BMO leaders among Crain’s Notable Veteran Executives
BMO’s Juanita Hardin, Head, Risk and Compliance, TPS, and Andre Bonakdar, Corporate and Commercial Credit Executive, were recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as two of Chicago’s 2020 Notable Veteran Executives – the first award of its kind by Crain’s.
Prior to working at BMO, Juanita served as a Sergeant in the United States Air Force for six years. She was a systems specialist in logistics, overseeing computer operations management.
After serving in the Air Force, Juanita began her career at BMO and has celebrated more than 30 years with the bank. In her current role, Juanita leads all operational risk activities for Treasury & Payments in the United States and Canada. She is accountable for ensuring internal controls identify, mitigating emerging risk, and developing governance strategies that comply with regulations.
Juanita is the chair of BMO’s Veteran’s Advisory Council (VAC).
Before coming to BMO, Andre served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He was a Surface Warfare Officer, managing 54 people and a $1.6 million budget during an integrated training schedule prior to a Persian Gulf deployment.
In Andre’s current role at BMO, he manages a team of senior credit officers covering key sectors. He’s a trusted advisor to sector leaders on individual credit risk, business decisions and the implementation of strategic initiatives. Andre acts as a liaison to fellow veterans at BMO to mentor and support them in their careers. He also advocates on behalf of hiring veteran talent at the bank.
