BMO Named One of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the Fifth Year in a Row

TORONTO and CHICAGO, March 15, 2022 /CNW/ - BMO Financial Group has been recognized as one of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies for the fifth consecutive year by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

BMO is one of five banks worldwide, four banks in the U.S., and the only bank in Canada to be recognized in 2022. BMO is also the only bank in Canada to be recognized with this award since its inception in 2007. The award affirms the bank's commitment to doing what's right and operating with transparency, good governance, and integrity in support of a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.

"Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change," said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. "We continue to be inspired by the World's Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community. Congratulations to BMO for earning the World's Most Ethical Companies designation."

This annual recognition honours companies who have best in class ethics, compliance and governance practices and advance an environment that is defined by integrity. It is an affirmation of the leadership of companies contributing to the greater good. This award highlights the ongoing importance of culture and a shift in the purpose of corporations showcasing the importance of exceptional leadership, sustainability, and business integrity.

"The values that underpin our company ? Integrity, Empathy, Diversity, Responsibility ? drive the ethical business practices we're honoured to be recognized for," said Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. "Delivering strong ethical business performance leads to the strong financial results that fuel our capability to live our Purpose and grow the good for our customers, communities and shareholders"

For more information on BMO's commitments to building social good, please read its 2021 Sustainability Reporting Suite.

Methodology & Scoring
Grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, the World's Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe.

About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $1.02 trillion as of January 31, 2022, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere also helps to advance business performance through data-driven assessments, benchmarking, and guidance. Learn more about Ethisphere by visiting http://www.ethisphere.com.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group