MD/Head, Credit & Portfolio Management, Express Channel

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Leads the Express Channel Portfolio Management organization within U.S. Commercial Banking and is accountable for the delivery, execution, and continuous optimization of the Project Freestyle operating model for clients with Total Credit Relationship (TCR) exposure below $10MM. Responsible for driving faster credit decisions, consistent underwriting outcomes, portfolio quality, client experience, operational efficiency, and organizational performance across a centralized portfolio management structure. Oversees a team of Portfolio Managers, Team Leads, and specialized underwriting resources while ensuring alignment with Commercial Banking, Risk Management, and Transformation objectives.

The role serves as a key leader in the implementation and evolution of Express Channel capabilities including standardized credit products, streamlined underwriting, automated annual reviews, AI-enabled credit processes, centralized portfolio management, and dedicated client acquisition support.

• Lead execution and ongoing enhancement of the Express Channel operating model for Commercial Banking relationships below $10MM TCR.
• Drive achievement of strategic Project Freestyle objectives, including simplification, standardization, optimization, and automation of credit delivery processes.
• Develop and execute workforce, organizational design, and capacity management strategies to support growth and portfolio transitions.
• Partner with Commercial Banking, Risk, Operations, Product, and Technology leaders to advance future-state credit delivery capabilities.
• Lead change management activities supporting portfolio migration, organizational transition, and operating model adoption.

• Portfolio Management & Credit Leadership

• Maintain overall accountability for portfolio health, credit quality, risk management, and regulatory compliance across the Express portfolio.
• Ensure consistent application of Express credit box standards, underwriting requirements, covenant structures, and documentation practices.
• Monitor portfolio trends, concentration risks, covenant performance, and asset quality indicators.
• Escalate emerging credit issues and implement corrective action strategies as required.
• Exercise lending authority and provide oversight of delegated credit decisions consistent with established credit qualifications.
• Ensure disciplined execution of annual reviews, renewals, monitoring activities, and portfolio surveillance processes.

• Deliver a scalable underwriting model designed to support a three-business-day target for qualifying new-money transactions.
• Oversee dedicated Express underwriting resources and client acquisition portfolio managers supporting new originations.
• Drive service excellence through efficient credit decisioning and a simplified client experience.
• Ensure consistency in deal structures, covenant frameworks, documentation standards, and approval processes.
• Partner with Relationship Managers to facilitate growth, improve client satisfaction, and deepen client relationships.
• Transformation & Process Excellence

• Champion automation initiatives including AI-supported underwriting, Deal Eval, AURA, automated data population, and streamlined monitoring processes.
• Lead implementation of simplified annual review practices and standardized underwriting methodologies.
• Establish performance metrics, SLAs, quality measures, and productivity benchmarks across the organization.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities to reduce process variation, manual effort, and operational complexity.
• Support enterprise transformation programs impacting commercial credit delivery.

• Talent Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Team Leads, Portfolio Managers, and specialized underwriting professionals.
• Build a high-performing, client-focused culture emphasizing accountability, risk discipline, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Support talent planning, succession management, and development of future credit leaders.
• Partner with CADP and Talent Development teams to build a sustainable talent pipeline.

The Express Channel PM Leader will be accountable for:

• Client experience and satisfaction scores
• Credit decision turnaround time
• Three-business-day underwriting target attainment
• New-money processing effectiveness

• Portfolio Manager productivity and gearing
• SLA compliance
• Workflow efficiency
• Portfolio migration and transition milestones
• Automation adoption rates

• Credit quality measures
• Problem loan trends
• Policy and regulatory compliance
• Portfolio monitoring effectiveness
• Audit and review results

• Employee engagement
• Talent retention
• Leadership development
• Succession readiness
• Team performance metrics

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or related discipline.
• Master's degree preferred.

• 10+ years of Commercial Banking, Credit, Portfolio Management, or Underwriting leadership experience.
• Experience leading large-scale operating model transformations and organizational change initiatives.
• Deep expertise in commercial credit risk, underwriting, portfolio management, and lending operations.
• Demonstrated success leading geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong knowledge of process optimization, automation, and technology-enabled lending solutions.
• Experience managing large portfolios and multiple levels of leadership preferred,

• Strategic Leadership
• Organizational Transformation
• People Leadership
• Change Management
• Executive Influence

• Commercial Credit
• Portfolio Management
• Credit Risk Assessment
• Loan Structuring
• Regulatory Compliance

• Process Improvement
• Operational Excellence
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Capacity Planning
• Performance Management

• Relationship Management
• Client Experience
• Commercial Acumen
• Cross-Functional Partnership

• AI-Enabled Lending Solutions
• Workflow Automation
• Digital Transformation
• Continuous Improvement

Reports to: Head of Express Channel / Head of U.S. Commercial General Industries (future-state organizational structure)

Direct Reports:

• Regional Express Team Leaders
• Specialized Underwriting Managers
• Portfolio Management Leaders
• Client Acquisition PM Leaders

Approximate Organization Scope:

• ~76 Portfolio Managers
• 10-16 Team Leaders
• 2,600+ Commercial Banking client relationships
• National responsibility for the Express Channel operating model under Project Freestyle.
• This version is written as a future-state FY27 leadership profile and is significantly more aligned to the Project Freestyle target operating model than the current generic Director-PM Commercial Portfolio Management profile. If you can upload any additional Freestyle decks, Horizon materials, org charts, business cases, or role-design documents from Outlook/Teams/SharePoint, I can produce a final HR-ready job profile with formal BMO competency mapping, job architecture language, and Workday-ready formatting.

Salary:

Pay Type:

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