2023 TOP 10 CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES AND CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICERS ARE CHANGE CHAMPIONS

Mona Malone Takes Bold Action in DEI at BMO Financial Group


Mona Malone is the Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People and Culture for BMO Financial Group, and the architect of BMO’s multi-year DEI strategy: Zero Barriers to Inclusion.

Under her leadership, BMO is developing innovative new ways to bring diverse talent to the bank. These include partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Indigenous-owned training firm PLATO on a cloud skills boot camp and internship program for Indigenous students, and creating a Newcomer Talent Program that connects qualified immigrants and refugees with job opportunities at BMO.

Mona’s data-driven approach to DEI ensures BMO makes consistent progress towards its representation goals and maintains a robust pipeline of diverse talent. Among the bank’s best practices: developing diverse leaders through differentiated career advancement programs for Indigenous, Black and Latino colleagues; and building broad-based understanding of the experiences of equity-deserving groups through e-learning programs such as Nisitohtamowin – An Introduction to Understanding Indigenous Perspectives in Canada.


  • Favorite Quote: We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their colour. – Mona Malone