Head, Corporate Communications, Canadian Personal & Business Banking
Top Benefits
About the role
Description
Application Deadline:
08/08/2025
Address:
33 Dundas Street West
Job Family Group:
Corporate Affairs
Serves as a trusted senior leader developing and executing a communications and engagement strategy to position BMO and its Canadian Personal and Business Banking group with clients, colleagues and the community. Acts as senior strategic communications counsel to the Canadian Personal & Business Banking Group Head and senior business leaders to develop communications plans and execute them. Leads a team that recommends and develops communication strategies and solutions that effectively supports the business’ goals and strategic priorities.
- Serves as a member of the Communications and Social Impact leadership team to protect and improve enterprise reputation through the execution of communications and social impact strategy.
- Leverages data and innovative best practices to distinguish BMO among its competitors and position the brand in growth segments and among stakeholders critical to BMO’s reputation.
- Recommends, develops, and executes communication and engagement strategies rooted in a deep understanding of business priorities and stakeholder needs.
- Serves as a subject matter expert on consumer sentiment and insights to inform broader communication and social impact strategies.
- Leads and develops a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team, and acts as a role model and coach to communicators across the enterprise.
- Provides strategic communications counsel to the Group Head and management team with external and internal plans.
- Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to ensure communications are aligned with bank priorities and disclosure requirements.
- Ensures all content meets quality, compliance, and translation standards.
- Leads the team to coordinate and publish communications that reinforce Canadian Personal & Business Banking and BMO’s overall strategic goals.
- Measures and evolves communications to improve impact and engagement across employee and customer audiences.
- Promotes innovation and continuous improvement in communication practices, tools, and platforms.
- Builds strong internal networks to source relevant content and ensure alignment with evolving business narratives.
- Leads on escalated issues as the head of communications for Canadian Personal & Business Banking and in alignment with the Enterprise Public Affairs team and Financial Crimes Unit processes.
- Maintains industry knowledge and benchmarks best practices to inform strategy.
- Oversees programs that foster employee alignment, understanding, and momentum around long-term strategy.
- Builds external thought leadership platforms and programs targeting consumers, small business owners, employees, and other key stakeholders.
- Protects and enhances BMO’s reputation through proactive and responsive communication programs, including issues management.
- Partners across the organization to support business growth and economic inclusion goals by showcasing BMO’s customer impact and offerings.
- Tells the Canadian Personal & Business Banking business story through strategic communications that highlight growth and performance, including support for enterprise-wide forums and investor narratives.
- Ensures compliance with BMO’s Risk Appetite and regulatory expectations.
- Drives simplicity, productivity, and continuous improvement across communication processes.
- Aligns culture and engagement with strategy to drive exceptional execution and bring Purpose to life.
- Champions leadership development, succession planning, and a high-performance culture.
- Models and reinforces a strong customer focus, enhancing customer loyalty and driving sustainable business growth.
- Ensures communications support the enterprise brand and customer experience standards.
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or a related field of study or an equivalent combination of education and experience. MBA preferred
- 15+ years of relevant experience in a communications environment
- Strategic communications and change management - Expert
- Writing & editing skills - Expert.
- Media and social media - Expert
- Verbal communication skills - Expert.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills - Expert.
- Crisis and issues management - Expert
- Senior executive influence skills - Expert.
- Horizontal leadership and teamwork - Expert.
- Able to manage through change and ambiguity - Expert
- Data driven decision making – Expert.
About Desjardins
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $435.8 billion as at March 31, 2024. It was named one of Canada's Best Employers by Forbes magazine and by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has some of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry and the first according to Bloomberg News.
Head, Corporate Communications, Canadian Personal & Business Banking
Top Benefits
About the role
Description
Application Deadline:
08/08/2025
Address:
33 Dundas Street West
Job Family Group:
Corporate Affairs
Serves as a trusted senior leader developing and executing a communications and engagement strategy to position BMO and its Canadian Personal and Business Banking group with clients, colleagues and the community. Acts as senior strategic communications counsel to the Canadian Personal & Business Banking Group Head and senior business leaders to develop communications plans and execute them. Leads a team that recommends and develops communication strategies and solutions that effectively supports the business’ goals and strategic priorities.
- Serves as a member of the Communications and Social Impact leadership team to protect and improve enterprise reputation through the execution of communications and social impact strategy.
- Leverages data and innovative best practices to distinguish BMO among its competitors and position the brand in growth segments and among stakeholders critical to BMO’s reputation.
- Recommends, develops, and executes communication and engagement strategies rooted in a deep understanding of business priorities and stakeholder needs.
- Serves as a subject matter expert on consumer sentiment and insights to inform broader communication and social impact strategies.
- Leads and develops a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team, and acts as a role model and coach to communicators across the enterprise.
- Provides strategic communications counsel to the Group Head and management team with external and internal plans.
- Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to ensure communications are aligned with bank priorities and disclosure requirements.
- Ensures all content meets quality, compliance, and translation standards.
- Leads the team to coordinate and publish communications that reinforce Canadian Personal & Business Banking and BMO’s overall strategic goals.
- Measures and evolves communications to improve impact and engagement across employee and customer audiences.
- Promotes innovation and continuous improvement in communication practices, tools, and platforms.
- Builds strong internal networks to source relevant content and ensure alignment with evolving business narratives.
- Leads on escalated issues as the head of communications for Canadian Personal & Business Banking and in alignment with the Enterprise Public Affairs team and Financial Crimes Unit processes.
- Maintains industry knowledge and benchmarks best practices to inform strategy.
- Oversees programs that foster employee alignment, understanding, and momentum around long-term strategy.
- Builds external thought leadership platforms and programs targeting consumers, small business owners, employees, and other key stakeholders.
- Protects and enhances BMO’s reputation through proactive and responsive communication programs, including issues management.
- Partners across the organization to support business growth and economic inclusion goals by showcasing BMO’s customer impact and offerings.
- Tells the Canadian Personal & Business Banking business story through strategic communications that highlight growth and performance, including support for enterprise-wide forums and investor narratives.
- Ensures compliance with BMO’s Risk Appetite and regulatory expectations.
- Drives simplicity, productivity, and continuous improvement across communication processes.
- Aligns culture and engagement with strategy to drive exceptional execution and bring Purpose to life.
- Champions leadership development, succession planning, and a high-performance culture.
- Models and reinforces a strong customer focus, enhancing customer loyalty and driving sustainable business growth.
- Ensures communications support the enterprise brand and customer experience standards.
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or a related field of study or an equivalent combination of education and experience. MBA preferred
- 15+ years of relevant experience in a communications environment
- Strategic communications and change management - Expert
- Writing & editing skills - Expert.
- Media and social media - Expert
- Verbal communication skills - Expert.
- Analytical and problem-solving skills - Expert.
- Crisis and issues management - Expert
- Senior executive influence skills - Expert.
- Horizontal leadership and teamwork - Expert.
- Able to manage through change and ambiguity - Expert
- Data driven decision making – Expert.
About Desjardins
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $435.8 billion as at March 31, 2024. It was named one of Canada's Best Employers by Forbes magazine and by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has some of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry and the first according to Bloomberg News.