Developing Diverse Suppliers Through BMO Elevate …continued

Since the program pilot in 2021, nearly 30 diverse owned businesses have graduated from BMO Elevate, 12 of which are certified women owned business enterprises. To date we have received very positive feedback from our graduates, and have recently launched our 3rd cohort, where we will build on the successes of the last 2 years to make this program as impactful and beneficial to both the supplier community as well as to BMO.

The basis of BMO Elevate is creating a mutual learning and development experience that benefits BMO and the individual businesses. This approach allows everyone involved to develop a deeper understanding of needs and core capabilities that may be a fit. It is truly designed to “elevate” certified diverse businesses both inside and outside of the bank.

“What a fantastic program. We gained insight and knowledge, and we grew new and existing partnerships within BMO. It's very rare that we have seen something like this rolled out and implemented at other Fortune 1000 companies. Thank you for your hard work!”

Something that continues to be exciting about this initiative is how it consistently evolves based on the valuable feedback we receive directly from participants and mentors after every component of the program. As business needs change, we are also able to tailor business criteria and selection for better alignment to potential business opportunities at BMO.

The positive impact BMO Elevate has had on the supplier diversity community is one of the reasons that BMO has been privileged to be honored as the Top Corporation in Supplier Diversity by WBE Canada for two consecutive years.

Here’s what some of the BMO Elevate participants had to say about the program:

“A great experience. In almost 19 years of human capital workforce solutions experience, I cannot count more than just a few times that a company the size of BMO took the time to put together a plan to have suppliers get this type of exposure.”

Are you looking for a diverse business development program where you will:

• Establish new networks that will help you to gain insight into BMO’s supply chain

• Learn about topics of interest to you, your employees and your business,

• Build relationships with executives and fellow suppliers

“The BMO Elevate team was consistently engaged, interested, passionate, and invested in us as a participant. They tried to anticipate our needs by delivering interesting and relevant content.”

• Influence and impact the supplier diversity agenda

• Have access to images and digital badges that you can post on your social media platforms to spread the word about your involvement in the program

If your answer is yes to all the above please click here to express your interest for future cohorts.

Wishing everyone a wonderful International Women’s Day!

ANN-MARIE ANDERSON

As Advisor, Canadian Supplier Diversity for BMO’s Procurement Team Ann-Marie Anderson focuses on the growth initiatives in the Canadian Supplier Diversity landscape, developing relationships with diverse suppliers, advocacy councils, and internal stakeholders contributing to BMO’s goals. She is passionate about making an impact by helping diverse suppliers to get a seat at the table.

With over 30 years of experience in financial services Ann-Marie has held various roles across different business groups. She values giving back and plays an active role in BMO’s ERGs and raises money to conquer cancer and improve the education of students in the Caribbean.