CHICAGO, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris District Executives Julie Curran and Daniela O'Leary-Gill were today named among The Business Ledger's 22 Influential Women in Business for 2009.

"On behalf of everyone at Harris, congratulations to Julie and Daniela on this outstanding and well-deserved honor," said Chris McComish, executive vice president of Retail Banking for Harris. "The award is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and leadership, and we can't wait to celebrate this achievement with them."

The Business Ledger's Influential Women in Business awards were created to identify and recognize women who not only have succeeded in their careers, but also exerted influence in the community at large; and to draw attention to the unique challenges that women still face in the upper echelons of the business and professional worlds.

The 12th annual "class" of honorees will be recognized during a Nov. 12 awards luncheon co-hosted by the Chicago Area Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and profiled in an upcoming edition of The Business Ledger.

About NAWBO

NAWBO was founded in Washington D.C. in 1974 by a group of businesswomen who met regularly to discuss mutual experiences, exchange information and develop business skills. They began recruiting other members in 1976 and the first chapters were formed in 1978. The Chicago Area Chapter is among the largest of NAWBO's more than 90 chapters in the U.S. The Chapter's more than 600 members represent businesses in all major industrial, service and retail sectors. Formed in 1978, the Chicago Area Chapter provides women business owners with leadership, education, procurement and networking opportunities, with the goal of propelling women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power.

About The Business Ledger

The Business Ledger publication is a primary source of local business news and information in suburban Chicago. The Ledger is a bi-weekly publication with a subscriber base of over 28,000. For more information about The Business Ledger, visit www.thebusinessledger.com, or call 630-428-8788.

About Harris

Harris is an integrated financial service organization providing more than 1.2 million personal, business and corporate clients with banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions. The organization is a member of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), which also provides corporate and investment banking services in the U.S. under the BMO Capital Markets name.

Harris® is a trade name used by various financial service subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Banking products and services are provided by Harris N.A., The Harris Bank, N.A. and their bank affiliates, Members FDIC. Brokerage products are offered through Harris Investor Services, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment adviser. Insurance and annuities are offered through Harris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). Investment banking services are provided by BMO Capital Markets Corp. (BMOCM), a registered broker dealer and member NYSE, FINRA and SIPC. HIS, HBIS and BMOCM are affiliated companies and are wholly owned subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Products offered by HIS, HBIS and BMOCM are Not Insured by the FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by Any Bank or Bank Affiliate, May Lose Value. The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition to any bank loan or service. Financial planning and investment advisory services are provided by Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser. Family Office Services are provided by Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser and wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services to institutional clients are provided by Harris Investment Management (HIM), a SEC-registered investment adviser. Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.

SOURCE Harris