MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - June 16, 2014) - BMO Bank of Montreal today announced the appointment of Mario Rigante as its new Senior Vice President, Quebec Division. Mr. Rigante will succeed François Hudon, who was named Head, North American Customer Contact Centres (CCC), BMO Financial Group.
Mr. Rigante will lead a team of more than 2,000 personal and commercial banking experts who meet the needs of one million clients through BMO's network of 146 branches in Quebec.
Mr. Rigante holds an MBA in Financial Services from Dalhousie University and has more than twenty years of experience in various leadership roles. He was Vice President, Commercial Banking for the Metropolitan Montreal area for the past year. Prior to that, he had been District Vice President, Laval and Northwest Quebec since 2007.
"Mario is a proven leader with a strong record of leading high performing teams and delivering outstanding business results," said Cam Fowler, Group Head, Canadian Personal & Commercial Banking, BMO Financial Group. "I am confident his passion for our employees, focus on delivering exemplary customer service and commitment to excellence will help position our business for continued success in this important market."
"I'm enthusiastic about leading such a dynamic BMO team in Quebec that is focused on helping our customers make sound financial decisions and encouraging savings," said Mr. Rigante. "As a leading small business lender in the country, BMO Bank of Montreal is also a partner of choice for Quebec entrepreneurs who understand their needs and can provide an integrated offering of products linked to financial markets and expert advice."
Mr. Rigante is actively involved in the community and is a member of various boards, including the board of the En Coeur Foundation that provides help for children with heart problems and their families.
François Hudon was appointed to the newly created position of Head, North American Customer Contact Centres (CCC), BMO Financial Group. In this role, Mr. Hudon will develop and implement an operating strategy for a North American-wide, multilingual CCC that is aligned with BMO Personal and Commercial Client Group strategies for Canada and the United States as well as its Private Client Group. He will assume oversight of a team of 3,000 employees in call centres in Montreal, Toronto, Chicago and Milwaukee.
Mr. Hudon had managed the Quebec Division of BMO Bank of Montreal since 2001, and was also Co-Head of North American Specialized Sales at BMO.
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services organization based in North America. The bank offers a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers. BMO Financial Group had total assets of $582 billion and more than 45,500 employees at April 30, 2014.
