CIBC Announces Former U.S. Ambassador Gordon D. Giffin as New Board Member.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2001

CIBC has announced the appointment of former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin to the CIBC Board of Directors.

Mr. Giffin is Vice-Chairman and Managing Partner of the Washington office of the Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia based law firm, Long Aldridge & Norman. His practice is focused on international transactions and trade matters, federal and state regulatory matters, and public policy.

"We are gratified that someone of Gordon's enormous experience has agreed to join CIBC's Board of Directors," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Hunkin. "He has personally led highly complex organizations and has a very clear understanding of the business and political environment in North America. We look forward to his active participation and guidance as a member of our board."

From August of 1997 through April of 2001, Mr. Giffin served as the nineteenth United States Ambassador to Canada. As Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, he managed the American interests in the world's largest bi-lateral trading relationship in the context of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as U.S. collaboration with Canada on global issues in international fora. In addition to the Department of State complement in Canada, over nine hundred personnel from twenty-one federal departments and agencies, along with six consulates, reported to the Ambassador.

Mr. Giffin currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian National Railway Company, the Board of Counselors of Kissinger-McLarty Associates, the Board of Advisors of the Public Policy Center at Duke University, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, is Vice-Chair of International Affairs for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, is a Board Member of the Canadian-American Business Council and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Research Alliance. He served on the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from 1993-1997.

Mr. Giffin received a B.A. from Duke University in 1971 and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1974. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the State University of New York in 1998.