The award recognizes employers across Canada who are leaders in creating a workplace that welcomes new Canadians and allows them to make the most of their skills, education and talents.

The winners were selected by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers.

"At CIBC, our priority is to create a positive experience and a supportive work environment where employees of all backgrounds can excel and realize their full potential," said Gerry McCaughey, CIBC's president and CEO. "We continue to identify new opportunities to hire employees who reflect the diversity of the clients we serve and communities where we all live and work."

CIBC undertakes a broad range of activities to ensure it is able to attract newcomers. These include:

- Sponsoring and participating in a unique "speed mentoring" program in partnership with ACCES Employment Services where new Canadians meet one-on-one with employee mentors from CIBC's diversity&resourcing group, employee affinity networks, and employment equity&diversity advisory committees.

- Hiring newcomers with international credentials in finance through the ACCES Financial Services Connections program, a five-week job readiness training program designed to help new Canadians find work in the Canadian financial services industry.

- Providing career-track internships to new Canadians through the Career Bridge internship program, and hiring more than half of participants to permanent jobs at the bank. CIBC supports the success of Career Bridge interns with individual coaching, and takes special efforts to find job opportunities for them once their internship is completed.

- Working with community partners (including the YMCA, ACCES Employment, COSTI, Skills for Change, and Micro Skills, to name a few) to match the resumes of new Canadian jobseekers with available job opportunities at the bank.

- Maintaining a 'Newcomers to Canada' web portal on CIBC's careers website, with advice for new Canadian jobseekers, designing special training programs for Career Bridge interns, including lunch and learn workshops on topics such as Canadian culture, career development, and networking.

CIBC also provides newcomers with a banking plan to help them settle in Canada.

"Moving to a new country and establishing new roots can be overwhelming," said Christina Kramer, CIBC's executive vice-president of distribution services. "This is why we launched the CIBC Newcomer to Canada Plan in 2009 to smooth the transition to Canada by making banking simple with one package of products that provides straightforward choices as newcomers get established here.

"The plan includes free everyday banking for one year, simplified mortgage approval, and cash back on new safety deposit box," Kramer added.

CIBC's support for employment equity and diversity extends into the community. In 2009, CIBC donated more than $2.4 million to organizations that support women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and other diverse groups.

For further details visit www.cibc.com