Director, Office of Strategic Management

Director, Office of Strategic Management

The Office of Strategic Management (OSM)works closely with the C-suite and with senior leaders in each of the businesses on the bank’s top strategic priorities, spanning the end-to-end lifecycle –from strategy development and solution prioritization all the way through to implementation.

The OSM brings together the developmentand execution of BMO’soverall strategyby deeply integrating strategyand performance managementwithin each business, enabled by strong connectivity of the team to the Operating Group Heads and their leadership teams, Finance, Technology & Operations, and Corporate Functions.

In recent years,the team’s workhas included: cross-bank growth initiatives, client segment strategies,Digital and AI acceleration, M&A target evaluation, large-scale M&A integration,business portfolio reviews, new business entry and go-to-market strategies (e.g., climate finance), transformationinitiatives, andenterprise cloud and data strategies.

TheOSMhas a longstandingtrack recordof placing team members inkeyroles across the organizationand is recognized as astrongtalent incubatorfor BMO.As aDirector, you will have unique exposure to executives and opportunities to build cross-bank relationships through working with line-of-business and corporate function leadership on developing and delivering thebank’s strategic priorities.

Core accountabilities

• Leadshigh-priority strategy engagementsidentifiedby the CEO and their direct reports, acting as a strategic thoughtpartner to the business, drawing key implications from relevant analysis to develop actionable recommendations.

• Leads the development and structuring of complex strategic projects into relevant work-streams using a hypothesis-driven approach.

• Actively managesworking team members to deliver onstrategyprojectobjectives.

• Cultivatesand supportsateamculture that enables high performance, employee morale, integrity, teamwork, and work-life balance, through contributions to the development and coaching of team members and participation inteamrecruitment

• Shapes relevant analyses into high-quality strategic recommendations;providesexternal perspectives / competitive insights where relevant.

• Appliesexpertiseand thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to problems that can be complex and non-routine.

• Effectively communicates key messages and recommendations to executive audiences.

• Leads on business performance managementmonitoring and action plandevelopment,to ensure tight alignment between business KPIs (leading/lagging) andenterpriseambitions.

• Servesas a trusted advisor to senior executives. Managesstakeholders at various levels, including C-Suite andOperatingGroupexecutives.

• Leads change management activities, ensuring cross business/group coordination and logistical support for the implementation of change.

Strategy development accountabilities–detailed

• Leverages a consultative approach to developing current state analysis (e.g., fact base, opportunity areas) and recommendations on strategic choices / trade-offs.

• Recommends business priorities, advises on resourcerequirementsand develops roadmaps for strategic execution.

• Conducts analysis and research to provide context into the current state (e.g., industry trends, benchmarks) and inform future state priorities (e.g., financial modelling, best practices)

• Develops business cases byidentifyingneeds, analysing potentialoptionsand assessing expected return on investment.

• Breaks down strategic problems, and analyses data and information to provide insights and recommendations.

• Networkswith industry contacts to gather andidentifycompetitive insights and best practices.

Delivery accountabilities–detailed

• Leads implementation of strategic initiatives within group and across BMO by partnering with various internal & external stakeholders as required; complexity of initiatives may vary and usually involve multiple stakeholders across the enterprise.

• Acts as a relationship manager on assigned projects / programs and ensures alignment to overall enterprise and group goals.

• Leads the execution of operational programs; assesses and adapts as needed to ensure quality of execution.

• Defines business requirements for analytics & reporting to ensure data insights inform business decision making.

• Supports strategy execution by leading transformation roadmaps / programs to ensure disciplined delivery and successful change management.

• Collaborates with internal & external stakeholders to provide business context in the design, develop and implementation of programs & solutions.

Executive support / other

• Supports C-Suite on other strategic priorities and ad hocrequestsas necessary.

• Operates at a group / enterprise-wide level and serves as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders.

• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

Qualifications:

• Typically,6-10years of relevant experience (management consulting, financial services, strategy roles) and post-secondary degree in related field of study (e.g., MBA, CFA) or an equivalent combination of education and experience

• Expertisein structuring,organizingand managing complexstrategy projectswith minimal supervision

• Outstanding analytical skills with the ability to frame key analyses and tell a cohesive storyrequiredto address critical business issues

• Seasoned professional with a combination of education,experienceand industry knowledge

• Demonstrated excellence in stakeholder management and organizational effectiveness in complex environments

• Strong teammanagement skills and proven leadership ability

• Verbal & written communication skills - In-depth / Expert

• Analytical andproblem-solvingskills - In-depth / Expert

• Influence skills - In-depth / Expert

• Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - In-depth / Expert

• Able to manage ambiguity

• Data driven decision making - In-depth / Expert

• Passion for the Financial Services industry and/or experience in relevant content areas