Margaret Preston

United States
Director, McCormick & Company, Incorporated; WCD Member
Panel 2: Reassessing Corporate Purpose

Margaret Preston is a proven financial services executive with broad and deep experience in private wealth management, capital markets and corporate finance. She is a leader of high performing teams, driving results. Margaret has been the Treasurer of a NYSE listed Company and served as a Division Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer of a Global Bank. Margaret is a thought leader with a gift for turning change into opportunity. She successfully leads and motivates teams through difficult transitions, including acquisitions, mergers, market shocks, cultural and directional changes.

Margaret served as Managing Director, Private Wealth Management for TD Bank from 2014 to 2019. She was Managing Director, U.S. Trust for Bank of America Private Wealth Management from 2008 to 2014. Margaret held many leadership roles at Deutsche Bank and its predecessors, Chief Operating Officer at Deutsche Asset Management (Americas), Chief Operating Officer of Americas Investment Banking, Chief Financial Officer of the Global Private Bank and Treasurer of Alex. Brown Incorporated. She began her career at Alex. Brown Incorporated as a research analyst, moving to investment banking where she became a segment leader and Managing Director in 1990.

Margaret has served as a member of the Board of McCormick & Company since 2003. She was the first woman outside Director. She has served on the Audit Committee (2003-2006) and the Nominating and Governance Committee (2007-present). McCormick is one of the highest performing Consumer Packaged Goods companies, successful in both organic and growth through acquisitions (most recently Reckitt-Benckiser Foods for $4.2 billion). McCormick has had two seamless CEO and CFO transitions during her tenure.

In the not for profit space, Margaret has leveraged her financial skills to Chair the Finance and Budget Committee at Trinity College, her alma mater (2000-2006). Elected as an alumni Trustee in 1997, she also served as Board Secretary from 2004 to 2007. Margaret is an award-winning community leader with extensive board experience. She is passionate about helping women and children to attain their potential, with a particular focus for 25 years on Women United (United Way of NYC and Central Maryland).

Margaret holds a bachelor’s degree in History with a concentration in Economics from Trinity College and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.