BMO Harris Bank recently announced the hiring of two Vice Chairs, Eric Smith and Michael Morton on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. Both Morton and Smith will report directly to David Casper, U.S. CEO, BMO Financial Group.
“Commercial banking is a core strength at BMO, and we continue to execute on our strategy as we grow our business nation-wide,” said Casper. “By hiring Eric Smith and Michael Morton, we’re adding exceptional, experienced bankers with intimate knowledge of our markets. I’m very pleased that they will be part of our leadership team.”
Both Morton and Smith will be actively focused on business development, working with customers and all constituencies across BMO’s lines of business, while also enhancing BMO’s brand, market presence and customer experience.
Smith has spent his entire career in Chicago, and his intimate knowledge of the local market will be an invaluable asset. He sits on numerous boards, is well known in the community, and will be a tremendous ambassador for the bank. Morton has an extensive background in risk management and working directly with customers. His experience in these areas will be highly accretive, particularly in BMO’s expansion markets, where he will be actively involved.
In his most recent role, Smith was regional president at Fifth Third Bank in Chicago, responsible for the growth and strategic alignment of the commercial, wealth, asset management and consumer businesses. Morton’s most recent role, also at Fifth Third Bank, was executive vice president and chief credit officer, where he managed asset quality responsibility through multiple departments.
