BMO Earns Top Recognition for AI Talent Development in Global Banking

TORONTO and CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - BMO today announced it has earned the joint #1 global ranking in AI Talent Development in the 2025 Evident AI Index, a prestigious benchmark evaluating artificial intelligence maturity across the world's top 50 banks. This recognition highlights BMO's commitment to building future-ready teams and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

BMO climbed five spots overall in the 2025 global ranking, driven by strong performance across the Index's four pillars: Talent, Leadership, Innovation, and Transparency.

"At BMO, AI talent is essential to driving innovation and delivering value to our clients," said Mona Malone, Chief Administrative Officer, BMO. "We're proud to be setting the global standard among financial institutions in how we are investing in our workforce and scaling AI to all employees to maximize team performance."

"We are harnessing AI to reimagine banking at BMO and empowering our people to lead with curiosity, creativity, and purpose," said Kristin Milchanowski, Chief Artificial Intelligence and Data Officer, BMO. "AI is amplifying our impact; unlocking new opportunities and driving progress for our clients, the communities we serve, and the future of banking."

Building a Future-Ready Workforce

BMO's top ranking in Talent Development reflects a robust and inclusive approach to AI enablement across the organization. Highlights include:

• AI for All: A foundational training program equipping every employee, regardless of technical background, with a practical understanding of AI, including its ethical use, governance, and applications. This is ensuring employees are empowered to use AI responsibly and collaboratively.
  
  
• Specialized Learning for All Roles: From non-technical roles to senior leadership, BMO offers curated learning paths in AI, Cloud, Agile, and Cybersecurity. Programs like Artificial Intelligence Foundations for Non-Technical Roles and AI for Leaders ensure strategic alignment and responsible adoption.
  
  
• Tech Foundations: BMO's digital learning platform, Pluralsight, is driving enterprise-wide tech fluency, with a 60% year-over-year increase in employees mastering business-critical skills. Reassessed learners improved capabilities by 48%, and AI-related learning engagement rose 222% year over year.
  
  
• Academic Partnerships: BMO provides support for university-led AI programs through funding and collaboration with institutions such as McGill University, Rotman School of Management, and the University of Waterloo. These partnerships help advance academic initiatives and strengthen the AI ecosystem.
  
  
• Destination Digital: BMO's marquee innovation sprint event empowers employees to rapidly prototype AI-powered solutions to real business challenges. Successful prototypes receive funding for implementation, demonstrating the program's tangible impact.
  
  
• AI Talent Strategy: BMO recruits across diverse educational backgrounds, including neuroscience, law, and philosophy – valuing sociotechnical skills like curiosity, communication, and responsible AI governance alongside technical expertise.

Scaling Innovation with Impact

BMO's digital first mindset and rapid ability to scale internal AI capabilities continue to position it as a leader in the fast-moving sector. The bank's AI strategy is transforming operations, streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making, and unlocking insights that drive innovation.

From internships and graduate roles in AI to dedicated internal recruiters and individual contributor tracks for AI developers, BMO's ecosystem supports talent at every stage of the journey. BMO also provides specialized training for technical AI talent and senior leadership, ensuring alignment across all levels of the bank.

About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the seventh largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.4 trillion as of July 31, 2025. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group