2012 Regional Holidays

Nassau, Bahamas. August 3, 2012. The Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has praised CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank for its investment in the new branch facilities at Carmichael Road.

A long-standing customer of the bank, Prime Minister Christie said, “In making the decision to locate in that part of New Providence known as City 2000, the bank has joined other banks in coming with a new level of customer service. We are very encouraged as we are working very hard to create the kind of environment and culture for institutions like CIBC FirstCaribbean to prosper.  I am optimistic by the level of confidence the chain of banks has placed in the Bahamian economy.”

Approximately 125 special guests and employees attended the opening ceremony, including Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Philip Davis; Managing Director, Marie Rodland-Allen; Managing Director, Customer Relationship Management & Strategy, Trevor Torzsas, senior bank managers, and other senior officials and partners of the bank.

Mrs. Rodland-Allen said, “The importance of the Carmichael Road area to the Bahamas made it an easy decision for us to develop this facility when we were planning where in the Bahamas we should roll out this new branch banking model.  Situated in the heart of Carmichael, this new branch caters to retail and small business customers and is a testament to our belief that Carmichael is probably the fastest growing community on anyone of our islands.”

“This branch is one small step in the delivery of our promise to our clients to offer the kind of products and services that will help them achieve what matters to them.  It is also a testament of the confidence placed in us by CIBC, which has remained firm since it acquired a majority shareholding in CIBC FirstCaribbean in 2006.

“In fact, CIBC has recently been named the strongest bank in North America and the fourth strongest bank in the world by Bloomberg magazine.  So it is fair to say that they know a thing or two about banking.  Add to that, CIBC co-branded with FirstCaribbean in June 2011, to form CIBC FirstCaribbean, a clear demonstration of the level of confidence and strong support that they have placed in us; increasing our strength and ability to access knowledge, experience, and new products and services.”

Mrs. Rodland-Allen added that the new Carmichael Road branch “provided CIBC FirstCaribbean with a unique competitive advantage”, She added, “In addition to the state-of-the-art banking tools, the team at Carmichael Road will be placing significant emphasis on delivering superior customer service.”

These sentiments were echoed by Managing Director, Customer Relationship Management and Strategy, Trevor Torzsas.  Mr. Torzsas also explained that his department which consolidates the bank’s Strategy, Product Management, Marketing, Communications and the Customer Engagement units, is partnering with clients and employees to enhance their experience with CIBC FirstCaribbean.

“Each day we strive to make our bank better for our clients, our employees and our shareholders.  While this branch at Carmichael is a first for the Bahamas, it is part of our service expansion plan. We recently opened a new branch in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia; a Wealth Management office in our Financial Services Centre in Trinidad and our Sunset Crest branch in Barbados has been totally refurbished.

There are also concrete plans to open a new branch at Orange Walk Town, 35 miles away from the capital in Belize; refurbishment plans for the Old Parham Road branch in St. John’s, the capital of Antigua, and a mini branch at a new housing development at Coverley in Barbados, all within a few short months.

Mr. Torzsas reminded customers that their feedback is important as the bank is focused on enhancing service.  His team will continue to visit branches and service sites around the region, and incorporate as much staff feedback as possible to build the bank’s strategy, develop its products and drive its sales as CIBC FirstCaribbean focuses on delivering on the things that matter to one of its key stakeholders - its clients - to help them achieve what matters to them.