Director, Data Strategy

Application Deadline:

12/05/2025

Address:

250 Yonge Street

Job Family Group:

Data Analytics & Reporting

The Director, Data Strategy will serve as the strategic catalyst for shaping BMO Insurance’s multi-year transformation of how data powers growth, efficiency, and intelligence across the business. This senior leader will define the data vision, operating model, and execution roadmap that connects enterprise modernization initiatives to real business outcomes. The role combines strategic foresight, governance leadership, and platform innovation—ensuring BMO Insurance capitalizes on data as a competitive advantage and trusted enterprise asset. Operating at the intersection of business strategy, digital modernization, and advanced analytics, this position influences the evolution of underwriting, product development, client experience, distribution, and risk management. The Director will act as a key advisor to senior executives and enterprise committees, translating organizational imperatives into an integrated data strategy that drives measurable, sustainable impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Enterprise Data Leadership and Vision

• Define and execute the enterprise-wide data strategy and multi-year roadmap that directly supports BMO Insurance’s strategic transformation and growth agenda.
• Shape and evolve an enterprise data vision and target operating model, ensuring alignment of people, processes, platforms, and governance structures across functions.
• Establish governance bodies and executive steering committees to oversee data priorities, investment planning, and cross-functional coordination.
• Partner with business and technology executives to align modernization, risk, and AI strategies under a unified data architecture.
• Develop business cases articulating the measurable financial, operational, and client value of data-driven initiatives.
• Influence enterprise decision-making at Senior Executive levels, ensuring data strategy aligns with key business and regulatory priorities.

Transformation and Modernization

• Lead modernization of BMO Insurance’s legacy data ecosystem into a scalable, cloud-based, modular environment enabling integration, automation, and analytics at scale.
• Advance technology innovation by evaluating emerging tools, platforms, and engineering practices for cloud transformation, API enablement, and embedded artificial intelligence.
• Drive frameworks for intelligent automation, enabling efficiency and digital fluency across underwriting, pricing, claims, and advisor enablement processes.
• Align enterprise data modernization with the bank’s broader cloud, security, and AI strategies through close partnership with the Data & AI Centre of Excellence.
• Oversee financials for transformation programs, ensuring robust business case management, ROI realization, and predictable delivery.

Governance, Risk, and Regulatory Alignment

• Design and implement a comprehensive data governance framework that integrates quality, lineage, privacy, and retention across all data domains.
• Govern information assets across their lifecycle to ensure compliance with industry regulations such as OSFI, and PIPEDA.
• Partner with Enterprise Risk, Compliance, and Legal to enforce accountability for data protection and ethical AI usage.
• Establish clear roles, policies, and automation practices that strengthen trust in data and mitigate governance risk at every level of the organization.
• Measure governance adoption maturity and drive continuous improvement across business lines.

AI, Analytics, and Insight Enablement

• Establish the foundation for predictive, real-time, and self-service analytics across all insurance lines.
• Deploy enterprise AI and ML capabilities to accelerate underwriting, improve client experiences, and optimize decision accuracy.
• Govern responsible AI adoption, ensuring transparency, explainability, and bias mitigation are embedded into all models.
• Lead collaborations with data scientists, product teams, and business intelligence groups to operationalize analytics and data-driven decisioning.
• Integrate business metrics and performance dashboards across leadership reporting to support proactive management and business optimization.

Change Leadership and Capability Building

• Shape the organization’s culture to be data-driven, collaborative, and innovation-oriented.
• Responsible for strategy, governance, engineering alignment, and insight development.
• Launch data literacy and adoption programs that enable business users, executives, and staff to confidently interpret and use data.
• Guide enterprise operating model changes, organizational design enhancements, and skill-building initiatives aligned to the data-first vision.
• Champion diversity of thought, inclusion, and continuous learning within the data organization and across BMO Insurance.

Partnerships, Collaboration, and Ecosystem Management

• Represent BMO Insurance’s data strategy within the broader BMO Financial Group ecosystem, aligning with enterprise frameworks and innovation streams.
• Build relationships with leading vendors, technology providers, and consulting partners to accelerate delivery and maintain flexibility in solution selection.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex, high-volume data initiatives that require strategic prioritization or resource alignment across business lines.
• Drive coordination between BMO Insurance and corporate data platforms, ensuring consistent architecture, performance, and control standards.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 8–12+ years of progressive leadership experience in enterprise data strategy, governance, or digital transformation across insurance, banking, or financial services.
• Proven success designing and executing complex, enterprise-wide data strategies involving governance, modernization, and data platform enablement.
• Advanced understanding of enterprise architecture, cloud data ecosystems (Azure, AWS, GCP), and information sciences.
• Expert knowledge of data governance, privacy, and risk management frameworks relevant to Canadian and international insurance operations.
• Deep understanding of the intersection between business growth, regulatory compliance, and data-driven innovation.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, data culture adoption, and capability development in large matrixed environments.
• Strong financial acumen and track record in budget management, portfolio prioritization, and realizing ROI from transformation programs.
• Experience overseeing deployment of AI, advanced analytics, and automation across business and operational streams.
• Executive presence with excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills at the C-suite and board level.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CDMP, DCAM, TOGAF, PMP) and advanced education (MBA, Master’s in Data Science, or Information Systems) preferred.

Salary:

$94,600.00 – $176,000.00

Pay Type:

Salaried

The above represents BMO Financial Group’s pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group’s expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group’s total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.bmo.com/global/en/Total-Rewards

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

To find out more visit us at https://jobs.bmo.com/ca/en.

BMO is committed to an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace. By learning from each other’s differences, we gain strength through our people and our perspectives. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To request accommodation, please contact your recruiter.

Note to Recruiters: BMO does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to BMO, directly or indirectly, will be considered BMO property. BMO will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. A recruiting agency must first have a valid, written and fully executed agency agreement contract for service to submit resumes.

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