BMO Harris Bank appointed Erminia (Ernie) Johannson as group head, U.S. Personal and Business Banking. She succeeded Alex Dousmanis-Curtis, who was named head of sales and distribution, BMO’s Canadian Personal and Business Banking.

Based in Chicago, Johannson will lead the bank’s U.S. strategy for the personal and business banking segments, in addition to the oversight of the North American Retail and Small Business Payments and North American Fraud teams. She will also be part of the bank’s executive committee.

“Ernie’s extensive North American banking experience, combined with her diverse knowledge of personal and business banking, will be a tremendous asset to our team,” said David Casper, President and CEO, BMO Harris Bank. “I look forward to working closely with her as we focus on delivering a great customer experience.”

Most recently, Johannson served as head of North American Retail Credit and CRO of Canadian Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Johannson has been in the financial services industry for more than 20 years and spent the last six with BMO in a variety of leadership roles.