William A. Downe

Biography

Mr. William A. Downe, also known as Bill, C.M., has been the Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Montreal (also known as BMO Financial Group) since March 1, 2007. Mr. Downe served as the President of Bank of Montreal since March 1, 2007. He served as the Head of Investment Banking at BMO Nesbitt Burns, Inc. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of BMO Capital Markets Corp. Mr. Downe joined Bank of Montreal in 1983 as a Credit Analyst and served a variety of senior management positions in Denver, Houston, Chicago and Toronto. He served as the Head of Investment Banking of Harris Trust & Savings Bank. Since 1992, he served as Senior Vice-President of U.S. Corporate Banking. Since 1996, He served as an Executive Vice President of North American Corporate Banking and was responsible for Global Fixed Income and Global Treasury since 1998. He served as the Chief Operating Officer of Bank of Montreal since February 1, 2006. Mr. Downe served as the Head of Investment Banking Group of Bank of Montreal. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of BMO Nesbitt Burns since May 1, 2001 and again since March 2007. Since September 2002, he was responsible for all U.S. operations, including Harris Bank, BMO's Chicago-based retail banking division. He served as an Interim Chief Executive Officer of Personal & Commercial Client at Bank of Montreal since May 2006. He served as the Chairman and Director of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, where he served as a Board Member since 2001. He served as a Deputy Chairman of Bank of Montreal since 1999. He has been a Non-Independent Director of Bank of Montreal since March 1, 2007. He has been an Independent Director at ManpowerGroup Inc. since April 2011 and has been its Lead Director since May 3, 2017. He serves as a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center. He serves as a Director and Member of Canadian Advisory Board at Catalyst Inc. He serves as a Director of Harris Investment Management, Inc. (AKA, BMO Asset Management Corp.). He serves on the Federal Reserve Board's Federal Advisory Council (FAC). Mr. Downe served as a Board Member of Goodwill Industries of Chicago and is a Member of the Chicago Club. In 2003, he received the Rotman Distinguished Business Alumni Award from the University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management and in 2005, an Arbor Award from the University of Toronto in recognition of outstanding personal service to the university. Mr. Downe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto, which he obtained in 1978.

Research Interest

 Finance and Management