Developing Leadership Presence and Communicating with Confidence 

Finding His Voice: Matt Marcovitch on Leading with Clarity and Confidence 

After two decades at CIBC, Matt Marcovitch had built a strong career in data analytics and financial reporting. As a Senior Director leading a team of 25, his work supports thousands of frontline banking professionals across the country. Yet when he joined the Ivey Leadership Program, it wasn’t technical mastery he sought—it was executive presence. For Matt, an introvert by nature, the program offered more than strategies for communication. It gave him the confidence to take up space, speak up with intention, and foster leadership growth—both for himself and his team. 

Can you tell us about your role and what brought you to the Ivey Leadership Program? 

I’m a Senior Director at CIBC, leading a team that provides frontline insights and analytics. We support the banking center teams across Canada—helping them understand performance, track goals, and identify opportunities. We work with large data sets, build dashboards, and deliver insights that influence leaders across the organization. Easily over 10,000 people across the bank engage with our work in some form. 

I’ve been at CIBC for 20 years, having started through an MBA recruitment program, and I’ve taken on a variety of roles over time. I joined the Ivey program because I wanted to strengthen my leadership capabilities, especially in areas like communication and executive presence. As someone who’s naturally introverted, I was looking for ways to become more comfortable in high-stakes settings—to speak up, take up space, and engage more confidently with senior leaders.

What were your key takeaways from the program? 

One of the biggest shifts for me was around self-expression. I tend to do a lot of internal thinking in meetings, but not always vocalize those thoughts. After the program, I made a conscious effort to speak up—to share those ideas, ask questions, or offer a perspective, even if it felt outside my comfort zone. 

I’ve received positive feedback from others, and I think it’s helped me build stronger dialogue and trust in meetings with senior partners. It's also helped strengthen my presence and personal brand within the organization. I try to plan in advance for key meetings, think through the contributions I want to make, and then make sure I actually voice them. That intentionality has made a real difference. 

How did your participation in the program influence your team? 

I lead a team of 25, with four direct reports who each manage their own teams. We meet regularly as a full team to align on priorities and direction. Coming out of the program, I was much more intentional in how I set the strategy for the year and how I communicated it. The timing worked well—it aligned with the start of our fiscal year—so I had a chance to apply what I learned right away. 

I focused on articulating our goals clearly and ensuring the team understood how their work contributed to the bigger picture. That clarity and alignment has been key to helping everyone stay focused and motivated. I also think the confidence I gained from the program made me more effective in how I present and lead those discussions.

What was the most challenging part of applying the learning? 

Honestly, it’s like building a muscle. You can learn a technique in the moment, but unless you keep practicing, it fades. I had to force myself at first to speak up more and be more vocal. Over time, it’s becoming second nature, but the repetition is key. It’s not about memorizing frameworks—it’s about building the reflex and the confidence to use them in real-time situations. 

Were there any enablers that helped you apply the learning? 

Yes—my leader played a huge role. Before the program, we talked about what I hoped to gain. Afterward, she made sure I had opportunities to practice what I’d learned. She brought me into senior leadership meetings where I could present insights and lead discussions. She also encouraged me to bring members of my team to those meetings, which helped them grow too. That kind of support made the transition from learning to application much easier—and it helped extend the impact of the program to my team as well.

What’s next for you in your leadership journey? 

I’d like to keep growing my communication and strategic planning skills. In a large corporate environment, impressions matter. The more effectively I can prepare for and contribute to each meeting, the stronger my impact will be—not just for my career, but for the organization. I’m interested in learning more structured ways to plan for high-value conversations and ensure I leave a positive, clear impression every time.