Who We Are

John Michael Durrant specializes in helping high-net-worth individuals and families integrate insurance solutions into their broader wealth management plans. With more than 20 years of experience, he works with clients to structure insurance as both a risk management tool and a unique asset class, supporting wealth preservation, tax efficiency, philanthropic objectives, and legacy planning.

Working closely with our team, specialists across BMO Wealth Management, and clients' trusted tax and legal advisors, John Michael develops tax-efficient insurance strategies using personal and corporate assets. He helps clients understand the unique role insurance can play within a comprehensive wealth plan and how it can complement and enhance their overall financial strategy.

John Michael is committed to helping clients make informed decisions by providing clear, customized solutions that align with their goals and priorities. Through a collaborative approach, he helps create wealth planning strategies that provide confidence, flexibility, and peace of mind for the future.

Outside of work, John Michael enjoys spending time with his family at the cottage, on the ski slopes, and at countless hockey rinks.

Jim works closely with BMO Wealth Management advisors and their clients, bringing together the expertise of our in-house tax and estate planning professionals to develop comprehensive wealth management strategies. He provides guidance on complex planning needs, including retirement planning, tax-efficient wealth transfer, cash management, estate and gift planning, business succession, transition planning, and philanthropy.

With more than 30 years of experience in the wealth management industry, Jim has served as a financial planner, Director of Financial Planning at a leading wealth management firm, and part-time professor specializing in financial planning education. He has taught at both Seneca College and the Canadian Securities Institute and has presented numerous seminars on tax and estate planning topics.

Taking a holistic approach to wealth planning, Jim collaborates with colleagues across BMO Wealth Management to help clients define and achieve their financial goals. By bringing together specialized expertise and a multidimensional perspective, he helps deliver customized planning solutions that complement the advice of clients’ other professional advisors. As a member of the Enterprise Wealth Planning team, Jim’s focus is on empowering clients with proactive, coordinated strategies designed to address complex financial situations and support their long-term objectives

John is an experienced business advisor and brings a broad base of technical and business planning experience to BMO Wealth Management. John offers individuals and business owners expertise in business succession, transition, sale, M&A, insurance and valuations for the purposes of wealth planning and transfer.

John has over 15 years of experience primarily in the Big 4 professional services firms, as well as experience in a family owned private business. Within professional practice, John has lead a significant number of complex business valuations and business advisory engagements for private and public companies involved in a variety of industries in connection with M&A, corporate reorganizations & income tax planning, shareholder disputes, corporate finance activities, as well as succession, tax & estate planning for private business owners.