Kathleen O’Neill will become executive vice president, Small Business Banking at Bank of Montreal, effective September 1.

O’Neill succeeds Frank Techar who was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Harris Bank, Bank of Montreal’s Chicago-based subsidiary.

“We are very pleased that Kathleen will assume the leadership of the bank’s important Small Business Banking segment,” says Ron Rogers, vice chairman, Personal and Commercial Client Group, Bank of Montreal. “Her appointment recognizes her strong performance, long record of achievements, and her outstanding leadership qualities.”

O’Neill has been with Bank of Montreal for eight years. Her prior positions with the bank have included serving as executive vice president, BMO mbanx Direct and Customer Value Management, which included introducing Direct Banking for Business, and as senior vice president, Consumer Finance. In addition to her new role with Small Business Banking she will continue to direct the bank’s Performance Enhancement initiative.

Prior to joining the bank O’Neill’s work experience included 19 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she rose to become a partner in the Taxation Practice.

O’Neill is the Chairman of the Board of St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.

“Small business is the backbone of the Canadian economy and is extremely important to the success of our bank” says O’Neill. “I am excited to be joining Small Business Banking at a time when the bank is increasing its market share and exercising leadership in developing innovative new products and services to serve its almost half million small business customers.”