Regional bank CIBC Caribbean has tapped seasoned financier Monique French as its newest chief risk officer, effective May 1.

She replaces retiring chief risk officer Patrick McKenna, whose tenure ends on April 30.

“I am extremely proud and pleased to welcome Monique French to her new role as our chief risk officer, effective May 1,” said CEO Mark St. Hill, noting that she was “eminently qualified for her new responsibility”.

She becomes the first Caribbean national to hold this position at CIBC Caribbean.

French has over 20 years’ experience in the finance and banking sector and is currently chief credit officer with responsibility for implementing credit policies, models and risk appetite for investment and credit portfolios, in addition to ensuring effective credit structuring, monitoring, and regulatory compliance. 

She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) with a BSc degree in accounting. She also holds an MBA with a specialisation in finance from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and is a chartered financial analyst and the vice president of the CFA Society of Jamaica.

She joined the bank in 2014, having served as senior vice president of credit risk with another Jamaican financial institution.

French leads the CIBC Caribbean Women’s Network, which provides mentorship, professional support and networking opportunities to women in leadership positions across the bank’s geographic footprint.