First Caribbean Bank Launches New Identity And Services

Investors Offshore, London

30 January 2003

FirstCaribbean International Bank formed from the combination of the Caribbean operations of CIBC West Indies Holdings Limited and Barclays Bank PLC,
yesterday introduced its new visual appearance and customer service model to customers in Grenada at an official ceremony at its main branch in St. Georges, and at customer appreciation days at its other branches across the country.

The main branch event was hosted by Charles Pink, Chief Executive Officer of FirstCaribbean, and Patrick Thomas, the bank's country manager for Grenada, and featured remarks by The Hon Anthony Boatswain, Minister of Finance and Sharon Brown, FirstCaribbean's Executive Director of Corporate Banking.

"Financial services in the Caribbean entered a new era in October 2002 with the establishment of FirstCaribbean International Bank," said Pink at the ceremony. "And this morning, the blue and gold diamond of FirstCaribbean rises for the first time in Grenada to take its place of prominence in this country's business community."

This event in Grenada - the first of 15 such events in countries across the region - celebrates a number of significant changes to FirstCaribbean's operations in the country. In addition to the visual changes from the old Barclays signage and staff uniforms to the new FirstCaribbean signage and uniforms, other customer-focused changes have also been implemented.

FirstCaribbean has adopted a focused customer service approach in which customers will receive specific sales and service support depending on their unique banking requirements.

The bank has introduced four key lines of business across the region to serve distinct customer groups. Retail Banking will serve personal customers with a complete suite of savings, borrowing and investment products, while Corporate Banking will offer unique products and services to small and medium businesses and commercial clients. Additionally, the International Banking segment and the Large Corporate and Capital Markets segment will serve the unique needs of their distinct customers groups.

"Through the alignment of our customer services we will be able to offer the best possible services and products to each customer depending on their unique needs," continued Pink. "Every customer has different needs depending on their specific personal or business situation and FirstCaribbean's new approach to service and products understands and meets these needs, one customer at a time."

Coinciding with today's launch, all FirstCaribbean employees in Grenada are completing a comprehensive customer service-training programme designed to upgrade their service delivery skills.

Grenada is the first country in FirstCaribbean's network to undergo the re-branding changes as part of the bank's two-year long integration programme. Later this year, further technology changes including the installation of a common bank-wide computer network and the introduction of a new and updated suite of products, will also occur in Grenada.

Over time, FirstCaribbean will focus on delivering a wider range of services through more banking channels, including telephone banking and Internet banking.

"By the middle of 2004 the integration of our two founding banks will be complete," concluded Brown. "At that time FirstCaribbean will offer a unique and comprehensive product suite, using one technology platform to best serve all our customers - personal, corporate and international - from Belize to Barbados to The Bahamas."

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