CIBC FirstCaribbean yesterday unveiled its rebranded regional bank, CIBC Caribbean, promising it is not just a “cosmetic change but a strategic move to position ourselves as a modern, forward-thinking institution.”
Speaking during the evening ceremony at the bank’s Barbados-based head office, Chief Executive Officer Mark St. Hill said the decision to rebrand “reflects our dedication to adapt and evolve with the needs of our clients and the dynamic landscape of the financial industry. In an era of rapid technological advancements and changing customer expectations, rebranding is not just a cosmetic change but a strategic move to position ourselves as a modern, forward-thinking institution”.
St. Hill told the audience, which included Barbados Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Amor Mottley, CIBC President and Chief Executive Officer, Victor Dodig, members of the diplomatic corps and scores of excited bank staff, that the bank is on the cusp of “a new era of growth, innovation, and service excellence through our rebranding initiative”.
“Our new brand identity is a testament to our heritage, symbolizing the values that have been the cornerstone of our success for the past 100 years. At the same time, it embraces a fresh, contemporary look that signifies our readiness to embrace the future. We want our clients to feel a renewed sense of confidence in our ability to meet their financial needs, coupled with the assurance that we remain rooted in the principles that have guided us since our inception,” St. Hill said.
Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, the featured speaker at the event, thanked CIBC’s President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Dodig for “having the confidence in this country to recommit in this way [for us] to be a serious part of the global brand of CIBC. It was so easy for you to choose anywhere else, but you chose Barbados, and you chose to recommit after some difficult years and that has not escaped us as government or a country. I’m sure it has not escaped your employees as well.”
“I believe that your commitment to the country was reflected not just this year with the rebranding but when your bank took the decision to come back into the domestic market and to purchase $100 million in BOSS bonds…that was a huge step of confidence,” Prime Minister Mottley said. She also praised the bank for thinking “outside the box” and being “innovative” as lead arranger and lender for the Barbados Blue Bond.
She thanked the bank’s employees as well noting that it was clear “there is an abundance of talent and genius and that this bank has tapped into it”.
The rebranding event commenced with a flag-raising ceremony conducted by members of the Barbados Cadet Corps whose smartly attired cadets unfurled 10 national flags which fluttered proudly in the evening breeze, representing the territories where the bank is located as well as that of parent company Canada, and the corporate flag.
The rebranding ceremony was punctuated with performances from the island’s leading entertainers RPB, the band Two Mile Hill as well as dancers and stilt walkers. The event concluded in dramatic fashion with the bank’s old corporate logo hovering in the night sky then slowly transitioning to the iconic new CIBC brand, to cheers from the hundreds of staff and specially invited guests.
The Prime Minister along with executives and staff members also placed items representing the bank’s milestones over the years as well as a letter from the youngest member of staff, into a time capsule to be opened in 50 years.
