Atlantic Trust relocates Atlanta headquarters; announces hires in Atlanta, Chicago and West Palm Beach

ATLANTA, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Atlantic Trust, the U.S. private wealth management division of CIBC (NYSE: CM) (TSX: CM), today announced that it has relocated its headquarters office from Midtown Atlanta to the city's Buckhead neighborhood. The firm also announced the addition of three senior hires:

• Carly E. Howard, senior vice president and senior wealth strategist (Atlanta)
• Bret A. Farris, CFP®, CIMA®, senior vice president and business development officer (Chicago)
• Bradley Fincher, senior vice president and business development officer (Florida)

"We are pleased to welcome Carly, Bret and Bradley to our Atlanta, Chicago and West Palm Beach teams," said Jack S. Markwalter, Jr., chairman and CEO of Atlantic Trust. "Ultimately, our goal is to operate in all the key money centers around the United States where there is a concentration of wealth. The addition of these three talented individuals further enhances our capabilities in these key markets and allows us to provide even better service for our clients. Our mission is to be the best private wealth management firm, not the biggest. Quality is paramount."

The new headquarters office in Buckhead is located at The Forum at 3290 Northside Parkway, which provides room for growth as the firm looks to expand its presence in the Southeast region. Barry N. Berlin, CFA, and W. Scott Thompson III, managing directors and co-heads of the Atlanta office, say the firm chose the Buckhead neighborhood because of the convenience and accessibility for both clients and employees.

Carly Howard joins the Atlanta team with 10 years of industry experience. Previously, she worked in BB&T Wealth's Professional and Executive Advisory Group in Charlotte, North Carolina, providing customized wealth management services for executives and business owners with a focus on fiduciary issues related to executive compensation. Howard was also an adjunct professor at the Charleston School of Law and a practicing attorney in the areas of estate planning, wealth transfer tax and fiduciary litigation. She holds Juris Doctor and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the College of Charleston.

Bret Farris joins the Chicago office with more than 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Atlantic Trust, he was a senior client advisor at BMO Private Bank, where he served as a business development and lead relationship manager focused on client retention and new client acquisition, and led a team of subject matter experts to coordinate and execute personalized solutions for clients and prospects. Previously, Farris served as a wealth advisor for RMB Capital Management, where he worked extensively with key intermediaries in the Midwest and Southeast to expand existing client relationships and secure new client relationships for the firm. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in commerce from DePaul University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Investment Management Analyst® certifications.

Bradley Fincher represents Atlantic Trust in the firm's West Palm Beach office and has more than 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Atlantic Trust, Fincher was a vice president at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, where he provided clients guidance on various investment, wealth transfer, tax planning, and philanthropic strategies. Previously, he was a vice president at America's Mortgage Broker, where he held various executive leadership, account management and client support and service responsibilities. Fincher holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Keene State College.

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. The firm has achieved 35 straight quarters of growth—including a record $2 billion of net positive client asset inflows in 2015, coming from clients adding assets to their existing accounts and from new business. Atlantic Trust operates in 13 full-service locations throughout the U.S., with 298 employees nationwide and $26.9 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2015. 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 Capital Markets 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 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