CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank has a new CEO. Monday, September 12 was the first official day on the job for the company’s new leader, Douglas “Rik” Parkhill. Mr. Parkhill took over the running of the region’s pre-eminent financial services institution from John Orr, who has returned to CIBC in Toronto.

Michael Mansoor, Chairman of FirstCaribbean International Bank, first announced Mr. Parkhill’s appointment in May this year. Mr. Parkhill joins CIBC FirstCaribbean from its parent company, CIBC, where, in his most recent assignment, he was the Managing Director and Global Head of CIBC’s Capital Markets Sales and Cash Equities in that company’s Wholesale Banking unit, based in Toronto.

Rik Parkhill has more than 20 years of experience in the global financial services industry, serving clients in Canada and around the world.  Before joining CIBC in 2008, he was co-CEO of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Michael Mansoor described Mr. Parkhill as “a seasoned financial services executive – known as a skilled leader and for having a strong employee and client focus”. Mansoor added: “He has the right combination of leadership and industry experience to lead our bank at the current stage of our company’s development and in the present economic environment.”

He also described Mr. Parkhill as someone with the correct combination of “global financial services experience and leadership capabilities to make him an ideal successor for the CEO position at CIBC FirstCaribbean.”

Mr. Parkhill notes that he is eager to get to know the region and immerse himself in the culture of doing business in the Caribbean. He lists as among his priorities visiting as many of the bank’s clients, partners and employees as he can in the coming weeks.

Mr. Parkhill is based at the company’s headquarters in Barbados.