Executive Bios

Darryl is Chief Executive Officer of BMO, the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, serving over 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select global markets for over 200 years. Darryl chairs BMO's Executive Committee and serves as a director of BMO Financial Group and its U.S. subsidiary, BMO Financial Corp.

 

Darryl joined BMO as an investment banking analyst in 1994. He returned to his hometown of Montreal in 2006 to lead the bank's Quebec Investment & Corporate Banking team. In 2014, he was named CEO and Group Head, BMO Capital Markets, and in 2016 appointed BMO's Chief Operating Officer.

 

Driven by the bank’s Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, Darryl is committed to supporting a thriving economy, a sustainable future and inclusive society. He is a member of Washington, D.C-based, The Business Council, Ottawa-based Business Council of Canada, the Business Council of Toronto, the Mayor of Beijing’s International Business Leaders Advisory Council, and the Bank Policy Institute. In partnership with United Way Greater Toronto, Darryl also Co-Chairs the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity Roundtable, uniting business and community leaders in approaches to reduce economic disparity in the region.

 

An advocate for eliminating barriers to inclusion, Darryl serves as a Director and Executive Committee member of Catalyst, and its Canada Advisory Board. He is the Campaign Cabinet Co-President for the Montréal Children’s Hospital Foundation, a member of Toronto's University Health Network Board of Trustees and Honourary Campaign Co-Chair for Kids Help Phone. A lifelong sports fan, Darryl serves as a director of Alpine Canada, the governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada and chairs the board of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.

 

Darryl holds an Honours Business Administration degree and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. Darryl is a past recipient of Canada's Top 40 under 40^® Award and was named 2023 CEO of the Year and Strategist of the Year by The Globe and Mail.

 

Darrel Hackett serves as Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Corp. and President and Chief Executive Officer of BMO Bank N.A.; a top 10 U.S. bank by assets. As U.S. CEO, Darrel also serves as an Executive Committee member of BMO Financial Group and is Chair of the U.S. Management Committee. He is responsible for leadership and performance across all of BMO’s U.S. operations.

 

Darrel has held a variety of leadership roles since joining BMO in 2004. In his most recent role, Darrel served as President, BMO Wealth Management U.S. He also served as Senior Vice President & Head of North American Integrated Channels, where he led the development and execution of BMO’s multichannel distribution strategy. Other key roles include Senior Vice President & Head, U.S. Business Banking; Regional President, Chicago Metro; and Head, Acquisition, and Integration Group.

 

Before joining BMO, Darrel was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He also held a variety of roles at the General Electric Company, where he began his professional career.

 

Darrel serves on the Board of Directors for the Art Institute of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, Kids First Chicago, and United Way of Metro Chicago. He is also a member of the Federal Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

Darrel has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Levent is currently Head of BMO Global Markets, where he is responsible for overseeing all sales/trading and finance activities for global fixed income, commodities, foreign exchange, and equity products. Prior to this role, Levent was co-head of Global FICC. Prior to BMO, Levent spent 8 years as the CEO and co-founder of KGS-Alpha Capital Markets, the premier independent Fixed Income broker-dealer which was bought by BMO in 2018. Before KGS-Alpha, he was a Managing Director at Barclays Capital and Citi, where he held various trading and management positions. Previously, Mr. Kahraman worked in management consulting, where he advised financial services firms on credit risk management. Mr. Kahraman holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a BA in Economics and a BS in Civil Engineering, both from Cornell University.

Warren Estey is Head of Investment Banking and a member of the Global Management Committee at BMO Capital Markets. Previously, he was Head of the U.S. Mergers & Acquisitions Group. He joined the firm after 23 years at Deutsche Bank. During his tenure there, he held positions as Vice Chairman of Investment Banking Coverage & Advisory, as Head of the Natural Resources Group, Americas and as Co-Head of the U.S. Equity Capital Markets Group.

 

Warren has experience advising clients across a broad range of industries, products, market caps and geographies. Over his career, he has executed more than 400 transactions for clients representing more than $240B of value.

 

Warren has also held leadership positions in Bank of America’s Consumer Division and as an Armor Officer in the U.S. Army.

 

Warren earned an MBA from The Darden School at The University of Virginia, where he has since served as a member of The Darden School Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Darden School Alumni Board of Directors. Warren earned a BBA from the University of Miami, which he attended on a full Army ROTC Scholarship.

 

Warren is also a former member of the Board of Directors of Homeless Solutions, Inc. where he served as Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Nadim Hirji is responsible for the strategic growth and leadership of BMO Commercial Bank, a dedicated team of over 5,000 engaged team members committed to driving growth through best-in-class relationship management while sustaining top-tier customer loyalty and driving a Winning Culture. This team, based throughout North America, provides mid-market and upper mid-market companies with a single point of access to financial options with an integrated suite of commercial debt products, M&A advisory, mezzanine finance & equity, treasury & payment solutions, and deposit products and services.

 

Nadim, who has 30 years of industry experience, began his career at BMO in 2003 and after progressing through several senior roles, received his first executive appointment as Head, Ontario and Atlantic Canada in 2008, and then later as Head, Prairies Region in 2010, both in BMO Commercial Bank, Canada. In 2014, Nadim was appointed as Head, Special Accounts Management Unit (SAMU) where he was responsible for developing the Enterprise’s overall strategic direction for SAMU, balancing portfolio risk/return, and maximizing the value of assets while returning capital to the organization through timely and innovative resolutions. In 2016, Nadim was named Executive Vice President and Co-Head, BMO Commercial Bank, Canada. In March 2023, Nadim was appointed to his current role of Group Head, BMO Commercial Bank, North America.

 

Within BMO, Nadim is a member of the bank’s Executive Committee. Externally, he serves on the Board of the Canadian Business Growth Fund, a $545 million fund dedicated to support Canadian entrepreneurs and is on the Board of the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation. Nadim is also a member of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada National Committee.

 

Nadim holds an MBA from Dalhousie University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

Carolyn is responsible for leading the end-to-end strategy, risk management, governance and financial performance across U.S. Personal and Business Banking, including branch channels, Virtual Contact Center, specialty teams and Product & Head Quarter functions. Her responsibilities include representing U.S. P&BB on the Risk Management Committee, U.S. Regulatory Committee and U.S. Management Committee. She is passionate about building diverse, engaged teams and working collaboratively to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

 

Carolyn started her career in 1991 as a part-time teller, and over the next decade took increasingly more senior roles, including Branch Manager, Account Manager, District Vice President and Head of U.S. Distribution and Business Banking which she was appointed to in 2018 before rising to her current role in 2024. Prior to her roles in the U.S., Carolyn was Senior Vice President for the Atlantic Provinces Division, for the bank’s Canadian Personal and Commercial business units.

 

She was twice awarded a Top 50 CEO award by Atlantic Business Magazine for her support and leadership within the Atlantic Canadian business community.

 

Since arriving in Chicago, Carolyn has been making inroads in supporting local women’s business advocacy and charitable activities. Carolyn is a member of the International Women’s Forum and has helped launch various initiatives to support women business owners including the BMO Celebrating Women Grants Program and supports the United Way of Metro Chicago Women’s Leadership Council. She also supports BMORE, a program that seeks to remove barriers to employment in African American and Latino communities and serves as an advisor on the U.S. P&BB Advisory Senate to further develop talent at BMO from all lines of business.

 

Since 2016, Carolyn has been part of BMO’s team of female leaders and was included on American Banker’s 2022 list of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance.

 

Carolyn is a member of the U.S. WISE Advisory Board, BMO’s employee resource group for women, and actively mentors a number of other executives in the company. She serves on the Board of Directors for Skills for Chicagoland’s Future and is an Executive Mentor for the BMO Harris / 1871 Innovation Program. She has an undergraduate degree from McGill University and holds an MBA in Services from Dalhousie University.

Based in Los Angeles, Michele is Head of the U.S. Wealth Management business for BMO, the 8th largest bank in North America serving individuals, families and family offices across their investment, tax, estate, philanthropic, risk and capital needs. In addition, she is a member of the BMO U.S. Management Committee.

 

Michele brings nearly 30 years of experience and expertise to her role as a senior banking, wealth management and financial services executive. Prior to joining BMO, she led the Western Region at Northern Trust where she delivered historic levels of growth. In addition, she served as Executive Vice President and member of the Wealth Management Executive Committee, where she participated in setting overall strategy for the firm. Michele began her career in New York with JP Morgan as a Portfolio Manager.

 

Michele has chaired nonprofit boards and several committees. She currently serves as a director of two nonprofit boards the UCLA Anderson School of Management Board of Advisors and the Marymount High School Board of Trustees and various Finance and Investment Committees. Michele is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) of Los Angles where she has chaired the Membership Committee. She has served as board chair and President and led organizations through growth and transformation, including multiple CEO successions. She is a recent Past President of the Jonathan Club serving on the board from 2017 - 2023. She is a former member of the St. Matthews Parish School Board of Trustees. She remains active with the Los Angeles CEO Council and Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Women in Leadership Group, and the National Charity League – Los Angeles where she serves as secretary. Prior activities include the United Way of Greater Los Angeles Board of Directors, the LA Legends Club, Vistage International, and Woodland Park Zoo Board of Directors.

 

Michele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and marketing from Boston College and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Michele attends the Harvard Business School’s Post Graduate Executive Education Program for members of Young Presidents Organization and is completing her seventh year in a nine-year executive education program. In addition, Michele holds a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designation.

 

She was awarded the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2010. In 2013, Michele received nominations by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the Women Making a Difference Awards and was honored by the Century City Chamber of Commerce for the Women of Achievement award. She has also been recognized by the LABJ as a Top Women in Banking, Banking and Finance Visionary, Woman of Influence in Banking, and as one of the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles.

Ann Marie Wright is the U.S. Chief Risk Officer for BMO Financial Group. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that the organization is effectively identifying and managing the risks in the business and legal entities through which it operates in the U.S. She provides independent review and oversight of all risk and governance issues and through her leadership ensures that there is a strong risk culture across the U.S.

 

Most recently, Ann Marie was U.S. Chief Auditor and previously served as Chief Operating Officer for the North American Commercial Bank. She began her career at BMO Financial Group 20 years ago and has held numerous progressive roles including: Senior Credit Audit Manager in the Corporate Audit Division; Managing Director - Business Manager, U.S. Investment Banking; Managing Director - Business Intelligence; and Managing Director/Head –l Capital Markets Global Compliance and Supervision. Prior to joining BMO, Ann Marie held credit and portfolio management roles at Bank of America and GE Capital.

 

Ann Marie holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master's in Management degree specializing in Finance and Management Strategy from Northwestern University.

 

Ann Marie has also received the following awards: Crain’s 2021 Notable Black Leaders and Executives (Crain’s Chicago Business, December 2021), Top 100 Women of Influence (Diversity MBA Magazine, 2020), 2019 Most Influential Women in Corporate America (Savoy Magazine), Chicago United Business Leader of Color (November 2017), Most Influential Women in Commercial Banking (Crain’s Chicago Business, November 2017), and Top 100 Executives under 50 Award (Diversity Magazine, July 2016).

 

She is the former Board Chair for The Chicago Foundation for Women, Board Member of The Civic Consulting Alliance, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Leadership Greater Chicago. Ann Marie is also a 2022 Daniel Burnham Fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago and is Co-Chair of BMO’s Leadership Council for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Links Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America.

Stephen R. Taylor currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer of BMO’s U.S. Operations. In this role Steve is responsible for ensuring BMO executes its U.S. Strategy with appropriate focus and oversight over its U.S. Operations and is an active participant in the development and execution of its U.S. Strategy. Steve was the Lead Executive responsible for the integration of the recently acquired Bank of the West operations.

 

Steve previously served as Chief Financial Officer of BMO’s U.S. Operations. Before joining BMO, Mr. Taylor was with Citizens Financial Group where he served as Chief Financial Officer to the Consumer & Business Banking segment. Prior to Citizens Mr. Taylor had been with Fleet Boston Financial Corp. where he held a number of positions, the most recent of which being Director of Finance. Mr. Taylor began his career at KPMG and was a Senior Manager in that firm’s banking practice.

 

Mr. Taylor received his BS in Accounting from Providence College He is a CPA and current member of the AICPA. Mr. Taylor currently serves on the Board of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

Tim currently serves as the U.S. General Counsel and Chief Regulatory Officer. He is responsible for the overall leadership and performance of the Legal and Regulatory Compliance function, including banking regulation and supervision, corporate governance, litigation and investigations, and is a member of the U.S. Management Committee and chairs the U.S. Regulatory Committee.

 

Tim has held numerous roles in the bank, including U.S. Chief Regulatory Officer and Managing Director & U.S. Chief Security Officer. Prior to joining the bank, Tim was an attorney at Vedder Price P.C., a Chicago-based law firm where he advised on regulatory matters, negotiated regulatory enforcement actions, and assisted financial institutions with corporate governance matters. Before law school, Tim spent seven years in finance and accounting roles of increasing responsibility in large organizations. He also serves as director for Blessings in a Backpack.

 

Tim graduated from Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law and from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business with a degree in finance.

Don Erickson is the U.S. Chief Auditor for BMO Financial Group and is responsible for leading a team of audit professionals, identifying insights into current, emerging and potential issues, trends, and opportunities that will enhance efficiency and effectiveness of control processes.

 

Most recently, Don served as the Managing Director for U.S. Corporate Audit, accountable for the U.S. Regulatory and Enterprise AML audit teams while also coordinating various strategic initiatives for the Division.

 

Don began his career at BMO Financial Group in 2008 as the U.S. Regulatory Compliance & Governance Director in the Corporate Audit Division. Don’s team was responsible for the planning and execution of numerous audits with a focus on high-risk consumer regulations and business practices.

 

Prior to joining BMO, Don served as Associate Audit Director at Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, Florida. Don’s career also includes tenures with Franklin Templeton Investments and PwC.

 

Don received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Computer Science from Augustana College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tampa.

 

Don is a Board Member of the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee.