Taft was promoted to CEO of personal-financial services firm RBC Dain Rauscher last September. He plans to grow the company’s ranks of financial consultants from today’s level of around 1,700 to between 2,500 and 3,000, all the while maintaining a “best of both worlds” experience for clients. “We bring the small-firm feel of an RBC Dain Rauscher combined with the global resources of Royal Bank,” says Taft, referring to Royal Bank of Canada, Dain’s parent. While it’s too early for Taft, a 25-year veteran of the financial-services industry, to commit to a deadline for achieving his target of 50 percent growth in the firm’s retail network, the coming year will set the stage for what’s to come.