Managing Director & Head, U.S. Business Banking Credit Risk & Strategy

Bank of Montreal•Chicago, IL

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Managing Director, U.S. Business Banking Credit Risk & Strategy provides senior first‑line credit risk leadership for U.S. Business Banking. The role is accountable for the design, governance, and stewardship of the segment’s credit risk framework, policies, and portfolio risk outcomes, ensuring alignment with enterprise risk appetite, regulatory expectations, and growth objectives. The role serves as the primary subject matter expert and representative of U.S. Business Banking Credit Risk with regulators, executive leadership, internal governance forums, and enterprise partners. While day‑to‑day operational execution and transformation delivery are supported by dedicated Operations & Transformation leadership, this role retains accountability for risk strategy, control design, policy integrity, and risk outcomes.

Requirements

Typically 9+ years of progressive experience in credit risk management, business banking, wholesale/commercial lending, or related financial services roles, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Deep expertise in credit policy, underwriting frameworks, portfolio risk management, and regulatory engagement across retail and wholesale lending.
Extensive knowledge of U.S. banking regulations and examination practices.
Proven ability to operate at an enterprise level, influencing senior leaders and engaging effectively with regulators.
Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and data‑driven decision‑making capabilities.
Strong technology acumen related to automated credit decisioning, digital lending platforms, and risk analytics.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive and regulatory presentations.
Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity and ambiguity in a highly regulated environment.
Program management skills - Expert.
Influence skills - Expert.
Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - Expert.

Responsibilities

Credit Risk Strategy, Framework & Policy Ownership: Serve as the primary owner of U.S. Business Banking Credit Risk Policy and associated governance, ensuring alignment with enterprise risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and business strategy. Ensure credit policies and risk frameworks are effectively translated into scalable automated credit decision logic across Business Banking portfolios. Define and maintain credit risk parameters, underwriting standards, approval authorities, and exception governance frameworks, including risk‑based pricing inputs. Develop and oversee the segment’s credit risk framework across retail, wholesale, and upmarket lending, balancing growth, profitability, and risk considerations. Provide oversight and effective challenge of credit risk models, methodologies, and assumptions used within the segment.
Portfolio Risk Oversight & Performance Management: Own portfolio‑level credit risk oversight, monitoring asset quality, profitability, concentration risk, and emerging trends across Business Banking portfolios. Assess macroeconomic, market, and competitive dynamics to inform risk posture, policy adjustments, and strategic decision‑making. Ensure adherence to established risk limits and controls, escalating material risks, themes, and trends to senior leadership and governance forums. Lead first‑line remediation of material risk, portfolio performance issues, and regulatory or audit findings to sustainable resolution.
Wholesale / Upmarket Credit Risk Oversight: Provide senior first‑line risk oversight for wholesale and upmarket credit activities, including commercial real estate (CRE), Practice Finance, and other specialized portfolios. Review and provide independent challenge on high‑risk or complex upmarket transactions to ensure alignment with policy, risk appetite, and portfolio objectives. Oversee governance for commercial credit limit onboarding and related risk enablement supporting upmarket strategy execution. Maintain expert‑level knowledge of wholesale commercial lending, real estate lending, treasury, and deposit products to inform integrated risk decisions.
Regulatory Engagement & Governance: Act as the primary point of contact with U.S. banking regulators (including OCC, CFPB, FRB, FDIC, and SBA as applicable) for Business Banking Credit Risk. Lead preparation for regulatory examinations, audits, and independent reviews, including executive responses, issue management, and action plans. Ensure timely, accurate, and high‑quality responses to regulatory and audit requests and sustained closure of Matters Requiring Attention (MRAs). Monitor regulatory developments and assess impacts on Business Banking credit policies, portfolio strategy, and governance (e.g., HMDA, Regulation B/O/W, Dodd‑Frank Section 1071, SBA guidelines, CECL).
Risk Controls, Data Governance & Reporting Oversight: Ensure effective design and governance of first‑line credit risk controls aligned with enterprise control frameworks and corporate policies. Oversee credit risk data governance and reporting standards, ensuring accuracy, consistency, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance. Oversee governance and performance monitoring of automated credit decisioning to ensure risk outcomes, fairness, and control effectiveness are transparent and sustainable. Sponsor and oversee portfolio risk reporting, dashboards, and analytics used by executive leadership and governance committees. Provide oversight of stress testing, scenario analysis, and portfolio risk assessments to evaluate resilience and inform strategic actions.
Technology, Automation & Advanced Analytics (Governance & Strategy): Provide strategic oversight and governance for credit technology enablement, automated decisioning, and digital credit workflows (e.g., BBX, APMS). Retain first‑line accountability for the risk strategy, decision logic, and governance of automated credit decisioning, while execution is delivered through Operations and Technology partners. Champion data‑driven credit risk strategies leveraging predictive models, advanced analytics, and automation, ensuring alignment with policy and regulatory expectations. Partner with technology and operations leaders to ensure credit risk requirements, controls, and decision logic are appropriately embedded in platforms and tools.
Securitization & Specialized Risk Activities: Provide governance oversight for securitization‑related risk coordination and reporting activities, ensuring compliance with internal standards and regulatory expectations. Oversee specialized or non‑routine credit risk initiatives requiring senior first‑line risk judgment and governance.
Mergers & Acquisitions Due Diligence: Provide credit risk leadership and independent assessment for potential mergers, acquisitions, or portfolio transactions affecting Business Banking. Evaluate target portfolios, credit practices, policies, risk controls, data, and systems; deliver executive‑level risk assessments and recommendations. Partner with enterprise teams to support post‑acquisition integration of credit risk policies, governance, and oversight.
Enterprise Partnership & Leadership: Act as a trusted advisor to senior business and risk leaders on credit risk strategy, regulatory implications, and emerging risk considerations. Represent Business Banking Credit Risk in executive committees, enterprise risk forums, and governance bodies. Build strong relationships across Credit Risk, Compliance, Legal, Finance, Operations, Technology, and Product to support a One‑Bank approach. Engage external industry bodies and experts to bring best practices and insights to Business Banking Credit Risk.
Leadership Expectations: Demonstrate enterprise leadership through sound judgment, principled decision‑making, and effective risk challenge. Set “tone from the top” for a strong risk culture, ethics, and accountability. Promote clarity, consistency, and simplicity in credit risk frameworks, decision rights, and governance. Foster open communication and constructive challenge across stakeholders and lines of defense.