Sonia A. Baxendale

Senior Executive Vice President, CIBC and President, CIBC Retail Markets

CIBC Retail Markets provides a full range of financial products and services to almost 11 million personal, business banking and wealth management, as well as investment management services to retail and institutional clients globally. Ms. Baxendale is the Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC and President, CIBC Retail Markets. She has led the Retail business since 2005, most recently, as Senior Executive Vice President, CIBC Retail Markets.

With approximately 28,000 employees, CIBC Retail Markets has a broad distribution network serving clients through over 1050 branches, as well as CIBC Wood Gundy offices and President's Choice Financial in-store pavilions. Clients also have 24/7 access to telephone banking, online banking and online brokerage, as well as to Canada's 2nd largest ABM network.

Since joining CIBC in 1992, Ms. Baxendale has played a key role in developing strategy and direction for CIBC's Retail Markets and Wealth Management businesses and has held various leadership roles including Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC Wealth Management, Executive Vice-President, Asset Management, Card Products and Collections, and Executive Vice-President of Global Private Banking & Investment Management Services. Prior to this, she was Managing Director, CIBC Wood Gundy.

Ms. Baxendale is currently a director of CIBC Trust Co. Bahamas Ltd., CIBC Bank & Trust Co. Cayman Ltd., and INTRIA Items Inc. In addition, Ms. Baxendale is a member of the Board of the SickKids Foundation, The Hospital for Sick Children and a member of Executive Council, Canadian Bankers Association. Ms. Baxendale is also the CIBC Executive Sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure which raised nearly $30 million for breast cancer research in 2008.

Prior to joining CIBC, Ms. Baxendale held various positions with American Express Canada and Saatchi & Saatchi. She has been named one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada” for the past two years and in 2000 was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40. Ms. Baxendale is a graduate of the University of Toronto.