Zinat Damji from Alliance Trust Company

Zinat H. Damji - President & CEO, Alliance Trust Company: Core values from the first female in Canada to have founded a Corporate Trust company and how the social impact from supporting Indigenous communities feels.

Zinat comes from a family of entrepreneurs and believes in paying it forward. She thrives on the excitement of starting and growing successful companies, with a strong reputation for integrity and professionalism—key traits for running a trust company. Early in her career, Zinat founded Corporate Shareholder Services Inc., driven by a desire to provide cost‐effective, high‐quality service. She raised $100,000 in 30 minutes from a corporate contact, later securing $2.7 million from 14 investors to launch Valiant Trust Company, which was sold to Canadian Western Bank. Zinat took a break to travel the world, then raised $2.8 million for a new venture, Alliance Trust Company, which received its Trust Charter in 2007. Alliance Trust emphasizes community support, including initiatives like camps for Indigenous teens through Bears Lair. Zinat’s journey is a testament to succeeding as a female and visible minority in the male‐dominated finance industry.