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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 17, 2011) -BMO Capital Markets today announced the BMO Women in Capital Markets Return to Bay Street Award. As part of BMO's Equity Through Education program, this award is designed to help women in Toronto who wish to re-launch their careers and transition back to Bay Street.

The award funds a program to enhance professional women's skills and experience, by providing:

• a paid, three-month internship with BMO Capital Markets,
• $5,000 towards an executive development or continuing education program, and
• enrolment in Women in Capital Markets (WCM) mentor program and a one-year WCM membership.

"BMO Financial Group's long-standing commitment to sustaining an equitable and supportive workplace is fundamental to the company's values and culture. As a sponsor of this award, BMO Capital Markets recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion. Promoting the entry, advancement and development of women in the capital markets industry not only aligns with our enterprise-wide principles, but it is also an important component of our firm's business strategy," said Tom Milroy, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Capital Markets.

"Retention of women is commonly considered one of the top goals for firms interested in tackling the issue of diversity," said Martha Fell, CEO of Women in Capital Markets. "And, while there are many reasons why women opt out, the greatest untapped resource for talent out there is perhaps those who might be interested in opting back in. This BMO sponsored program will serve as an important component to the campaign for women to 'Return to Bay Street'."

Eligible candidates are:

• Women in the process of returning to the workforce who have a minimum of three years of professional experience in the capital market industry, specifically in investment banking or sales/trading, and
• Women who have taken a career hiatus for two years or longer and are completing or have completed an executive development or continuing education program within the last 12 months, and are available to complete a full-time, three-month internship at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.

The application process will begin in May of this year. Further details of the application process can be found at [ http://www.bmocm.com/equitythrougheducation/returntobaystreet/ ].

Women in Capital Markets is a non-profit organization that aims to support and advance female leaders in business, foster accountability for diversity in the industry, and recognize leaders who have contributed significantly to the advancement of women in the capital markets. Through innovative programming, WCM offers its members diverse and creative opportunities for networking, career growth and personal development, and mentoring and coaching of both students and professionals. WCM is generously sponsored by seven corporate champions: BMO Financial Group, CIBC, ITG, KPMG, RBC Capital Markets, Scotia Capital, TD Securities and UBS. More information is available at [ www.wcm.ca ].

About BMO Capital Markets' Equity Through Education

Equity Through Education is a charitable initiative aimed at creating a more diverse workplace by offering support to help people realize their educational ambitions by giving them opportunities they might not otherwise have.

Each year the equivalent of one day's worth of North American institutional equity trading commissions are donated to organizations dedicated to the education of bright and deserving individuals.

To date, Equity Through Education has raised CAD$9.6 million (US$9 million). This translates into assistance to over 2,000 students through scholarships, bursaries and job search strategy forums.