2025 Bells on Bay St.
Celebrating 25 Years of Ringing the BELLS, we invite you to join us for our signature events - Bells on Bay St. on December 10, 2025, from 7:15 A.M. – 8:45 A.M. at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Be inspired by our Guest Speaker and Philanthropic Partner as we reflect on our theme "Silver Bells". Extend an invitation to colleagues and friends to gather and celebrate with hundreds of business leaders across the province. Together, we will ring in the Toronto bells and move the uncertainty in this world to the gift of hope.
Table (10 Seats): $800
Ticket: $80
Guest Speaker
Ernie Johannson serves as Senior Advisor to BMO Financial Group. Ernie was most recently BMO’s Group Head of North American Personal and Business Banking, a member of the bank’s Executive Committee, and co-head of the bank’s North American Personal & Commercial Banking line of business. In that role, Ernie led a highly engaged team responsible for helping 10 million customers make real financial progress.
During her tenure, Ernie supported BMO’s efforts to accelerate growth, building on her passion for delivering exceptional customer service and her track record of innovating and generating sustainable growth in a rapidly changing environment. Over the 5 years under her leadership, the Canadian business consistently delivered top -tier revenue growth, increased market share through industry leading digital and branch sales performance while significantly improving efficiency.
She was instrumental in BMO’s acquisition and integration of Bank of the West, which doubled the size of BMO’s Personal & Business Banking business in the U.S. in 2023. That same year, she also led the acquisition of AIR MILES, Canada’s top loyalty rewards program with nearly 10 million collectors.
Under her leadership, the Personal and Business Banking teams were recognized for best-in-class products and customer experience, including ranking number one in the J.D. Power 2023 Canada Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. The team also earned prestigious recognitions in Canada and the U.S. for digital innovation and customer experience, including being named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
Since joining BMO in 2012, Ernie has delivered results leading diverse businesses and corporate groups, including serving as Chief Risk Officer for Canadian Personal & Commercial Banking and North American Personal and Business Banking. Before joining BMO, Ernie was Executive Vice President of Customer Strategy and Integration at Fidelity Investments, and held senior positions at CIBC, including Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, and Senior Vice President of Credit Cards.
Ernie chairs the Board of the Canadian Bankers Association. She previously served on the boards of the U.S. Consumer Bankers Association, Payments Canada and Moneris Solutions Corporation and was chair of the Canadian Marketing Association.
American Banker magazine included Ernie on its list of the Most Powerful Women in Banking for six consecutive years, starting in 2019. In 2020, Forbes named her one of the 13 Women Changing the Money Industry not Even the Coronavirus can Stop, and in 2022 she was named to Women Inc.’s list of the Most Influential Women Executives in Corporate America.
Philanthropic Partner
Duke Chang is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CanadaHelps, the country’s largest online platform for donating and fundraising. Duke is leading CanadaHelps' efforts to transform how Canadians support charities, ensuring organizations of all sizes can thrive in a digital-first world. With a dedication to innovation, he is working to enhance CanadaHelps’ technologies to make charitable giving easier, faster, and more impactful, while helping charities grow their fundraising and advance their digital transformation journeys.
Since joining CanadaHelps in 2023, Duke has drawn on more than 25 years of experience driving product-led growth and customer-focused innovation in financial services, technology, and the charitable sector. As co-founder of Act 3 Reality, Duke created virtual reality based tools to support children with autism and other learning challenges, and at Fidelity Investments, he drove key advancements in personal financial wellness including charitable giving. These experiences reflect his deep commitment to building solutions that empower nonprofits and create lasting impact.
Previously, Duke served as the Worldwide Head of Product, Business Development, and Customer Experience for Lenovo Solutions and Services Group. In this role, he built and scaled the broad solution portfolio to support Lenovo’s $3 billion business. He also served as Managing Director at Fidelity Investments, where he drove key innovations in investment management, charitable giving, and other emerging areas.
Duke holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University. Duke and his family currently reside in North York, Ontario, where he also grew up. He’s thrilled to bring his global expertise home to make a lasting impact on Canada’s charitable sector.
