TD reflect the communities in which we live and work. Feel very proud as to how the bank has performed in this important regard. Frankly, it is core to our strategy. We are viewed as a leader in this.
We don't run our strategies to win awards, but when we are recognized, it is because of how we are executing as our strategy. I think in this specific situation, we have been recognized as one of the leaders. We're viewed as Canada's, for I don't know how many years now, viewed as one of the best places in Canada to work. It's a core part of what we do in the bank. With respect to the board, before I pass it on to Brian, again, diversity is critically important to us. You've seen the makeup of our board, and we strive to make sure that our board reflects our communities and our customers that we serve. Maybe, Brian, if you want to add anything from a board perspective.
Yeah. I'd just say that, as you can see from the disclosure we've added this year on diversity beyond gender diversity, the board has the same business imperative that the bank has and that it holds the management to, which is that diversity is a business imperative. We're working at that. When we recruit for the board, we have a limited number of space. We have a large, as you can tell from the competency grid in the proxy statement, we have a large number of competencies to cover so that we can discharge our oversight responsibilities. We do that by looking at competency and having an eye on diversity so that we can achieve the diversity goals overall.
That may mean from time to time that people in one category or another may not be present, but that doesn't mean to say that they won't ever be present. It's just a question of the number of places and the competencies that we're recruiting for.
Thanks, Brian. I would add just we've done a lot, very proud of how far we've come on inclusion and diversity. It's obviously more we can do, and we strive to do more, and we can, and we will. I just want to add that this is an important aspect of who we are. That's top of mind for me and my management team to ensure that we continue to be leaders in this area. I believe there is a question on the phone. Operator, perhaps, am I right in thinking that?
Yes, certainly. Thank you, Mr. Masrani. We have a question from Amelia Meister. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Mr. Masrani and the board of directors, for taking my question. My name is Amelia Meister, and I am here speaking on behalf of 1,700 SumOfUs members who are TD shareholders who are very concerned about TD's action on climate. As you said, TD announced in November a net zero commitment for your lending portfolio. At the time, no interim targets were set. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2018 report, the world needs a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in order to prevent climate catastrophe.
Without bold interim targets in line with the IPCC report, TD risks alienating youth customers critical for our company's long-term success, who just today launched a campaign for thousands of youth to move their money away from TD and other major Canadian banks because of inaction on climate. Not only that, over 2,500 SumOfUs members identified that they would move their money from TD over this issue. My question is, will TD commit to a 50% reduction by 2030 and reduce risks to investors from declining share value due to clients leaving by the thousands because of our company's lagging action on climate? Thank you.
We disagree. I don't agree with your premise that TD's lagging. I think I mentioned this in my remarks, but I will repeat just to make sure that there is no confusion or ambiguity regarding the bank's performance in this important respect and what our plans are. We, TD Bank, was the first bank in North America to go carbon neutral, and that happened in 2010. That's 11 years ago that TD became the first bank to become carbon neutral. A lot of institutions are talking becoming carbon neutral starting now or in the future. We've got a long history of environmental leadership in the bank. We announced, I think it was three years ago, a particular financial target to support transition to a low carbon economy, and we are more than halfway there already in our financing and asset management activities.
You recently saw that, like you pointed out, in November, we did announce our climate action plan. Very proud that we are being part of the solution here. That targets net zero by 2050, which is in accordance with the principles of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries agreed to the principles of the Paris Agreement, specifically saying that the target is to get to net zero by 2050, and that there's a transition required here. Now, with respect to what you're talking about, with respect to interim targets, we have made it very clear that we are working very hard to find a base level from which all of us can compare ourselves. There is a common standard of how you measure the various inputs that go into this. There's lots of debate among international players.
You mentioned one, but there's five others who have different views on this, and we are engaged with all of them. We're engaged with SASB and GRI and the World Economic Forum as to what those standards should be, what kind of measurements should apply in this important area. We want to make sure we do the right thing. We've set up an expertise area in the bank. We've set up a separate group in TD Securities that will not only help the bank, but help our clients transition in accordance with the Paris principles. I feel very proud of how TD is conducting itself in this regard. We've said, as part of our climate action plan, that once we get the base levels agreed that is comparable and credible to all concerned, we will set out targets to reduce the emissions.
I said in my prepared remarks that 2050 is three decades away. There's no question that people have to start, but let's start where there is real comparisons, and we can make this work for everybody and can be measured in a credible and fair way where people can judge progress. Again, I want to thank the folks at TD. 90,000 strong have been working hard in this area for many, many years, and this is not just at the top of TD. This is at every level in the bank where environmental stewardship. I will remind you, actually at TD, we set up the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation 30 years ago, long before anybody was talking of environment and climate change.
Feel very proud, and we will keep on working at it, and I think all our details are laid out very clearly in our climate action plan. I appreciate your question. Operator, if we can maybe move to the next question.
Thank you. We now have a question from Emily DeMasi. Your line is open. Please go ahead.
I thank the chair, members of the board, and fellow shareholders. My name is Emily DeMasi, and I work for EOS at Federated Hermes. I'm here on behalf of our institutional investor clients who own CAD 3.3 billion in TD equity, effectively making them the bank's second largest shareholder. I would like to address financing restriction policies related to the bank's climate strategy, as we consider these important for the long-term success of Toronto-Dominion. We'd like to commend the bank on its commitment to a net zero by 2050 target. We appreciate the bank's acknowledgment that interim goals will be necessary to achieve net zero by 2050, and we look forward to more reporting on interim target progress in 2021 that was detailed in the proxy statement.
Our clients appreciate the restriction on new project financing for oil and gas activities within the Arctic Circle, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Investors expect that activities already generally incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement are prioritized for curtailed financing. This includes, but is not limited to, financing coal, gas, oil, fossil fuel expansion, and other fossil fuel-related operations. We acknowledge the unique role of the fossil fuel industry in the Canadian economy but cannot discount the reality that the rate of global warming is higher in Canada than in other parts of the world. We appreciate the bank's approach to engaging with its corporate customers to finance the transition in a responsible, inclusive, stakeholder-focused manner. Investors also request banks disclose explicit criteria and timelines for withdrawal of financing for Paris misaligned activities.
I ask the chair, when will Toronto-Dominion be setting new financing restriction policies with explicit criteria for the withdrawal of financing to activities that are misaligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement? Thank you.
Brian, I'll pass it on to you because I think she'd like this for you to address. Before I do that, in the last question, I just want to make sure that one other aspect is clear. We've made it very clear that as we work towards the net zero target and have interim reduction goals, that in the meantime, there's a transition required. During that transition, our position at TD has been very clear. We will support responsible energy development, which is absolutely necessary to support the economies in which we live and operate, and frankly, to support the recovery that is so needed post this pandemic. I just want to make sure that point, it comes out loud and clear.
The points you are raising, I think are similar to my answer to the last question, that we are sensitive on the points you're raising as we put these targets out. We will be looking at how they impact our specific lending to specific industries, and we will look to adjust our policies as required, once we get to that stage. Brian, I think she wanted you to address the point directly.
Yeah, thank you. As I told you when we met on March the 12th, having committed to achieve the zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and as Bharat indicated, we're now in the process of developing a methodology for doing that. The methodologies that will be required to measure progress are novel because progress depends in material part, as Bharat indicated. All informed opinion is that this is a 20- 30-year transition, and that achieving the goal depends in part on technologies that haven't been invented, and on the reaction and changes that our customers make in response to the imperative. Our focus, as I told you, is on developing metrics which are science-based, quantifiable, verifiable, and comparable across institutions.
We're engaging with our customers now on an industry-by-industry basis, starting with the most carbon-intensive industries, to understand what their climate plans are and how they are measuring progress. You can't measure progress unless you have a good fix on where you've started. So that our, as I told you when we met, our initial focus is on, A, developing a methodology that works, and B, understanding the baseline, where are we starting from, so that we'll be able to measure progress from there. We've undertaken to report on our progress, and we will do so. Thanks.
Thanks, Brian. Operator, any other questions?
Thank you, Mr. Masrani. There are no further questions from the phone related to this item.
Thank you, operator. Scott, have any additional questions come in through the webcast?
Yes, Mr. Masrani. This is another question from Michael Del Grande, a shareholder. Is diversity seen as a quota or opportunity to promote competency?
Diversity and inclusion is a core part of what we do. We are a meritocracy. We believe that people's competency comes from all different backgrounds, and this is what the TD Bank is all about. That is how we are creating a terrific workforce that is addressing the realities of the market today. We've said that apart from diversity being the right moral thing to do, it's a right business imperative. It's an important business imperative, and that's how the bank is proceeding. I'm very proud of what we've been able to achieve, and we'll continue to work in different areas as we move forward. I appreciate the question. Any other question, Scott?
Yes, we have a further question from Kathleen Moleski, a shareholder. TD was rated number 9 in the world of top financiers of fossil fuel companies in the Rainforest Action Network's Banking on Climate Chaos 2021 report. Does TD's climate action plan extend to specific action to phase out these greenhouse gas emission contributing investments?
Yes, that's what we've said, that we are working towards a net zero target by 2050. As I said, Brian reiterated, we're working on a baseline to start from, then we'll have targets every year as to how we will reduce that. Over time, we want to make sure that we are part of the solution here. I will also note that our customers, our clients also are very focused on these issues. Most of our clients are working on transition plans themselves. I think it's important to note that this is not just the bank doing what we are doing, but our clients as well are adapting to this new reality. It's important to make sure that this is a requirement for everybody, just not for TD.
I'm glad to see and happy to report that our clients take this issue as seriously as we do. Any other questions on the webcast, Scott?
We have a question. This was submitted in French and has been translated. It's from Serge St. Pierre, who's a proxy holder, and states that, "On two occasions since March 23, I tried to obtain my control number from the firm AST. The contact person from this company did not understand the subject of my request and did not follow through on commitment to satisfy my request. As a result, I was unable to vote at the assembly. Do you intend to correct this situation.
I'm not aware of the specific issue, perhaps we can have our people talk to you directly to understand what the problem is. I know there were some issues on the website, but we had made sure that the provider of the services to TD actually provides some disclosure on the website to make sure that there's clearer understanding of how to proceed. If there are any specific issues that you came across, our apologies, and if you can just let our people know what it is, and we'll make sure that we fix it.
The next question is from Terry Valentine. "Further to the salary question, how do we plan to balance the market-driven executive compensation with TD's commitment to equity and equality? Income equality is a global concern. That was not clear to me in the response. Thank you.
Again, just to reiterate, we are a major financial institution that is recognized for service and convenience. We are a major financial institution that is recognized for its conservative risk management outlook. We are a major financial institution that competes on a global scale with the very best out there, and some of them being non-banks. It is critically important that we do attract the very best that we can get from around the world, I might add, and make sure that we can provide the legendary experiences that our customers expect and want. That's how we look at it, and we of course, balance out on what makes sense, what is the situation in the marketplace, how is it equitable within our own organization. Those are all inputs that come in.
The core point here is that we live in a competitive world, and a lot of our major competitors are going for the same talent, and therefore we have to be competitive in attracting them to TD. Any other questions, Scott?
Next, we have actually a comment from David Peters, a shareholder. He indicates in his book titled "Doug Peters: Bay Street Economist on Parliament Hill," that was published recently. It is a biographical book about TD's former chief economist. He interviewed a number of former TD executives and board members while writing the book, appreciated their input, and indicates, "If we had a normal annual meeting, it was my intention to give a signed copy of the book to Mr. Masrani. I congratulate the TD executives on having a successful year in 2020.
Thank you for your comment, Mr. Peters. Look forward to seeing you next year. We fondly remember Douglas Peters, our Chief Economist many years ago. He was one of the legends at TD. Appreciate your comments. Thank you very much.
We have one further question from Michelle Collins, a shareholder. "I'd like to receive quarterly reports. I voted today during the meeting. However, the request for these reports wasn't an option during the voting process. It was only an option on the mailed form.
I'm not sure which reports you are referring to. We'll make sure that our people get in touch with you directly. I think we probably have your contact details since you came through the webcast. We'll make sure that we make it as convenient as possible for you to receive whatever we provide to all our shareholders. Any other questions, Scott?
Mr. Masrani, that concludes the questions via the webcast.
Thank you. Operator, any more questions on the phone?
Mr. Masrani, there are no further questions from the phones.
Thank you very much, operator. Thank you, Scott, for reading out all those questions. Thank you to our shareholders and proxy holders for your questions. We really appreciate this part of our meeting, and I look forward, hopefully next year, we can all get together in person, and I look forward to seeing many of you. I will turn it back over to you, Brian.
Thank you, Bharat. I would echo Bharat's comment. We said last year that we hoped we'd be together this year. It's our fervent hope that we will be together next year, and we've reason to think that we will. This concludes our meeting. On behalf of the bank, I'd like to thank you for participating in the meeting and for your ongoing commitment to TD. I wish you all the best and hope that you stay safe and healthy. Meeting's now terminated. Thank you.