CIMB Acquisition of Foreign Investment Bank

March 2012: CIMB Investment Bank has completed the proposed acquisition of several units of RBS Asia Pacific Investment Banking and Securities businesses - another major milestone for the CIMB Group

The acquisition represents a unique opportunity to instantly expand and transform CIMB investment bank into a formidable force in Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) capital markets. CIMB IB can now lay claim to being the largest Asia Pacific based investment bank. They have significantly expanded their presence in North Asia, India and Australia, (and to a lesser degree the US and UK) with new offices and operating licenses, and in the region of 350-400 staff. Their combined proforma track record places them in the top 10 of the main league tables for investment banking in Asia Pacific.

This move builds on CIMB Group's strategic vision of being the leading ASEAN franchise by significantly increasing connectivity to key markets outside the region. CIMB had already established presence or partnerships in all these markets, and the RBS acquisition has both accelerated their plans and allowed them to complete their platform in a lest costly and more certain way.

According to CEO Datuk Nazir "We owe our success to the expertise, hard work and dedication of our people and this merger will strengthen us even more. It is a potential game changer for our investment banking business, giving us scale in markets outside ASEAN and strengthening our credentials and capabilities within it. CIMB is in-housing the Asia Pacific platform of a global bank and stepping forward to compete shoulder to shoulder with ALL competitors in ALL key APAC capital markets. As professionals it opens up new possibilities in the challenges we take on, while as individuals it opens up new horizons for our career aspirations.

He added "CIMB is not only stepping forward itself, but is also placing the franchise in a superb position to facilitate other Asian companies to do the same"