About

Annelle Wilkins was appointed senior vice president and general counsel for HSBC Bank Canada in November 2007. She initially joined HSBC in 1995, and has held progressively more senior roles within the bank’s legal department in Canada. Prior to joining HSBC, she practiced at a national law firm. Very early in her career Wilkins was nominated for an award for her actions in support of diversity. She admits that this came as a shock to her and believes she was simply doing what she thought was common sense; this was when she realised she could become an advocate for it in her industry. This has led Wilkins to taking on the role as the new BC Regional Chair for Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusion, a national initiative launched by Canadian general counsel in May 2011. It has 60 other signatories throughout the country, including general counsel from Deloitte, Kellogg’s, Bell and RBC to name a few. Wilkins anticipates the movement will have a significant impact on diversity in law.