News Releases
BMO Financial Group today announced a $750,000 donation to the University of New Brunswick’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (IBEC) in the Faculty of Business Administration. Part of the University’s Forging Our Futures Campaign, the gift will provide UNB business students with real-world experience while, at the same time, giving small businesses access to planning and export expertise.
“The University of New Brunswick’s relationship with BMO dates back more than a century. We’re pleased to have them as a leading partner for this one-of-a-kind program, which benefits both students and entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada,” said John McLaughlin, UNB President and Vice-Chancellor.
The $750,000 gift will support IBEC’s two main programs. The Export Partnering Program (EPP) assists companies in developing export plans for foreign markets, and is delivered in partnership with UNB Saint John’s Faculty of Business and Atlantic Baptist University in Moncton. The MBA Student Consulting Group (SCG) provides consulting services to private sector companies in New Brunswick, offering advice in marketing, accounting, human resources management, finance and strategic planning.
“At BMO Bank of Montreal, we are committed to small business and are proud of our performance in helping small businesses grow. Our partnership with IBEC is further proof of that commitment, as we want to help the Centre develop and support entrepreneurial leadership and international competitiveness among the university community and growth oriented small businesses in New Brunswick,” said Rob Pearce, President and CEO, Personal and Commercial Client Group, BMO Bank of Montreal.
Mr. Pearce also noted that New Brunswick is Canada’s most export-oriented economy, pointing to the success of local entrepreneurs and the quality and competitiveness of their products.
The Export Partnering Program is unique to Atlantic Canada. A number of business graduates have been hired to implement the recommendations developed in their projects. To date, 69 companies and 390 UNB students have participated in the EPP program, while the SCG program partners with three to five small businesses per year.
“I’m very pleased with the continued partnership with BMO Bank of Montreal. Their support will allow us to continue to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises to develop and grow into global exporters of New Brunswick’s products,” said Dannie Brown, Director, International Business & Entrepreneurship Centre.
The Bank of Montreal has been UNB's banker for more than 100 years. This strong partnership was further strengthened in 1997 when BMO Bank of Montreal became a founding partner of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership, a forerunner of IBEC.
Since 1817, BMO Financial Group has supported the principles of community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility to the communities it serves. BMO Financial Group contributed more than $29 million in corporate donations, sponsorships and events in 2004, supporting thousands of communities, charities and not-for-profit organizations in Canada.
Forging Our Futures is the most important development campaign in UNB’s more-than-200-year history. It will make strategic investments in students, faculty, facilities and programs. The campaign will strengthen UNB’s position as a national university that is fundamentally important to the economic, social and cultural well-being of the province, the region and the country. Officially launched in June, Forging Our Futures is the largest fundraising campaign in New Brunswick history. More information on the campaign can be found online at www.unbfutures.ca.
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