Rose M. Patten is Senior Executive Vice-President, Head of Human Resources and Senior Leadership Advisor, BMO Financial Group, reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the bank’s Management Committee.

Her current responsibilities include, and her 35-year career in financial services is characterized by, senior leadership roles in business and organization strategy, human resource management, executive development and succession, transformational change, communications and public affairs.

Her experiences have spanned the four financial sectors: banking, trust, insurance and investment banking in Canada, the United States and Asia and have consistently involved companies engaged in mergers, restructuring, acquisitions or major transformational change, where she has held senior leadership roles.

Previous roles include Executive Vice-President at Nesbitt Burns (1992-1995), Senior Vice-President at ManuLife Financial (1987-1991) and Vice-President/General Manager at Continental Bank of Canada/Lloyds Bank Canada (1975-1987).

Paralleling her business career, Ms. Patten has given equal focus and leadership to the community, currently serving as Chair of the task force to review the governance model at University of Toronto; Trustee of the board and Chair, Governance and Nominating Committee, Hospital for Sick Children; and Director of the Board and Chair, Human Resources and Compensation Committee of Metrolinx, Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Her past positions include Chair of Governing Council at University of Toronto, where she led the search and selection of an interim President and current President (2004-2007, inclusive); Chair/Vice-Chair/Director of several other boards, including Children’s Aid Foundation; Outward Bound, Canada; National Ballet of Canada; Medical Research Council (in its transition to CHIR); and The Hincks-Dellcrest Foundation.

In 2009, Ms Patten was honoured with a doctor of laws degree from the University of Toronto. In 2008, she was recognized with the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Corporate Leadership and has received numerous other recognitions for her community service contributions. She has been consistently recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and was among the first women to be inducted into their inaugural Hall of Fame in 2007. She is also recognized as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by U.S. Banker Magazine.

(July 2009)