A Career-Changing Odyssey Like No Otter! 🦦 How Destination Digital Transformed Two Careers at BMO 🚀

Introduction:

You wouldn’t normally think that a creative team name could rewrite the trajectory of someone’s career. But for Charles Wilkins, this was the catalyst for an unexpected career shift.

It started out as a lighthearted touch during BMO’s Destination Digital event: a quirky, pun-filled team name that was featured on the event’s Viva Engage channel. Little did Charles know that this detail would capture the attention of his director. With over 400 employees involved, across Technology & Operations, Charles’ knack for creative designs and infusing an element of fun into his work kindled something larger — a career transformation of his role within one of North America’s largest banks.

Watch this video our Onova team made recapping Destination Digital 2024 at the brand new BMO Academy building:

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From Team-Building to Transformation: Charles' Journey 5 Months Later

Reflecting on his journey since the event 5 months ago, Charles shares how a fun, culture-building team exercise grew into a career-defining moment.

1. Charles, you mentioned things at BMO have been "turned upside-down" since Destination Digital. Can you tell us more about how your role has changed and what that transformation has been like for you?

“‘Turned upside-down’ really captures it,” Charles reflected. “Less than a year ago, I was in a mostly operations-focused role. Since then, my day-to-day has shifted toward a blend of tasks, thanks to my manager and the experience I took away from DD24. Now, I’m balancing traditional project work with more creative and communication-focused projects. It’s been a wild ride, and it all stemmed from a moment of creativity from the hackathon.”

2. Your boss saw the otter and communication tools you created for DD24. How has that reshaped your day-to-day work?

“It reshaped it in ways I never saw coming,” Charles shared. “A large portion of my work now involves communications and graphics, areas I never thought I’d explore professionally. It’s like discovering an entirely new facet of myself — one that I’m still getting used to.”

3. Now that you’re splitting your time between working on a virtual agent and doing creative work, how do you balance these two very different roles?

“It’s honestly a juggling act, and some days it’s…frantic,” he noted. “Balancing these roles is something I’m still learning. Switching gears on the fly has become second nature, especially when I have to jump from project work to creative brainstorming.”‍

4. You mentioned that Destination Digital "completely altered" your career path. How has this switch impacted your outlook?

Reflecting on the journey, Charles added, “Credit goes to my director, Alice. She looked at what DD24 brought out in me and opened the door to this new journey. My whole outlook has changed — I thought I had a clear direction a year ago, but now I see endless possibilities.”

“Destination Digital truly has broadened my horizons a great deal and helped me find a better way of looking at my career direction. I can steer my career in completely different directions and now actually have the options open to do just that!”

5. For those considering participating in hackathons like Destination Digital, what advice would you give?

“Just do it! Don’t make excuses as to why you shouldn’t sign up. Take the leap of faith and see where it takes you. This isn’t just for hackathons, it’s for everything in life and in work. If there’s something you see that you want to do or try, throw your hat in the ring and go for it. You’ll never know where it might take you!”

Kaitlyn's Transformation: Confidence, Skills, and a New Perspective

Charles wasn’t the only one whose professional outlook had been reshaped. Kaitlyn Pritchard, a Senior Technology Experience Analyst, shared her own transformation — a story of renewed confidence, broadened skills, and a redefined approach toward problem-solving.

1. Looking back at Destination Digital, what stands out to you as the most significant change in your approach to problem-solving at BMO?

“Not being afraid to express my opinion” Kaitlyn reflected. “I was too intimidated to participate in Destination Digital the last time it was at BMO because I didn’t have a technical or coding background. By taking the plunge and participating this year, I realized that different types of skillsets are required to solve a ‘technical’ problem.”

“Everyone sees the problem from a different angle and can make meaningful contributions to the overall solution. That is something I’m bringing to my day-to-day work now.”

2. How did collaborating with colleagues from different departments and areas impact your experience and understanding of cross-functional innovation at BMO?

“I loved collaborating with team members from different areas! It was so interesting to connect with people from other departments and learn about their backgrounds and the type of work they did.”

“Even though we were all under the same Line of Business, I had no idea that some of these different roles existed and what they did. It was great making these connections and having people that we can reach out to for help in the future”.

3. Did Destination Digital equip you with new skills or insights for your current role?

“Absolutely. I picked up a lot from Onova’s UI/UX fundamentals and Pitch Like a Pro workshop. I’m constantly applying these insights in my day-to-day work, especially as we create, present and market training materials. Those insights and tips that I picked up from the workshops have really been invaluable.”

4. How has your personal and professional outlook shifted since Destination Digital?

“Seeing my contributions take shape in real-time was huge for my confidence” Kaitlyn shared. “It made me realize that I have something to contribute”.

“The experience also reinforced the importance of collaboration. That amazing results can’t be produced in silos, and that teamwork is always the better approach. This is a mindset that I’ll carry with me moving forward in all the projects I’m involved in”.

5. Finally, what would you say to others who are hesitant about joining a hackathon/innovation sprint?

“It’s scary to take the plunge, but at the end of the day, it’s not life or death. It’s not possible for anything bad to actually happen to you!”

“You’re going to learn, you’re going to network, you’re going to grow and you’re going to have fun — even if your team doesn’t win! Only positive things will come out of participating.”

Through Charles and Kaitlyn’s experiences, we see the ripple effects of events like Destination Digital — which offer a platform for creativity, collaboration, community and a willingness to embrace change.

At Onova, we believe that every “Innovator” and hackathon participant has the chance to discover and develop their creative gifts. And, like Charles, you never know how a seemingly small moment (such as a team-building activity) could transform your day-to-day work and alter your overall career!