Leadership & governance
Good corporate governance matters to our shareholders, our clients, our employees, our communities – and to us.
Leading with integrity
We strive to meet rigorous standards of corporate governance, following the best practices in our industry and meeting or going beyond regulatory requirements.
- Our core values guide the board's oversight, its relationship with management and its accountability to shareholders.
- Our governance responsibilities are integral to our performance and long-term sustainability.
- Our corporate governance standards reflect emerging best practices and meet or exceed legal and regulatory requirements.
- Governance is important to our owners, our customers, our employees, our communities - and to us.
Constating Documents
Bank of Montreal commenced business in Montreal in 1817 and was incorporated in 1821 under a Special Act of the Parliament of the Province of Lower Canada which is no longer relevant. Since 1871, the Bank has been a chartered bank in Canada and is currently governed as a ScheduleI bank under the Bank Act (Canada). The Bank Act (S.C.1991, c.46) is the Bank’s charter.
Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Bank of Montreal.
Shareholder engagement policy
Our Shareholder Engagement Policy encourages open dialogue and the exchange of ideas with our shareholders. We communicate with shareholders and other stakeholders through various channels, including the annual report, management proxy circular, quarterly reports, annual information form, news releases, website, and industry conferences. In addition, our quarterly earnings call is open to all and features a live webcast and question and answer period. We also hold our annual meeting of shareholders at different locations across Canada from year to year, with a live webcast, so all our shareholders can participate.
Board of directors
Meet the people guiding BMO’s strategic direction — explore director bios and learn how to contact the Board.
Our Purpose and Values
These materials document how we hold ourselves accountable to our clients, communities and colleagues.
Statement of corporate governance practices
Our high corporate governance standards reflect emerging best practices and meet or exceed legal, regulatory, TSX and NYSE requirements. We monitor regulatory changes and best practices in corporate governance to ensure we have leading governance practices.
Statement on Anti-Money Laundering, Anti- Terrorist Financing and Sanctions Measures
BMO is committed to meeting the highest standards of compliance with Anti-Money Laundering, Anti- Terrorist Financing and Sanctions Measures (AML).
Statement on tax principles
BMO Financial Group (BMOFG) is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America with operations globally.
Statement on Political contributions and lobbying
At BMO, we believe engaging responsibly in public policy discussions benefits our customers, shareholders, stakeholders and communities.
Statement on Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption
The Bank of Montreal and its subsidiaries (BMO) are committed to maintaining public trust by complying with anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation and taking a zero tolerance approach to unethical business practices.
Disclosure Required by NYSE
As a Canadian reporting issuer with securities listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), BMO has in place corporate governance practices that are not only consistent with the requirements of those stock exchanges, but in many cases go beyond those requirements.