Developing Diverse Suppliers Through BMO Elevate

By Ann-Marie Anderson, Advisor Canadian Supplier Diversity, BMO

Over the past 3 years, BMO has been laser focused on growing our already well-established supplier diversity program. In addition to setting supplier diversity goals at the line of business level, enhancing our enterprise-wide supplier diversity council to include top executives from each business group, and establishing respective monthly working committee meetings, our aggressive growth initiatives included the launch of BMO’s first-ever diverse business development program, BMO Elevate.

BMO Elevate is a 10-month, by-invitation program focused on identifying potential opportunities within our supply chain, developing suppliers for those potential opportunities, and increasing visibility within BMO so we can better meet the needs of our shareholders, customers and the communities BMO serves. It’s about growing the good in business and in life.

The three key pillars of the program are:

Mentorship Education

Providing participants with networking opportunities within several BMO business areas and to allow participants to showcase their capabilities and areas of expertise.

Aligning participants with BMO executives in a one-on-one setting to provide business development guidance and coaching, as well as introductions within the bank where potential needs exist.

Facilitating a ½ day workshop on “Perfecting Your Pitch” in preparation for actual business pitches to a panel of BMO executives. Additionally, we host masterclasses on various topics, including cyber security, return to work, talent retention, and growth through mergers and acquisitions, to name a few.