Senior vice president
BMO | Milwaukee
David Anderson is a senior vice president of
BMO Commercial Bank and the lead executive in Milwaukee as chair of the Wisconsin Leadership Council. Anderson is also head of the middle market and large corporate banking teams as group managing director of Wisconsin. Thirty of Anderson’s 34 years in the banking industry have been with M&I Bank and later BMO. He serves on the boards of Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce, WMC Foundation and the Greater Milwaukee Committee and on the advisory board for the commercial banking program at Marquette University.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; master’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison
What has been your/your company’s most significant success over the last 12 months?
“We continue to grow in Wisconsin in meaningful ways with a great group of people, clients and communities. We continue to support hundreds of organizations in Wisconsin, mostly outside of the cameras and press to make significant impacts in the communities we serve.”
How do you see the future of your industry?
“Essential to the economy. Banks are under such regulatory pressure today with some of the regional failures the past few years. My hope is the regulatory bodies take a little pressure off all banks to help us support local business and communities.”
If you could choose any other career path, what would you want to do?
“Fighter pilot! Had my eyesight been better I would have selected the military to fly fighter jets.”
What is one decision that you wish you didn’t make, and what did you learn from it?
“Too many to list! The secret here is not the bad decision, but understanding how to make better decisions in the future. It's easy to rationalize conclusions after the fact; far harder to learn from the past, apply what you've learned to make better decisions in the present.”
What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?
“Education, make it more accessible to everyone, improve outcomes. Wisconsin is falling behind in public education and we need to do better.”
Do you have a secret talent? Please explain.
“Grilling outdoors. Love the smell of food on a grill and the prep/process to make it. That's even more enjoyable to me than the product itself.”
If you could time travel for one day, when and where would you go?
“Good question. The secret to this question is to enjoy every moment of every day realizing your dreams should be more exciting than your memories!”
What advice would you give to someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
“Leadership is a life-long journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey, pay attention to life's learnings, apply lessons you've learned to present situations. Leadership is about others, not you. It's all about the people.”
What is your favorite Wisconsin destination?
“Door County”
What is your cocktail of choice?
“Wine”
What is your definition of success?
“Learning the ability to influence others into better versions of themselves. Growing teams to perform at high levels consistently.”
What are the most important traits to look for when hiring a new employee?
“Hungry to learn, develop, lead without the stripes. Humble, admit what you don't know and leverage others to grow. Smart (EQ versus IQ). Attitude”
What’s your favorite movie and why?
“‘It's a wonderful life’ - I grew up in a small town, my dad was a banker in a small town and the main actor in the story is one of my favorites. The impacts he made to the community were huge, but he didn't appreciate it until the end.”
Is there a historical figure you look up to? If so, why?
“Vince Lombardi. He was able take average athletes to create explosive teams to be better than they were supposed to be on paper.”
What’s your favorite part of the workday?
“The morning, it's when my head is most clear allowing me to tackle my most complex challenges of the day.”
What do you listen to on your commute, a run, etc.
“Bloomberg”
What was your first concert and what was your most recent concert?
“James Taylor, first. Billy Joel, most recent.”
If you could be an Olympian in any sport, what sport would you pick?
“Wrestling”
Is there a buzzword you never want to hear again?
“Transitory”
