BMO donates $2.5 million to Concordia University in honour of L. Jacques Ménard
BMO is supporting teaching and learning for students at Concordia University with a $2.5-million gift towards the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen. Now. The donation will establish the L. Jacques Ménard–BMO Centre for Capital Markets and the BMO Fine Arts Internship Program to foster out-of-the-box thinking for the next generation of talent.
“Long before BMO declared our Purpose — to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life — Jacques Ménard was living it. A proud Concordia alumnus, his legacy endures today at BMO, engrained in the way we work: growing businesses and communities for a thriving economy, and supporting access to education that helps young people develop careers and fosters creativity,” says Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group.
-Darryl White, CEO, BMO Financial Group
The late L. Jacques Ménard, former President of BMO Quebec, had strong ties to Concordia, not only as an alumnus but also chancellor of the university from 2011 to 2014.
“Ménard’s impact as a humanitarian and executive inspired the gift: BMO is supporting business education and fine arts practice for the benefit of students and the organizations that hire them.”
– Claude Gagnon, President, BMO Quebec
Education is the key to our future
A first for Quebec business schools, the L. Jacques Ménard–BMO Centre for Capital Markets will provide students an education grounded in theory and practice. The Centre will develop future finance professionals and drive scholarly research on the challenges faced by the industry. It will also help advance new thinking on critical issues in capital markets such as new areas of risk, how regulatory policies work, and how to make responsible and sustainable investments. With an advisory board that includes BMO employees, a speaker series, a professorship and scholarships at the graduate level, the Centre will contribute new ideas to safeguard Canadian financial institutions through continued leadership and forward-thinking practices, and help grow Montreal’s visibility as an international financial hub.
The annual BMO Fine Arts Internships will allow standout undergraduate students in Art History, Film Studies, Film Production and Film Animation, Design and Computational Arts, or Studio Arts an opportunity to acquire experience with external organizations. Stipends for BMO Fine Arts Internships will contribute to student advancement and help cultural organizations thrive.
BMO has long been a supporter of post-secondary educational institutions across our footprint, taking a Purpose-driven approach to removing barriers to education through financial support, ensuring promising students have the opportunity to shape the future. In the area of business and finance education, BMO recently announced gifts to Queens University’s Institute for Sustainable Finance, and to McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, aimed at investing in the next generation of financial professionals with collaborative new learning approaches and a strong focus on sustainable financial practices.
