Pyrford International was formed in 1991 following the purchase of Elders Investment Management (EIM) from the Australian-based Elders IXL Ltd. EIM was managed by Bruce Campbell who founded the company in London in 1987 following his relocation from the Elders Group in Melbourne, Australia.
Bruce headed the buy-out of EIM in 1991 in partnership with Euro Equity Holdings SA - a European investment company.
In October 2001, approximately 20% of Pyrford's equity was acquired by Strategic Investment Group Ventures LLC, a partnership between the Strategic Investment Group of Arlington, Virginia and the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
In December 2007, Bank of Montreal Capital Markets (Holdings) Limited, a company within the BMO Financial Group (being Bank of Montreal and its subsidiaries), acquired 100% of the share capital of Pyrford International.