Eileen Jurczak, CFA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Director, BMO Capital Markets, Toronto
• Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors, Bay Street Deconstructed
• Director and Officer, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors
• Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence, 2018
• Women in Capital Markets Rising Star Award, 2016

How did you get your start in the financial services industry?

The CFA program was the catalyst. I was working in R&D in pharmaceuticals and looking for my next challenge. A family member was working in capital markets and I became excited about pursuing a career in the industry. The advice was simple: start with the CFA charter. It’s a respected designation, and it’s tough. You’ll learn very quickly if this is something you’re still interested in. I did, and there was no looking back. The CFA designation reinforced the excitement I had about a career in capital markets. In addition to earning my charter, I completed my MBA at Rotman [School of Management] and joined the first cohort of BMO’s Wealth Management Associate rotational program, a two-year leadership development program. I’ve been at BMO for 10 years now; it’s a great company and I love what I do.

What have been the driving forces behind your very accomplished career?

An incredible support system of family, friends, mentors, and colleagues. They’ve provided me with sound guidance along the way, helping me to make strategic decisions about my career. Furthermore, certain characteristics, like being proactive and curious, as well as striving to continuously improve and having a strong work ethic, are critical.

Volunteering is another area that has shaped my career. It has contributed to personal and professional growth, allowing me to expand my skill set while building relationships and networks. And, of course, the CFA designation. It has played an important role in every position I’ve had at BMO.

In 2015, you founded Bay Street Deconstructed. Describe the program.

Bay Street Deconstructed is a fun, effective, and in-demand workshop that covers 10 primary financial services areas, including operations. Our facilitator teams delivered the program to roughly 4,000 students across the GTA in the 2017/18 school year. Nearly 9,000 students across Canada are lined up to participate in the workshop this school year as part of our national expansion, with a wait list of schools wanting to receive the program. It’s currently the only program of its kind in North America, and the Toronto District School Board has recognized Bay Street Deconstructed as an Educational Programming Partner, endorsing the importance of this unique program in providing valuable education to its students at a critical point in their lives.

What makes Bay Street Deconstructed unique?

Bay Street Deconstructed can be viewed as a new kind of financial literacy. We’re not only preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow, but also helping them understand how they’ll need many financial services when they start working or when they start their own businesses. The workshops are specifically designed for Grade 10 students and delivered in a manner that they can relate to and understand. We don’t use volunteers to deliver the workshops. To ensure quality and consistency, we use a third-party service provider that specializes in delivering financial services educational programs. Bay Street Deconstructed is hitting the mark from an education standpoint: it’s interactive and fun, and the workshop is only two hours. And, most important, we’re getting the message across.

Why are initiatives like this so important for the future of the industry?

Bay Street Deconstructed works to ensure that Grade 10 students don’t inadvertently close the doors to future career options. Just as important is helping students identify financial services careers that interest them and providing them with the resources they’ll need to set them up for success in pursuing a particular career path in our industry. Before taking our program, many students are unaware of the many different aspects of financial services and have a largely negative view of the financial industry. After attending the workshop, students typically come away with a positive perception of our industry. They’re excited to learn more and to explore a career in financial services, increasing the cultural and socioeconomic diversity of the talent pipeline for all financial firms.

Diversity is another key initiative in the financial services industry. What progress have you seen in this area?

I work in capital markets, which is an area that has traditionally been represented by a majority of white men. However, within the last five years at BMO, I’ve seen real positive change on this front. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of employees on the trading floor with diverse cultural backgrounds, of both genders. I can’t speak for other firms, but I can say that I’ve never felt like a minority on the trading floor at BMO. While this speaks to the great progress that BMO is making in increasing the diversity and inclusion of its workforce, it also speaks to the amazing colleagues I work with and the great culture that exists at the firm.

What do you find most rewarding about the work you do with Bay Street Deconstructed?

I very much enjoy the process of innovating and creating something from scratch and then rolling up my sleeves to work on growing the program into something sustainable over the long term. However, the most rewarding aspect of my work is actually attending a workshop and seeing the amazing impact our program is having on these young students. By the end of the program, the students are raising their hands to share what they’ve learned; 90 percent of students indicate they now have a better understanding of financial services, close to 80 percent are now interested in learning more about financial services, and over 70 percent are now more likely to explore a career in financial services, with half of the respondents being girls. The excitement in the room and the smiles on their faces always put a smile on my face and leave me thinking, “This is exactly why we’re doing this…we’re helping these students be better prepared for their futures—and we’re making a difference.”

GET INVOLVED

Bay Street Deconstructed is looking for a treasurer (particularly someone with a strong accounting background). If you’re interested, email info@baystreetdeconstructed.com.

The program is also building out its sponsor list to ensure as many students as possible continue to receive the workshop. If you have any senior-level connections at financial firms who are interested in learning more about and supporting Bay Street Deconstructed, email info@baystreetdeconstructed.com.

BAY STREET DECONSTRUCTED

The following are the founding sponsors for the program:

• AGF Management Ltd.
• BMO Financial Group
• Chubb Insurance Company of Canada
• CIBC
• Franklin Templeton Investments
• Manulife Financial
• Royal Bank of Canada
• Scotiabank
• TD Bank Group