Managing Director & Head , U.S. Business Banking Loan Underwriting, Operations & Transformation

This leader is responsible for leading large-scale operational execution, capability enablement, technology delivery, and continuous improvement across U.S. Business Banking. The role oversees enterprise lending operations, workforce capability and training, process transformation, technology platforms, and automated credit strategies to drive scalable growth, operational excellence, risk discipline, and an exceptional customer and employee experience.

Lending Operations & Workforce Leadership (BPLC)

• Lead and manage a large, multi-functional Business Banking Lending Center (BPLC) encompassing service representatives, underwriters, portfolio managers, and credit approvers.

• Establish and sustain a high-performance, inclusive culture with strong engagement, morale, and accountability.

• Ensure consistent adherence to the Code of Conduct and all enterprise people-management standards.

• Provide strong leadership presence and day-to-day oversight to support effective execution and decision-making.

Process & Operational Excellence

• Own the end-to-end lending operating model, ensuring underwriting and servicing processes are well-designed, documented, tested, and consistently executed.

• Ensure adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), with particular focus on turnaround times and customer experience outcomes.

• Act as a subject matter expert on lending processes, policies, systems, and regulatory requirements.

• Drive continuous improvement to reduce cost-to-serve, improve efficiency, and enhance operational scalability.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Maintain a strong culture of risk management and control aligned with enterprise frameworks and regulatory expectations.

• Ensure operational compliance with applicable regulations (including HMDA and Regulation B/O/W) and internal policies.

• Lead responses to operational audit and regulatory inquiries, ensuring issues are addressed promptly and sustainably.

Customer Experience

• Address complex customer concerns, complaints, and escalations to ensure fair, timely, and favorable resolution.

• Serve as a senior escalation point for policy, process, and technology matters impacting the customer experience.

Strategic Leadership & External Engagement

• Partner with senior executives and business leaders to align operational capabilities with growth, risk, and financial objectives.

• Support development and execution of cost-center financial plans and investment priorities.

• Maintain relationships with external industry experts to incorporate best practices into Business Banking operations and enablement.

Data, Analytics & Reporting

• Develop and oversee performance, risk, and compliance reporting across operations, training, and automation.

• Leverage analytics and insights to identify trends, performance gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

• Use data to inform operational decisions, transformation priorities, and investment trade-offs.

Learning, Training & Capability Enablement

• Lead the design and delivery of enterprise learning programs, including digital content, virtual sessions, and on-the-job training.

• Oversee certification programs for underwriters, portfolio managers, and treasury specialists.

• Establish metrics to measure training effectiveness, knowledge retention, and business impact.

• Ensure all learning programs incorporate regulatory, risk, and compliance requirements and remain audit-ready.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and skill development across Business Banking.

Process Transformation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead enterprise process evaluation across lending, deposits, and treasury services to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and risks.

• Design and implement process improvements that enhance customer and employee experience while maintaining strong controls.

• Develop business cases, financial evaluations, and ROI analyses to support transformation initiatives.

• Drive change management strategies to ensure effective adoption of new processes and technologies.

• Monitor post-implementation results and adjust strategies to sustain performance gains.

BBX Platform Strategy & Delivery

• Own the technology strategy and roadmap for BBX, ensuring alignment with Business Banking growth, risk, and compliance objectives.

• Lead BBX-related initiatives across agile and waterfall delivery models, ensuring timely and high-quality releases.

• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure contractual and service-level adherence.

• Manage User Acceptance Testing (UAT), release readiness, and quality assurance activities.

• Ensure BBX enhancements comply with regulatory and internal governance requirements and remain audit-ready.

• Act as the primary liaison between Business Banking and enterprise technology teams.

Leadership Expectations

• Act as a senior enterprise leader, fostering collaboration across operations, technology, credit risk, product, and HR.

• Drive a culture of operational excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives on operational, enablement, and transformation priorities.

Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in business banking operations, lending platforms, transformation, or credit enablement.

• Proven success leading large, complex, multi-disciplinary teams.

• Deep knowledge of lending operations, technology platforms, automated credit decisioning, and regulatory requirements.

• Strong program, change, and financial management capabilities.

• Data-driven leader with the ability to translate strategy into scalable execution.

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills at the executive level.

• Seasoned expert with extensive industry knowledge.

• Verbal & written communication skills - Expert.

• Analytical and problem solving skills - Expert.

• Influence skills - Expert.

• Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - Expert.

• Able to manage ambiguity.

Please note the base salary range for this position is USD $200,000.00 to USD $265,000.00

Salary:

Pay Type:

Salaried

The above represents BMO Financial Group's pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group's expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group's total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit:

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one - for yourself and our customers. We'll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we'll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

To find out more visit us at

BMO is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other legally protected characteristics. We also consider applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

BMO is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to View email address on click.appcast.io and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Note to Recruiters: BMO does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to BMO, directly or indirectly, will be considered BMO property. BMO will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. A recruiting agency must first have a valid, written and fully executed agency agreement contract for service to submit resumes.