BMO’s Business Coach Podcast Series Wins Gold Medal for Best Use of Communications Tool

TORONTO, May 28, 2008 – BMO Bank of Montreal won the gold medal for the best use of communications tools (internet, AV) for the Business Coach Podcast Series at the recent Canadian Public Relations Society Awards Gala.

BMO was one of the first financial institutions in Canada to leverage social media tools to communicate directly to a specific customer base. In 2006, BMO teamed up with PROFIT Magazine to develop the Business Coach Podcast -- a series of audio information segments for small business owners. The ongoing success of the series has been a strong editorial voice with a high caliber of external experts offering timely advice to small business owners.

Business Coach Podcast highlights:

• Total downloads of the podcast has exceeded 50,000
• The Business Coach was uploaded to iTunes and ranked in the top 20 business podcasts within its first three episodes
• The series is offered in Quebec through an exclusive partnership with L’actualité Magazine

“In partnering with PROFIT and L’actualité Magazine for the Business Coach Podcast, we have given Canadian entrepreneurs a convenient and easy way to access relevant information to help take their business to the next level.” said Gail Cocker, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal.

BMO has also created external resources, including a nationwide seminar program that helps small business owners. The current seminar tour features Sean Foran, co-author of the book, Succession Stories from the Front Line: Insights and Advice for Canadian Business Owners, a compilation of real-life succession planning stories that analyze the complexities of handing over a business.

For more information, visit www.bmo.com/business.

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