Pride Lives Here: BMO Celebrates LGBTQ2+ Community Across the Country

• This year marks BMO's addition to the LGBT Corporate Canadian Index with a 100 per cent rating for diversity and inclusion

TORONTO, June 11, 2020 /CNW/ - With Pride Month now underway, BMO Financial Group continues its commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and two-spirited (LGBTQ2+) community through initiatives that eliminate barriers to inclusion. As a steadfast supporter of the Pride movement for more than 20 years, BMO is creating programs and resources that empower customers and employees, while also setting significant benchmarks for diversity in the financial industry. This year, the bank is commemorating Pride in everyday moments.

"While tentpole Pride events are reimagined this year, we're reminded that Pride isn't where we go – it's what we feel," said Dan Barclay, Chief Executive Officer & Group Head, BMO Capital Markets. "Diversity and inclusion are core to our corporate values, and with so much uncertainty facing underrepresented communities, now more than ever it's critical that we continue to be a leading force for change, compassion, and inclusivity. Reaffirming our commitment to listening, learning, and celebrating our LGBTQ2+ customers and employees is one way we are expressing our allyship at this time."

BMO Pride in Action

As a part of BMO's Purpose to foster an inclusive society, the bank's ongoing support of the LGBTQ2+ community includes customer-driven initiatives and a focus on setting industry-leading standards for diversity and equality, such as:

• Earlier this year, BMO scored a 100 per cent rating as a Canadian constituent of the LGBT Corporate Canadian Index (CCI). Created by a BMO employee, the LGBT CCI identifies corporations listed on the S&P and TSX Composite Indexes that are promoting diversity by embracing LGBT inclusion.
• BMO Harris Bank has expanded its first-to-market adoption of Mastercard's^® True Name^TM feature in the U.S., allowing transgender and non-binary customers to use their chosen first name on the front of their Mastercard^® credit and small business credit cards without the requirement of a legal name change. The program was first introduced for BMO personal debit and ATM cards in December 2019.
• Each year, through various donations and sponsorships, BMO supports many organizations across its footprint in Canada and the U.S., such as the Pride and Remembrance Run, The 519, CANFAR, Maison du Parc, Center on Halsted, the Chicago Pride Parade, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
• Further expansion of the comprehensive Gender Pronoun Initiative continues to give transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid customers the agency to share their pronouns with BMO representatives.
• Robust social media and marketing campaign featured in branches across the country shines a light on the everyday moments where Pride lives for its customers and employees.

BMO Pride in the Workplace

As a champion of inclusion, BMO Pride begins with its employees across the country. In promoting an equitable environment, BMO celebrates in the workplace with the following:

• BMO Pride Enterprise Resource Group – Comprised of more than 1,600 employees in Canada and the United States, this group drives awareness, encourages conversation, fosters personal and professional growth opportunities, and promotes an equitable and inclusive environment for all. With additional groups in Europe and Asia, there are more than 6,000 members and allies across BMO.
• Sharing Pronouns in Communications – As part of its expanded focus on employee education, mentorship, executive sponsorship, and talent acquisition, BMO now also encourages employees to state their pronouns in their email signatures across communication channels internally and externally.
• This year, BMO once again received a 100 per cent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, which rates workplaces on LGBTQ equality.

Additional resources for employees include an internal podcast series that explores topics ranging from mental health to BMO's commitment to the LGBTQ2+ community, as well as a virtual parade where employees can share how they are commemorating Pride – wherever they may be.

For more information on BMO's Diversity and Inclusion commitments, visit: https://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/.

About BMO Financial Group 
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $987 billion as of April 30, 2020, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

For News Media Inquiries: Sónia Brum, BMO Financial Group, Toronto, [e-mail], [phone]; Internet: www.bmo.com; Twitter: @BMOmedia