BMO donation to see creation of new cross-campus leadership program, Ivey officials say

Officials at Ivey Business School are marking a multi-million dollar donation from BMO they say will be put toward the creation of a cross-campus leadership certificate program open to all Western undergrads.

The $3.5 million donation from the bank, made to Ivey’s Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership, was unveiled on Monday by the business school.

In a media release, Ivey officials praised the donation, saying it would advance its leadership programming “beyond the business school and into the wider Western University community.”

The donation will also be used to double the number of students taking part in Ivey’s Leadership Under Fire course, geared toward honours business administration (HBA) students, and will “enhance its outreach to small- and medium-sized businesses” through the creation of a free leadership playbook, officials said.

Sharon Hodgson, Ivey’s dean, said in a statement that the business school was grateful for BMO’s “generosity and valued partnership.”

“I am delighted to see the multipronged way this gift is having impact,” Hodgson said.

In a statement, BMO’s chief human resource officer, Mona Malone, said the company was “investing in the development of future leaders, supporting local businesses, and empowering both to navigate future challenges with resilience,” with its donation.

The cross-campus leadership certificate program will be in purpose-driven leadership, officials said in a release, and will allow students to “develop an appreciation for their strengths and opportunities for growth in the various dimensions of leader character, and work on ways to develop those dimensions.”

According to Ivey, the program will involve up to 75 third- and fourth-year students from across Western’s campus.