BMO Global Asset Management

Description BMO Global Asset Management is the asset management arm of Bank of Montreal (BMO), Canada’s first bank, which opened for business in 1817. Our organisation set a new purpose in 2019 to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, backing this up with ambitious commitments including mobilising CA$400bn for sustainable finance by 2025. BMO GAM is a global investment organisation providing investment management, retirement and trust and custody services to institutional, retail and high net worth investors around the world. Asset management is our only line of business and we focus on innovating and delivering investment solutions for our clients. We have taken a leadership approach in developing sustainable investment strategies for over 30 years. Since launching the UK’s first ethical strategy in 1984, our offering has broadened to include a range of ethical and thematic strategies, as well as a comprehensive approach to engagement and voting. Approach We take responsible investment seriously. The identification of financially material environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues forms part of our investment process, helping us to manage risk and support long-term returns. Beyond the management of opportunity and risk, we also see responsible investing and broader investment stewardship activities as part of our duty as an investor acting in the best interest of our clients, and as a participant in the global financial system. Our approach is aligned with the core values and beliefs of the wider BMO Financial Group (BMO FG), and draws on national and international codes and standards for responsible investment and ownership, including the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, to which we are a founder signatory. We have a dedicated in-house Responsible Investment team, one of the most experienced and established teams of its kind. The 16-member team manages our dedicated engagement and voting service reo® and has been instrumental in the integration of ESG related considerations across a wide range of our investment processes. The team is co-led by Claudia Wearmouth and Alice Evans and has a breadth of relevant experience gained in financial services, charities, the media, consultancy, public policy and industry.