Mark Furlong, who served as chief executive officer and chairman of Marshall and Illsley Corp. until it was acquired by BMO Harris Financial Group, has announced he will retire from BMO Harris in June.
The Milwaukee-based M&I Bank parent was acquired in 2011, and Furlong became chief executive officer of BMO Harris Bank N.A. and group head of U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking.
During his career, Furlong also worked at Old Kent Financial Corp., Deloitte and Touche, and KPMG Peat Marwick. He is a board member of Kforce Professional Staffing, LEAP Innovations, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago United and World Business Chicago. He graduated from Southern Illinois University.
As a result of Furlong’s departure, Dave Casper has been named president and CEO of BMO Harris Bank and group head of commercial banking. Casper currently serves as head of commercial banking, U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking. He will be responsible for the overall performance of BMO Harris Bank and its subsidiaries, leading the growth strategy of the Commercial Banking business, and overseeing the North American Treasury and Payments Solutions group. Casper joined BMO Financial Group in 1978.
Alexandra Dousmanis-Curtis has been appointed group head, U.S. Retail and Business Banking. She currently serves as head of retail banking, U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking. Dousmanis-Curtis will be responsible for driving the bank’s strategy in the U.S. retail and business banking segments to maximize shareholder and customer value, and for building customer relationships. She has worked at BMO for 14 years, holding senior banking positions in both the U.S. and Canada.
“Under Mark’s leadership we transformed our competitive position in the U.S. and introduced the new BMO Harris Bank brand to the marketplace,” said Bill Downe, CEO, BMO Financial Group. “Mark’s broad experience, principled leadership and very high standards have always shaped his approach to business. His years at the bank are notable for the establishment of a top 20 personal and commercial banking presence in the U.S. and for strong and consistent growth in our commercial lending business. He has been a champion for the community, working tirelessly to reinforce the bank’s values and commitment in this regard.”
“It has been a privilege to serve the bank and work with the outstanding team at BMO. I am especially pleased that Dave and Alex will be taking on expanded responsibilities,” Furlong said. “I have worked closely with them both and have seen firsthand that they have the skills and experience to lead BMO Harris Bank into this next chapter of successful growth and development. They are deeply committed to helping our customers succeed. I congratulate them both.”
