Anita Mehta, Managing Director, Operational Risks, BMO
Anita Mehta is currently Head, Operational Non-Financial Risk Canada and Int’l at BMO. BMO is the 8th largest bank in North America with over $1.3 Trillion in assets.
Anita has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has held several roles throughout her career, consistently delivering solutions and solving problems.
As Head, ONFR Canada and Int’l, Anita is accountable for several frameworks across various disciplines in the 2nd line of defence: Third Party Risk Mgmt, Project and Change Risk Mgmt, Corporate Insurance, Operational risk oversight across most Corporate Areas, and Operational Risk regulatory compliance program. This includes providing governance, credible challenge, and oversight of these risks, ensuring they are well managed and effectively mitigated throughout the organization in all jurisdictions that BMO operates in.
During Anita’s tenure within Operational Risk, she has collaboratively led the 2nd line of defence Business Continuity Framework, the Operational Risk Methodologies and Frameworks, and Operational Risk Reporting. Prior to Operational Risk, Anita led several areas within BMO’s AML program: Risk Assessments, Financial Investigation Unit (FIU), Process Oversight and Strategy, and CM Customer Enhanced Due Diligence. Previously she has held roles in Personal and Commercial Line of Business as a Senior Project Manager, and roles within Technology and Operations.
Her achievements over this time include strategically developing new processes, policies, and procedures; building and transforming teams within the organization; solving and implementing complex regulatory findings and transformational change programs; and identifying risk exposure within the organization while considering external risks.
Anita also holds Six Sigma Black Belt, CAMS designation (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), a Bachelor of Mathematics and Information Systems from University of Waterloo and an MBA in Financial Services from Dalhousie University. Anita is also an advocate of supporting and fundraising for various charities.