Mike Sanders is Vice President and Director of North American Brand Advertising at BMO Financial Group and Director of U.S. Personal & Commercial Advertising for its U.S. division, BMO Harris Bank. In this role, Mike oversees the planning, development, execution and measurement of brand, sponsorships, retail and commercial banking advertising for the nation’s 12th largest bank. Prior to joining the bank, he was the chief employee communications officer for Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district and the city’s second largest employer, where he served on the executive leadership team, advising the CEO and CFO on communications strategy and coordinating a team of 35 specialists across the district. Mike also worked as a brand strategy lead and account director at VSA Partners, where he led the CME Group, Allstate and Archer Daniels Midland accounts. Previously, Mike worked as a merchant and strategist for retailers Target and Abercrombie & Fitch. He earned his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.