Nixon began his career in 1979 at Dominion Securities in Toronto and worked in global markets, investment banking and in 1986 transferred to Tokyo to assume responsibility for the firm's operations in Japan.
Nixon was appointed president of Royal Bank of Canada on April 1, 2001, and chief executive officer on August 1, 2001, succeeding John Cleghorn in both capacities.
[3][4] Nixon relinquished his title of president at the Annual Meeting on February 26, 2014, and after 13 years as chief executive officer he retired on August 1, 2014, being succeeded in both roles by David McKay who was previously Group Head of Personal & Commercial Banking.
[6] Nixon is past chairman of MaRS, a not-for-profit organization that connects science, business and capital, he is a director of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Nixon is an Honouree of the Public Policy Forum and is a recipient of the CIJA/UJA Words and Deeds Leadership Award, the Rotary Foundation's Paul Harris Fellowship, the Queen's Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee Medals, a Learning Partnership Champion of Public Education Tribute and an American Banker Innovator of the Year Award.