BMO ETFs Welcomes Back a Familiar Force: Alain Desbiens Returns as Vice Chair

by AdvisorAnalyst.com

Sometimes, in finance, a familiar face stepping back into the spotlight can shift the whole conversation.

Today, BMO Global Asset Management made waves by announcing that Alain Desbiens—one of Canada’s most recognized voices in ETF education—is coming back. His title: Vice Chair of BMO ETFs. His mission: tailor-made for his skills, built from the ground up, and far more than a ceremonial comeback.

This isn’t a reshuffle or a promotion—it’s the creation of a platform. The new Vice Chair role places Desbiens in front of the audiences that matter most: financial advisors, institutional desks, and everyday investors. Quebec will be his home base, but his influence will travel coast-to-coast.

Think of him as BMO ETFs’ lead translator—taking complex product design, risk strategies, and market dynamics, and turning them into something both actionable and understandable. He’ll do it on stage, in interviews, on social media—switching effortlessly between French and English, data and narrative, advisor and investor.

From Pause to Purpose

Desbiens ended a sabbatical to take this on. In the months he was away, the industry kept his name in circulation—not as nostalgia, but as shorthand for a certain kind of ETF advocacy: grounded in facts, generous with education, and willing to go deep into the weeds if that’s what it took to make the case.

Now, his mission extends beyond ETFs to include Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs), a BMO-led push to make global equity exposure more accessible to Canadian investors. His return feels less like a career move and more like a recommitment to a cause.

"I am thrilled to return to the BMO ETF and BMO Global Asset Management team to work with the advisors, portfolio managers, investors, and participants of the financial sector. This new challenge of being an ambassador for BMO ETF is very exciting...," writes Desbiens on Linkedin. "I will be able to continue my work and discussions with you on the challenges and opportunities in the ETF & CDRs sector. We will also be able to explore together the innovations and the robust toolkit of BMO Global Asset Management in portfolio construction... Looking forward to seeing you all very soon."

Why This Moment Matters

Scroll through the congratulatory posts, and you’ll see a pattern: advisors, industry peers, and even competitors are genuinely excited. That reaction says something about the man, but it also says something about timing.

Canadian ETF adoption is in a growth phase. Competition is fierce. And yet, investor education still has room to run. In this environment, BMO’s move reads like an astute, strategic bet—that a trusted voice with a proven ability to cut through noise can accelerate both understanding and adoption.

Desbiens has never treated ETFs as just tickers on a screen. In his view, they’re instruments of investor empowerment—flexible tools that, when understood and applied well, can reshape portfolios for the better.

That’s what makes his return feel consequential. He’s not just talking about BMO’s lineup; he’s making the broader case for ETFs, for accessibility, and for the power of choice in portfolio construction.

The easy headline is that Alain Desbiens is back at BMO ETFs.

The real story is that he’s stepping into a role designed for impact—one that marries his personal strengths with the firm’s strategic ambitions.

If history is any guide, his presence won’t just raise BMO’s profile; it could also push the entire ETF conversation in Canada into new territory. And in a business where trust and clarity are currency, that might be the most valuable move of all.

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