Normand Côté is an executive with 38 years of banking and consulting experience in both line banking and various staff functions. His last position at BMO Financial Group (Bank of Montreal) was as head of employee relations and he had the dual challenge of protecting the legal and legislative rights of both employees and the bank across North America and abroad. He managed teams in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and Milwaukee. Normand is a certified ADR mediator and labour arbitrator and a professionally trained executive coach. He also possesses extensive experience in commercial and personal lending, staffing, training and compensation.

He played a leading role for over 20 years at the Canadian Bankers Association by representing the banking industry and all federally regulated employers at numerous parliamentary and senatorial committee hearings and at the United Nations’ International Labour Organization in Geneva acting as the Canadian employer spokesperson, delegation head and employer chair for all 180 member-states.

He currently is a board member for the Work Wellness Institute and an executive providing consulting support to executives going through a career transition or requiring executive coaching for the firm of Optimum Talent. Some of his current and past activities, include:

• Chairman of the Canadian Employers Council
• Member of the Advisory Board to the Canadian Minister of Labour
• Ministerial appointee as governor of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
• Board of Directors – Safe Communities Canada.