Simon A Fish

GC Influencers

Simon A Fish of BMO Financial Group (Bank of Montreal)

The emblematic Simon Fish “has a big job, a big profile and is a recognised entity” within the Canadian and international GC communities. As General Counsel of the Bank of Montreal, he oversees the company’s overall legal affairs including M&A, banking regulation and compliance, as well as its ethics and privacy and corporate social responsibility functions. He is widely regarded as a pioneer in terms of corporate and law firm diversity; more than 45% of the women on his team are in senior leadership roles.

He is a founding member of Legal Leaders for Diversity, a group of Canadian General Counsel committed to the creation of a more inclusive legal profession. Born in South Africa, Mr. Fish has had an impressive career in Canada. Prior to joining the bank, he served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Vale, before which he held the position of Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Shell Canada. Fish was named as Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)’s global board of directors in 2018.

Simon A Fish of BMO Financial Group (Bank of Montreal)

Simon Fish comes highly recommended as “a real leader in terms of diversity initiatives” by commentators. He champions diversity in the legal profession both in his role as general counsel of BMO Financial Group, overseeing a 650-strong global team in which over 45 percent of its senior leadership are women, and also in his role as a founding member of Legal Leaders for Diversity, a Canadian advocacy group comprised of in-house lawyers dedicated to promoting diversity in the workplace. Fish arrived at the investment bank in 2008 after prior general counsel positions at Vale and Shell Canada, having transitioned into in-house roles after practicing at Dechert and focusing on corporate and securities matters. Alongside his work advising the bank’s leadership on regulatory and wider corporate law issues, he also oversees the bank’s ethics and corporate sustainability operations, and earns praise from market insiders for his role as a “trusted advisor.” Sources add: “What Simon brings to the table is not only an extraordinary legal perspective, but also a great business perspective.”