Second consecutive award for fostering diversity and a fair and inclusive
    workplaceTORONTO, April 2 /CNW/ - For the second year in a row, CIBC (CM:
TSX;NYSE) has earned the accolade of "Best Employers for New Canadians." The
award recognizes employers across Canada who are leaders in creating a
workplace that welcomes new Canadians and allows them to make the most of
their skills, education and talents. The winners were selected by the editors
of Canada's Top 100 Employers and the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment
Council (TRIEC).
    "At CIBC, our priority is to create a positive experience and a
supportive work environment where employees of all backgrounds can excel and
realize their full potential," said Jacqueline Moss, Executive Vice-President,
Human Resources, CIBC. "We are proud that CIBC's efforts have resulted in our
meeting or exceeding workforce representation goals since 2006 for all four
groups designated under Canada's Federal Employment Equity Act: women, visible
minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities. We continue to
identify new opportunities to further strengthen our commitment to building a
workforce that reflects the clients and communities we serve."
    Christina Kramer, Executive Vice-President, Distribution Services, CIBC
Retail Markets, added, "It is important that our employees reflect the
diversity of the clients we serve and communities where we all live and work.
We launched CIBC YMCA Access to Opportunity™ last year to provide financial
literacy seminars and help newcomers to Canada get a job in financial
services. We are very pleased to have hired the majority of graduates from our
first job readiness training program for new Canadians and to be expanding the
program to Vancouver this year."
    CIBC undertakes a broad range of activities to ensure it is able to
attract newcomers. These include:-   Holding information sessions at organizations like schools and
        employment agencies to provide details of the job opportunities at
        CIBC, meet potential applicants and gather resumes that can be
        forwarded to other areas of the bank.

    -   Creating a Newcomers to Canada link on CIBC's web site where new
        immigrants can find information on careers at CIBC.

    -   Participating in a unique "speed mentoring" program where new
        Canadians meet with recruiters one-on-one in partnership with ACCES
        Employment Services.

    -   Attending job fairs targeted towards new Canadians.CIBC's support for employment equity and diversity extends into the
community. In 2008, CIBC donated more than $2 million to organizations that
support women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with
disabilities, and other diverse groups.
    CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with nearly 11
million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of
products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network,
branches and offices across Canada, in the United States and around the world.
You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press
Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.