After nearly four decades at Bank of Montreal, former President and CEO Tony Comper shares leadership lessons from his experience at the helm of one of the world's largest financial institutions.
Anthony "Tony" Comper likes to say that he can sum up his remarkable career in Canadian banking in 25 stories. In a business often filled with big personalities and memorable characters, Tony's motto is Festina Lente - make haste slowly.
In Personal Account: 25 Tales about Leadership, Learning, and Legacy from a Lifetime at Bank of Montreal, Comper chronicles how he guided the bank's software evolution on real-time banking and the introduction of ABMs. He also saw BMO evolve from traditional lender to facilitator in the market, partnering with businesses to create a more vibrant source of capital. That innovation included Tony's role in integrating women and new Canadians into BMO while fighting anti-Semitism in the community. He was also critical in creating new banking models for the Indigenous community.
A first-person analysis of the major transitions in his almost four decades at the bank. A memoir of turbulent, challenging times. An examination of surviving the most severe financial shocks without jeopardizing the nation's financial stability.
Personal Account is equal parts warm memoir, teaching lesson, and a reminder of the value of legacy. He spent 40 years at the Bank of Montreal, was the CEO and a part of the key group of people that developed the first ATM machine. He always had a willingness to share technology and systems in order to bring about larger change. Full of leadership lessons from the financial world, technology world, and philanthropy world. Tony Comper, CM (Toronto, Ontario), began working at Bank of Montreal at age 16, launching a four decade-long career that culminated first with his tenure as the chief operating officer, and then as the bank's chief executive officer from 1998—2006. Tony and his wife, Liz, were named members of the Order of Canada for their work with the FAST (Fighting Anti-Semitism Together) foundation. Bruce Dowbiggin's (Calgary, Alberta) career has included successful stints in television, radio, theater, and print. His books include Money Players (a finalist for the 2004 National Business Book Award), The Defence Never Rests, The Stick, and Cap in Hand.
Short DescriptionHe spent 40 years at the Bank of Montreal, was the CEO and a part of the key group of people that developed the first ATM machine. He always had a willingness to share technology and systems in order to bring about larger change. Full of leadership lessons from the financial world, technology world, and philanthropy world.
Sales and Market Bullets
• Personal Account uses lessons first learned from reading Canterbury Tales in a journey that started at the University of Toronto and progressed to the highest levels of the nation's banking industry.
• Comper made his way up the ranks, from a summer student working at the branch level, up to creating BMO's tech revolution and transforming the nation's way of doing business.
• Business book readers of Charles Bronfman, Robert Iger, and Stephen A. Schwarzman will gravitate toward Comper's stories of leadership.
Audience
• People who work in finance (especially at BMO).
• Readers of leadership books.
• Toronto business elite.
• Excerpt pitching to Canadian business and finance publications.
• Interviews and reviews in Toronto business and society publications.
• Support author speaking engagements with marketing and book sales.
