BMO plays pivotal role in bridging business in Asia and North America

Only a few institutions can say that they were there when a nation came into being, or more precisely, that they helped fund the building of a nation. Bank of Montreal (BMO) played a central role in the development of many of Canada’s significant institutions, financial systems and infrastructure projects.

As enterprising merchants who understood the importance of banking to business, BMO’s founders were industry pioneers, who not only issued Canada’s first uniform currency and funded the first railway; they also shaped Canada’s banking industry.

BMO has also been forming relationships in China for almost as long as it’s been in business, and the bank has been in business for a long time – 200 years to be exact. Three months after its opening in November 1817, BMO engaged in its first foreign exchange transaction when it supported China’s trade business in Boston. Since then, BMO has been playing a pivotal role in bridging businesses in Asia and North America.

As the only Canadian bank and one of only five North American banks that have incorporated a fully licensed subsidiary in mainland China, BMO in Asia seeks to define great customer experience by connecting Asia and North America, including linking Canadian companies to Asian markets. It introduces groundbreaking innovations in banking that ensure clients have access to products and counter-parties worldwide. From opening Canada’s first drive-in bank to launching North America’s first full-service internet banking system, BMO has been at the forefront of banking technology, and making banking easier for customers.

“We like to help clients develop their capabilities as they go to a new place,” says Albert Yu, CEO-Asia, BMO Financial Group. “We offer consistency and we support them through the long journey.”