Atlantic Trust opens Florida office

New West Palm Beach office serves high-net-worth clients throughout Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Atlantic Trust, the U.S. private wealth management division of CIBC (NYSE: CM) (TSX: CM), today announced it has expanded into Florida with the opening of an office in West Palm Beach.

"We are very pleased to announce the opening of our office in Florida, one of the most important wealth markets in the U.S.," said Jack Markwalter, chairman and CEO for Atlanta-based Atlantic Trust. "This strategic move is part of our ongoing plan to expand our business into key wealth markets throughout the nation while continuing to deliver the high-quality customized service that our clients expect and appreciate."

Managing Director Brent Fykes, CFA, CFP® serves as head of the Florida office. Fykes has almost two decades of experience working with affluent and high net worth clients, managing their wealth and providing services in investment management, retirement and estate planning. Worth magazine named him among the nation's Top 100 Wealth Advisors for five consecutive years.

"We are excited to be building upon the great foundation and brand of Atlantic Trust in Florida," says Eric B. Propper, CFA, Atlantic Trust President.

"The state's growing wealth market presents tremendous opportunities for us to demonstrate our differentiated and distinct wealth management platform. We believe our physical presence here will help establish Atlantic Trust's position as the preeminent, go-to wealth management firm in the state," said Fykes.

Atlantic Trust's expansion to Florida is reflective of robust growth firm-wide: As of Dec. 31, 2014, Atlantic Trust had $26.2 billion in assets under management (AUM), marking 31 consecutive quarters of positive cash flows. The firm has also hired 11 professionals fiscal year-to-date, including four at the vice president level or above in San Francisco, Boston, Denver, Chicago and Wilmington, Delaware.

This year, Atlantic Trust has been named the Best Multi-Family Office (National) at the Family Wealth Report Awards and was recognized for investment excellence by Private Asset Management (PAM), a leading financial services trade publication, for the fourth consecutive year. Atlantic Trust has been named among Barron's "Top Wealth Managers" since 2006 and among Bloomberg Markets' "Top Family Offices" since the list was first published in 2011. The firm last year received the second-highest luxury brand ranking among 39 wealth management firms in the U.S., according to a survey of investors with an average net worth of $15 million and an annual average income of $800,000 by the Luxury Institute, a New York-based research firm.

About Atlantic Trust

Atlantic Trust is one of the nation's leading private wealth management firms, offering integrated wealth management for high-net-worth individuals, families, foundations and endowments. The firm considers clients' financial, trust, estate planning and philanthropic needs in developing customized asset allocation and investment management strategies. Experienced professionals deliver a broad range of solutions, including proprietary investment offerings and a robust open architecture platform of traditional and alternative managers. Atlantic Trust operates in 13 full-service locations throughout the U.S. with $26.2 billion in assets under management (as of Dec. 31, 2014). For more information, visit www.atlantictrust.com.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading Canadian-based global financial institution. Through our Retail and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Wholesale Banking businesses, CIBC provides a full range of financial products to individual, small business, commercial, corporate and institutional clients in Canada and around the world. CIBC owns a 41 percent equity interest in American Century Investments®, a major U.S. asset management company, serving financial intermediaries, institutions and individuals, and acquired Atlantic Trust, a premier U.S. private wealth management firm, in January 2014. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Media Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.

SOURCE Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management