Mr. Trevor Torzsas, Regional Managing Director, Customer Relationship, Management, and Strategy for CIBC FirstCaribbean, has again been in Anguilla recently. Several days ago he held a press conference with various media representatives about his visits and the operations of the bank in the region including Anguilla.
“I regularly visit all the different locations of CIBC FirstCaribbean in the seventeen countries and territories we operate in, and this is the third time that I am in Anguilla this year,” stated Mr. Torzsas who is based in Nassau, Bahamas. “It is important for me, as an executive of the bank, to understand all the markets that we operate in; how they are different; how they are unique; and what we can offer to our clients. It is important to us to be a client centric bank. What that means is to be out there talking to the clients of the bank, and understanding what the future holds in financial services that will help them to meet their financial goals and targets and operate their businesses in the different markets.”
Mr. Torzsas continued: “Our new tag line, which is more than a tag line, is the way that we operate as a bank. It is called “banking that fits your life”. What that means is that we have to understand our clients in the different segments – whether it is the small business, a big corporate client; a retail client; or a platinum banking client. We have to understand who they are; what they need; and how can we make banking better fit their life. Often people would think that means doing everything electronically. That’s not the case. We want people to bank anywhere, anytime and to come into our branch. Here in Anguilla we recently renovated and gave our branch a bit of a facelift. It is an important part of our banking operation. We would like the banking hall to be more of a relationship place. When people come in – whether it is for business or their personal banking – they are here to talk to an adviser so that we can understand how we can help them. This is whether it is for a business loan; cash management services; a simple credit card; internet or mobile banking; saving for their retirement; or saving for a home they want to purchase. It is talking to the individual, spending time with the client and understanding who they are. That is what a banking hall is for. There are certain transactions you need to be in a bank for, but a lot of them you can do from the comfort of your mobile device from your own home or by simply contacting our call centre.”
The CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank official said that the bank launched a new mobile app some months ago as part of its improved banking services. “You can bank anywhere and anytime,” he stressed, “through a smart phone app, internet banking at your home computer or work computer; by calling in to our 24/7 call centre; or coming into our branch.”
Mr. Trozsas commented on the bank’s outreach in the community as follows: “We have done what we call ‘bank at work exercises’ where, for a lot of our corporate clients, we have gone right to their premises. It is a smaller team in Anguilla so we have to do it selectively but we do go out to our clients. We are in our platinum bankers’ and business bankers’ offices all the time. I think that you will see us more active at [community] events. It is important for us to have that presence and you will see that increasing in the future.
“Our bank has what we call a Comtrust Foundation that donates to the communities we operate in each year. There are several [events] in Anguilla that we have supported overtime. One of the biggest donations, at least in the last four years, has been to the local cancer societies. We have established a ‘walk for the cure’ and we walk in seventeen countries and territories in the Caribbean, and this is quite exciting. Last year, between all seventeen branches, we had twenty thousand walkers out. It is usually the first weekend in October and it is a great event. Anyone who has not participated, we encourage you to come out with us. It is growing and so far we have raised, over the years, an accumulative total of more than a million US dollars. That is used towards our local cancer agencies in the different countries primarily in the areas of detection and care. We have made a difference in the lives of a lot of people and it is important for the bank that we continue to do that. It is one of the cornerstone events we hold each year.”
Speaking about his bank’s relationship with other banks, Mr. Trozsas said: “We work with all the banks in the countries and territories that we are in – and the ones that have an automated clearing house it is very easy because it is a way for us to interact with each other very smoothly. When it comes to other countries that don’t, it is just a one-to-one relationship with the banks. We have a corresponding relationship with a US bank because many of our clients need to do transactions in US dollars. We are working with that bank closely and the relationship is going very well.” He added: “We try to work with the other banks. They are our competitors but we want our clients, and the other clients, still to have a smooth experience when it comes to dealing with our bank. So we are doing our best to work with the other banks.”
