Our Commitment to Supplier Diversity

At BMO, diversity is one of our core values and it is these values that enable us to deliver on our vision of being the bank that defines great customer experience. Supplier diversity is a key component of our overall diversity strategy and integrating diverse suppliers into our supply chain aligns us with the goals of our shareholders, customers and employees. We are committed to building long-term relationships with diverse suppliers and ensuring that qualified minority, women, veteran, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Aboriginal-owned businesses have equal opportunity to compete for our business. We work directly with these diverse businesses and we expect our suppliers to provide similar opportunities in their supply bases.

Our program is embedded within our procurement practices allowing us to deliver leading products and services that meet our customers’ needs – making us a stronger and more innovative company. Much like any supplier we work with, we expect our diverse suppliers to perform at a high level and also to add a diverse perspective to BMO. By using diverse suppliers, we are able to fulfill our commitment to the communities where we live, work and do business.   

Andrew Cieslak
Chief Procurement Officer

In order to participate in BMO Financial Group's supplier diversity program, suppliers must be certified as one or more of the following groups:

United States:

• MBE – Minority Business Enterprise
• WBE – Women Business Enterprise
• LGBT - Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender
• DOBE - Business Enterprise Owned by People with Disabilities
• VBE – Veteran-owned Business Enterprise
• DVBE – Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise

Canada:

• ABE – Aboriginal Business Enterprise
• VMBE – Visible Minority Business Enterprise
• WBE – Women Business Enterprise
• LGBT – Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender

BMO Financial Group accepts certifications from any one of the following organizations – see certifying organizations.

Maximizing Opportunities and Reporting Spend with Diverse Suppliers

BMO Financial Group manages and tracks spend under our Tier I and Tier II programs:

Both the Tier I and Tier II programs exist to maximize opportunities for diverse businesses to participate as suppliers of products and services to BMO Financial Group. BMO Financial Group supports the advancement of diverse suppliers through our Sourcing methodologies to help grow our relationships and spend with diverse suppliers.

To ensure diverse suppliers are being considered for opportunities to do business with BMO Financial Group, the Supplier Diversity Office is engaged in competitive event opportunities across the bank.

We encourage suppliers to register and maintain their certifications on our website to allow us to connect with you should we identify opportunities. NOTE: completing a profile does not guarantee that your company will receive a request to bid or a contract, or that your company has any type of procurement relationship with the bank.