Our Executive Committee is led by our CEO Mark St. Hill and has 12 members. View the profiles of our Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
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Mark St. Hill was appointed Chief Executive Officer of CIBC FirstCaribbean with effect from November 1, 2022.
Mark has responsibility for the operations of the bank across twelve countries in the English and Dutch Caribbean.
Mark, a career banker, previously served as Managing Director, Retail & Business Banking having been appointed to that role in May 2013. In that role he had responsibility for the development and growth of CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Retail & Business Banking operations including the Bank’s cards issuing business across its regional footprint.
He led the bank’s transformation journey to a modern digital bank offering clients access to a suite of instant loans, credit cards and other cutting-edge innovations in personal and corporate banking.
Mark also previously served as Barbados Country Manager and Managing Director of CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Barbados Operating Company.
Previous to that he was the Director, International Banking with responsibility for the leadership and development of the International Banking (Personal & Corporate) offering across the six centers in The Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Curacao and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Mark also serves as Chair of the Jamaica Operating Company –FirstCaribbean International Bank (Jamaica) Limited and FirstCaribbean International Finance Corporation (Leeward & Windward) Limited. Additionally, he is a director of FirstCaribbean International Bank (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited. He is also a Director of the FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation Limited, a registered charitable foundation which manages the Bank’s corporate giving program.
An experienced banker with over 30 years in various positions spanning Insurance Brokerage, Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Credit Risk, International Banking and Wealth Management, Mark has also held senior management positions in several countries in the Caribbean such as Grenada, British Virgin Islands and Barbados.
Mark is a Fellow of the British Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, a graduate of the FirstCaribbean Executive Leadership Program with Wharton Business School and has also completed the Masters Certificate Program in Financial Services Leadership in conjunction with Schulich School of Business and CIBC.
He is also the President of the Barbados Hockey Federation.
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Jacqui was appointed Managing Director, Bahamas Operating Company on April 1, 2021.
Jacqui is a seasoned banking professional with 30 years’ experience, of which 20 years were senior leadership roles where she successfully led teams in Change Management, Operations, Reconciliation & Investigations, Cards Operations, and Retail & Business Banking.
In her previous role as Director, Retail & Business Banking Channels, Jacqui was responsible for branch operations, people development, strategic initiatives and process improvement, risk and compliance, expense management, digital banking, and the Customer Care & Service Centers.
Jacqui holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Services from Nippissing University, a Master of Business Administration (Hons.) from the University of Leicester, a Master Certificate in Strategic Organizational Change from University of Michigan, and a Doctor of Business Administration in leadership from Walden University.
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Janine Billy MSc, MCIPD was appointed Chief Human Resource Officer – People, Culture and Brand on 1 November 2023. She brings to the Executive team almost three decades of extensive leadership experience in Financial Services, Multilateral Development Banks, Airline and Retail industries.
Prior to retuning to CIBCFCIB, Janine served as Head of Talent Acquisition at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Her responsibilities include defining and executing the global talent acquisition strategy, as well as reviewing and leading high visibility projects designed to improve the Recruitment Process of the Bank and Talent Acquisition System. In her capacity, she led targeted recruitment drives towards the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and earnest efforts to position them in roles that are meaningful. In her previous role at CIBC First Caribbean International, she held responsibility for Talent Acquisition and Development. During that period, she designed and implemented a robust Talent Management Strategy, driving key strategic initiatives to support the business in its digital transformation efforts while building a culture of learning and performance. Eighteen months into the role, the role was expanded to include responsibility for the Labor Relations and Organisation Development functions and for driving the HR strategy. She successfully supported the Director of Labor Relations through the negotiation and settlement of three outstanding contracts and the negotiation of terms of divestment with the local unions in some of the five Eastern Caribbean islands.
In her previous HR roles, Janine’s track record included her ability to effectively define and market the Employer Value Proposition, design and build organizational capacity through focused Organizational Development and Talent Management strategies, lead change efforts and drive culture and employee engagement through strong collaboration and influencing competency. In her general management roles, Janine held the role of Country Manager, American Airlines - Antigua, which she aptly led for five years. This role allowed her to hone her commercial acumen as evident in her transformation of the Antiguan operations from a loss leader into a profitable entity with an engaged and performance driven team.
Janine holds an MSC Business Psychology, University of South Wales, is a Certified Coach and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
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Khadija is a career banker with over 25 years’ experience. Since joining CIBC FirstCaribbean in March 2000 as a Customer Service Manager, she had held leadership roles in Retail Banking and Operations where she would have made significant contributions to advancing the Bank’s strategic initiatives, revenue growth, development of people and ensuring that the Bank maintained a robust compliance and risk management environment.
Her most recent role was that of Director, Operational Risk, where she led a team responsible for maintaining oversight of the Bank’s key operational risk programmes including Operational Losses, Deficiency Monitoring, Management Key Control Testing, Change Initiative Risk Assessments, Risk Profiles and management of the Bank’s Corporate Insurance.
Khadija holds an MBA from Durham University and the Chartered Banker MBA with specialization in Banking and Finance from the University of Bangor. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland (CIOBS) and a graduate of the CIBC FirstCaribbean Senior Leadership development programme facilitated in partnership with Harvard Business School.
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Mr. Brian H. Clarke took up the position of General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, based at the company's headquarters in Barbados, on June 4, 2012.
An experienced legal practitioner, Brian joined CIBC FirstCaribbean from the legal firm of Clarke, Gittens & Farmer, where he served that firm and its predecessor, Clarke & Co., for 26 years. An attorney by training, Brian completed his LLB with honours at the University of the West Indies and gained a Legal Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.
Brian is well positioned to guide the management of CIBC Caribbean on legal issues and matters of governance. He has gained an impressive array of experience in the area of Corporate Commercial Law, specialising in secured lending and the purchase & sale of Commercial & Residential Property.
He has also spent many years advising and representing large entities in the fields of telecommunications, financial services, tourism and energy services, and has developed his own expertise in the areas of Rate Making & Depreciation of Fixed Assets for Public Utilities, Private Participation in Infrastructure Development, Loan Agreements, Project Finance and Corporate Governance.
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Nigel Holness joined CIBC FirstCaribbean family, formally Bank of Commerce/ CIBC in 1988, and has enjoyed a very successful career with this institution spanning over 22 years. His prior appointment saw him spearheading and rebuilding the Jamaica Treasury, embedding new policies and governance structures that brought efficiencies and diversification to the currency balance sheets. Prior to returning to Jamaica, Nigel was part of the Regional Centralized Treasury team located in Barbados, and was responsible for managing the Soft Currency portfolios across numerous jurisdictions.
He has been exposed to a number of formal training and development programs locally and internationally, such as international cash & treasury risk management, Bourse Game (voted best SWAP trader), consultancy skills and employee relations, to name a few. His training has been complemented by valuable exposure gained through working in all major markets across the Caribbean.
Mr. Holness has acquired considerable experience on the job, which has supported and enhanced his capability to perform with excellence thus earning him the Managing Directors Award for excellence in 1993. Nigel also served on the Regional Consulting Methods and Organization Management Team responsible for branch reengineering and restructuring, an initiative led by CIBC. He considers himself a self-driven, results-oriented person, with a positive outlook, and a clear focus on high quality and business performance.
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Carl was appointed Chief Financial Officer on April 1, 2021.
Carl has over 25 years’ experience in the finance and banking sectors and immediately prior to this role served as the Bank’s Chief Auditor. He is currently responsible for financial leadership and oversight, as well as reporting, tax and financial planning for all legal entities within the Bank. He is also accountable for the Treasury Department in matters related to the composition and usage of the Bank’s balance sheet resources. Carl chairs the Group’s Asset and Liability Committee and is also a Director of FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited and FirstCaribbean International Wealth Management Bank (Barbados) Limited.
Carl joined the Bank in 1998 and during his career has held several senior roles in Finance and Strategy including Head - Strategy, Financial Planning and Analysis and Chief Accountant. He also played a key Finance role in the formation of CIBC FirstCaribbean in 2002. Carl also gained considerable knowledge of the business after taking up leadership roles in Corporate and Investment Banking between 2006 and 2013. Prior to joining CIBC FirstCaribbean, Carl worked at KPMG for several years in the audit and assurance practice.
Carl is a Canadian Certified Public Accountant and is a fellow of the local Institute of Chartered Accountants’ of Barbados. He also received executive education at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and is also a graduate of the CIBC FirstCaribbean Executive Leadership program also conducted at the Wharton School of Business.
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Mark, a career banker and dynamic leader, has a proven track record of developing high-performance teams and achieving consistent results in competitive environments.
He brings to CIBC FirstCaribbean a reputation as an excellent negotiator and problem-solver, who is experienced in the delivery of exceptional customer service in very demanding environments.
During a career spanning almost 25 years, Mark has held positions of increasing seniority across all business segments of the bank that have made him eminently qualified for his current role. His professional experience has honed his skills in Retail, Corporate and International Banking, Strategic Management, Executive Negotiation and People Management.
Mark also previously served as Corporate Secretary and Wealth Management Director for CIBC FirstCaribbean in the Cayman Islands before being headhunted by HSBC in 2007 to establish its banking presence in the Cayman Islands, where he served as both Head of Corporate Banking and Head of Business Development - Caribbean Markets in the intervening years before returning to CIBC FirstCaribbean to assume the role of Managing Director early in 2012.
Mark, an MBA graduate, has also benefitted from a number of executive development and specialized training programmes with several international academic organizations and institutions, including the Chartered Institute of Bankers in the United Kingdom, Euromoney and most recently The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he was awarded a Certificate of Professional Development and participated in the FirstCaribbean Executive Development Programme.
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Patrick McKenna, oversees risk for CIBC Caribbean and reports directly to Mark St. Hill, Chief Executive Officer, CIBC Caribbean. Prior to joining CIBC FirstCaribbean, Patrick was Senior Vice President overseeing risk for CIBC’s Wealth Management Business.
Patrick has over 25 years of banking experience in a variety of Front Office and Risk Management roles. Prior to joining CIBC, Patrick was the CRO and subsequently the Chief Oversight and Control Executive for JP Morgan Asset Management. Prior to that he held a variety of Senior Risk Management positions at Deutsche Bank including CRO for the Americas, Co-head of the Asset Reduction and Restructuring program, and Global Credit Risk Head for a variety of Business areas (including Hedge Funds, FIs, Securitization, Private Clients, and Emerging Markets). He is a past member of RMA New York Chapter Board of Governors and is a current member of the CRO Buy Side Risk Managers Forum and The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association.
Patrick graduated from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.A. in Political Science and completed the Columbia Senior Executive Program (CSEP) in 2003.
Previously, Patrick was a Board Member for the following CIBC Affiliates & Subsidiaries:
- CIBC Delaware Trust Company
- CIBC Private Wealth Group, LLC
- CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc.
- CIBC Asset Management
- CIBC Investor Services
- CIBC Securities Inc.
- CIBC Trust Company
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Esan Peters was appointed Chief Information Officer & Managing Director, Technology & Operations, also with effect from 1st February 2018.
Esan has worked in the technology and financial services industries for the past 20 years. He held a number of progressively senior roles in the offshore software development sector from 1998 to 2002, where he worked on the development of technology platforms for trading, investment and portfolio management.
Prior to joining CIBC FirstCaribbean, Esan worked with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) from 2002, supporting various CDB financial systems.
In 2004, he joined CIBC FirstCaribbean as a software developer in the Technology function to support the Treasury systems of the Bank, transitioning from Technology to Finance in 2005 as Manager, Financial Systems and later became Senior Manager, Financial Systems in 2007. In that role, he was responsible for the financial accounting, planning and reporting systems of the bank.
Esan returned to Technology in 2009 in the role of Associate Director of Applications and took on additional responsibility for the Corporate Centre Technology function, including management of the data and business intelligence functions of the Bank. In 2014, he was appointed Director of Technology Application Services with overall responsibility for leading all aspects of application delivery for the organization including design, development, testing, implementation and support of software solutions for all business segments.
In 2017, Esan was appointed Deputy Chief Information Officer & Senior Director Technology, responsible for leading the Architecture, Digital Client Experience, Data & Risk Services, Infrastructure & Application Support, and End User Technology functions for the bank. Esan is currently responsible for an annual budget of US$ 55M and the leadership of a team of 250.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics & Computer Science (with First Class honors) from the University of the West Indies (UWI)
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Anthony Seeraj was appointed Managing Director of the Trinidad Operating Company on April 15, 2015.
He has over 28 years’ experience in corporate banking and has been a key contributor to the development of the Corporate footprint and the bank's profile in Trinidad, bringing several new key relationships to the bank.
Anthony first joined the Corporate Investment Banking team in January 2008 and prior to this, worked for two large local banks as a Senior Manager with responsibility for state enterprises, regional business and energy financing.
He is responsible for structuring and arranging large deals for the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, several state enterprises and large corporations in the Caribbean, meeting the Bank’s clients’ complex financial needs and providing them with access to various innovative solutions.
He has worked on both syndicated loan and capital market transactions for large regional public and private corporations.
Prior to his appointment as Managing Director, Anthony served as Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Trinidad & Dutch Antilles.
He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) and holder of an MBA with specialization in Finance from the University of Lincoln. He also serves on the Trade and Investment Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce.
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Pim van der Burg was appointed as Chief Commercial Officer effective November 1st, 2022 and is responsible for all FCIB’s client segments – Retail and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Corporate & Investment Banking.
Prior to this appointment Pim was Managing Director Corporate & Investment Banking from December 2015.
He joined FCIB in 2006, following the acquisition of the Caribbean operations of the Dutch banking group ABN AMRO and was responsible for the integration of the acquired organization. At ABN AMRO Pim held a variety of senior international positions in the areas of Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth Management.
Pim has a master’s degree in business and civil law at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He also participated in the Strategic Management in Banking program at INSEAD and is a graduate of the FirstCaribbean Executive Education program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Donna Wellington joined FirstCaribbean International Bank in 2005, after working for Sagicor, Ernst & Young Caribbean and PricewaterhouseCoopers in Barbados. At CIBC FirstCaribbean she has progressed through various positions in the corporate finance and investment banking segments, culminating in her current position as the Managing Director - Barbados Operating Company.
In this position Donna is has responsibility for regulatory affairs and revenue generation, across all key segments of the commercial banking operations of the Barbados Operating Company in 8 countries (Barbados and 7 countries in the OECS). A seasoned corporate banker with 25 years' experience in the financial services sector, Donna also has a strong accounting background with a BSc in Accounting from the University of the West Indies and is a member of the Certified General Accountant Association of Canada (CGA).
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