Our story
Investing to make a positive difference
At BMO we invest with a purpose – to boldly grow the good. Our focus is simple: to help our clients meet their investment goals, while also building a more sustainable and secure future for us all.
It’s an ethos we’re proud of and one that’s engrained in our heritage as a pioneer in responsible investing. Our first responsible fund launched over 35 years ago and our teams have been actively engaging with companies to drive improvements in relation to their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices for over two decades.
We understand that each of our clients has individual circumstances, together with specific needs and requirements. Our job is to consider these and deliver their desired outcomes. Doing this well, in a fast moving and interconnected world, requires both a global perspective and an appreciation of local circumstances.
These are strengths you can find at BMO Global Asset Management.
Learn more about our investment proposition
A diverse global investment business focused on making a positive impact
Principles that make a difference
We’re firm believers that our principles and the way we do business will generate genuine value for our clients and afford benefits to ourselves, wider society and the environment.
Three tenets that guide us:
Client-first innovation
Everything we do begins with our clients’ needs in mind – it’s been our starting point since the beginning of our business and industry. Our teams are united by this clear focus that in-turn drives the ambition to constantly re-evaluate our approach and product offerings. It’s an ethos that means when we see new challenges and opportunities, we’re positioned to develop genuinely innovative solutions.
Collaborative culture
We recognise that we can only deliver by working together. Our investment platform is characterised by a fertile culture of research and collaboration – a mindset we’ve fostered to encourage sharing of knowledge and the development of ideas. This openness enriches our thinking and means we can combine areas of insight and expertise as part of bigger global teams, to create genuine value-add for clients.
Responsible investment
Being responsible about investment lies at the core of everything we do – it’s a central pillar of the processes we adopt and the products we offer. As pioneers, we’ve led improvement in standards and driven positive change since the 1980s. We are active owners who engage directly and vote thoughtfully. All our active investment teams integrate ESG considerations into their decision making and we continue to develop dedicated and award-winning responsible funds and solutions.
Our history
1817
1868
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2020
Global presence
With offices in over 20 locations, and a diverse mix of 1,200 people managing assets for clients ranging from global institutions to investment advisers and retail investors, our business is positioned to see the bigger picture whilst never losing focus of individual needs.
A strong parent company - BMO Financial Group
More than 12 million customers count on us for personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment services.
Everything we do is focused on building, investing and transforming how we work to drive progress alongside profit and create value that extends far beyond the bottom line.
Employees globally
in total assets
Dividend record – the longest in Canada
Recognised as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute – for the 4th year running*
2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality index for the 5th year running**
America’s Best Employers for Women 2020 – recognised by Forbes magazine***
Meet our senior team
We believe our competitive advantage arises from our ability to consistently deliver innovative solutions. Our executive leadership oversees specialised teams singularly focused on providing those solutions.
Kristi Mitchem
Kristi Mitchem is chief executive officer and head of BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM), BMO’s asset management division, where she leads a team of investment professionals dedicated to delivering superior performance across a range of asset classes including multi-asset, alternative and more traditional exposure to listed fixed income and equities. BMO GAM has over $300 billion in AUM and is recognised as a world leader in ESG investing and corporate engagement.
Prior to joining BMO in 2019, Ms. Mitchem served as the CEO of Wells Fargo Asset Management where she led 28 autonomous investment teams. She has more than 20 years of experience in roles related to asset management, defined contribution pension plans and equities markets at State Street Corporation, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs.
Ms. Mitchem is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. At State Street she was a driving force in bringing to market a gender diversity index exchange-traded fund (ticker: SHE) designed to invest in U.S. companies committed to advancing the roles women play in their management and on their boards.
Ms. Mitchem was named one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times in 2018, as one of the Top Women in Asset Management by Money Management Executive in 2017, and as one of Treasury & Risk’s Top 100 Influential People in 2008. She is also listed in several patent filings focused around guaranteed income requirements.
Ms. Mitchem earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Davidson College, where she graduated summa cum laude and was awarded First Honors. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was an Arjay Miller Scholar. She is also a Fulbright Scholar.
Sadiq Adatia
, CIO
As Chief Investment Officer, Sadiq Adatia manages the BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) Investment Team and sits on the BMO GAM Executive Committee. He is responsible for overall investment strategy and risk management across BMO GAM’s investment solutions. He oversees asset allocation, portfolio structure, trading, portfolio analytics and investment governance across all traditional asset classes. Sadiq joined BMO GAM in August 2021, bringing with him strong knowledge and expertise in managed solutions, risk management, derivatives and tactical asset allocation. Sadiq’s investment knowledge is also widely sought after in the broader investment community by media outlets such as CNBC, BNN/Bloomberg and Reuters.
Before joining BMO GAM, Sadiq was Chief Investment Officer at Sun Life Global Investments and Russell Investments Canada. Prior to that, he worked at Mercer as Business Leader for Investment Consulting for Central Canada. Sadiq holds an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science & Statistics from the University of Waterloo. He is also a CFA Charter holder and is a Fellow, both of the Society of Actuaries (Investment Specialty Track) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Eva Cheng
As Chief Investment Officer, Sadiq Adatia manages the BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) Investment Team and sits on the BMO GAM Executive Committee. He is responsible for overall investment strategy and risk management across BMO GAM’s investment solutions. He oversees asset allocation, portfolio structure, trading, portfolio analytics and investment governance across all traditional asset classes. Sadiq joined BMO GAM in August 2021, bringing with him strong knowledge and expertise in managed solutions, risk management, derivatives and tactical asset allocation. Sadiq’s investment knowledge is also widely sought after in the broader investment community by media outlets such as CNBC, BNN/Bloomberg and Reuters.
Before joining BMO GAM, Sadiq was Chief Investment Officer at Sun Life Global Investments and Russell Investments Canada. Prior to that, he worked at Mercer as Business Leader for Investment Consulting for Central Canada. Sadiq holds an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science & Statistics from the University of Waterloo. He is also a CFA Charter holder and is a Fellow, both of the Society of Actuaries (Investment Specialty Track) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Kevin Gopaul
Kevin Gopaul is President and Chief Commercial Officer of BMO Exchange Traded Funds for BMO Global Asset Management.
Kevin is a key asset to the BMO Bank of Montreal Global Asset Management team with over 18 years of progressive investment industry experience, including global passive and active strategies.
Prior to joining BMO GAM, he served as Principal, Portfolio Manager at Barclays Global Investors Canada where he played an integral role in overseeing the management of Exchange Traded Funds and Institutional mandates. Kevin also worked as an index arbitrage trader with Scotia Capital.
Kevin continues to be an active participant in the financial services industry, having served as the Chairman of the Canadian ETF Association (CETFA) from 2017-2019 and where he continues to serve as a Director, as well as being appointed to the Public Policy Committee a key member committee of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG) in 2020, and acting as an advisor to several index advisory panels.
Kevin studied Economics, Finance and Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, and was named one of IIAC’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2015.
Peter Intraligi
As Chief Investment Officer, Sadiq Adatia manages the BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) Investment Team and sits on the BMO GAM Executive Committee. He is responsible for overall investment strategy and risk management across BMO GAM’s investment solutions. He oversees asset allocation, portfolio structure, trading, portfolio analytics and investment governance across all traditional asset classes. Sadiq joined BMO GAM in August 2021, bringing with him strong knowledge and expertise in managed solutions, risk management, derivatives and tactical asset allocation. Sadiq’s investment knowledge is also widely sought after in the broader investment community by media outlets such as CNBC, BNN/Bloomberg and Reuters.
Before joining BMO GAM, Sadiq was Chief Investment Officer at Sun Life Global Investments and Russell Investments Canada. Prior to that, he worked at Mercer as Business Leader for Investment Consulting for Central Canada. Sadiq holds an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science & Statistics from the University of Waterloo. He is also a CFA Charter holder and is a Fellow, both of the Society of Actuaries (Investment Specialty Track) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
Ross Kappele
Ross is accountable for the development and implementation of a multi-year distribution strategy for BMO Global Asset Management’s suite of Canadian retail and institutional investment products. Retail brands include BMO Mutual Funds and BMO Exchange Traded Funds.
Ross has over 25 years of investment industry experience. In his previous roles, Ross was Co-President, BMO Investments Inc. and President, Guardian Group of Funds Ltd. Ross is Vice Chair of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).
Ross is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Economics from the University of Western Ontario.
Gillian Noble
Gillian Noble is the Chief Operating Officer for BMO Insurance and BMO Global Asset Management. In this role she is accountable for driving the strategy and driving operational efficiencies for both businesses. Gillian joined BMO in December of 2004 and since then has held numerous progressive roles in Corporate Finance, Corporate Strategy and Wealth Management Headquarters, including Head of Transformation for the North American Customer Contact Centre. She was appointed COO BMO Insurance in September 2018 and having supported GAM on an interim basis since 2019, and her role was formally expanded in July 2020.
Prior to joining BMO, Gillian worked at PriceWaterhouse Coopers as a Management Consultant and was part of a small team that launched a new natural gas retailer in South Western Ontario during the deregulation of the natural gas industry.
Gillian holds a BBA (Honours) from Wilfrid Laurier University, received her MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and holds a professional accounting designation (CPA-CMA).
Gillian is also the Executive Sponsor of BMO’s Employee Resource Group, BMO Alliance for Women.
Jeffrey Shell
As Chief Investment Officer, Sadiq Adatia manages the BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) Investment Team and sits on the BMO GAM Executive Committee. He is responsible for overall investment strategy and risk management across BMO GAM’s investment solutions. He oversees asset allocation, portfolio structure, trading, portfolio analytics and investment governance across all traditional asset classes. Sadiq joined BMO GAM in August 2021, bringing with him strong knowledge and expertise in managed solutions, risk management, derivatives and tactical asset allocation. Sadiq’s investment knowledge is also widely sought after in the broader investment community by media outlets such as CNBC, BNN/Bloomberg and Reuters.
Before joining BMO GAM, Sadiq was Chief Investment Officer at Sun Life Global Investments and Russell Investments Canada. Prior to that, he worked at Mercer as Business Leader for Investment Consulting for Central Canada. Sadiq holds an Honours Bachelor of Mathematics degree in Actuarial Science & Statistics from the University of Waterloo. He is also a CFA Charter holder and is a Fellow, both of the Society of Actuaries (Investment Specialty Track) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.
*For the fourth year in a row, BMO has been recognized as one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. Ethisphere focuses on five key areas of evaluation in its selection process: governance, a culture of ethics, leadership and reputation, ethics and compliance programs, and corporate citizenship and responsibility.
**BMO Financial Group has been included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) for the fifth year in a row. The global index recognizes companies committed to gender equality and inclusivity within the workplace and the community, and publicly demonstrates each company’s commitment to equality and advancing women. This year, the index has expanded to include nearly 6,000 companies across 84 countries.
***BMO Harris Bank has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Best Employers for Women in 2020. The list was compiled by surveying 60,000 U.S. employees – including more than 40,000 women – working for companies employing at least 1,000 people.
BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name that comprises BMO Asset Management Inc., BMO Investments Inc., BMO Asset Management Corp., BMO Asset Management Limited and BMO’s specialised investment management firms.
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This content is for information purposes. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax or legal advice to any party. Investments should be evaluated relative to the individual’s investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance.