Message from the President and Chief Executive Officer
Guided by our values, culture and strategy, we are committed to manage our environmental impact responsibly and address important social issues while maintaining the trust of our stakeholders with the highest standards of governance, ethics and integrity. In 2022, we engaged our stakeholders to help us prioritize our most important environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and deepen our understanding on where we can create the most value. Small- and medium-sized business owners are the heart of the Canadian economy and our core focus as the best full-service bank for business owners and their families. We are obsessed with the success of our clients and provide them with an unrivaled client experience by pairing enhanced digital tools with the personalized and differentiated service we are known for. In 2022, we initiated the roll-out of our new, scalable small business digital banking offering, which we believe will fill a gap in Canada’s financial services industry. Through our digital transformation, we continue to strengthen our cybersecurity and data privacy practices to manage evolving threats and maintain the trust our clients. The delivery of an unrivaled client experience is supported by our talented teams and collaborative culture. CWB is a destination for top talent with an environment where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging and has equitable opportunity to succeed. In a highly competitive talent market, we are recruiting and retaining the right people with a continuous focus on learning and development, mentorship and coaching, and career advancement opportunities. We continue to navigate the evolution of remote and hybrid work arrangements, while also recognizing the importance of human connection to sustain our culture. As a result of our unwavering commitment to our People First value, in 2022 we were recognized by Great Place to Work Canada ® as one of the top 20 Best Workplaces TM in Canada and one of the Best Workplaces TM for Hybrid Work. We recognize that we have a part to play in Canada’s transition to net-zero emissions. Our developing approach to climate change begins with a focus to ensure that our operations are managed responsibly to reduce our direct impact on the environment. We are committed to help our clients achieve their sustainability goals as we work collaboratively to support
the transition to a lower carbon economy. As we move forward, our climate strategy will strike a balance between the urgency to act and the need to develop a credible approach that supports our long-term strategy. Sustainable growth is our path forward. The steps we have taken through 2022 are foundational to the further development of our approach to sustainability, including a focus to address the impacts of climate change, that will drive positive change in our communities and create value for our clients, our people and our shareholders. We will continue to build on our existing sustainable practices, focus on priority topics that present new or evolving opportunities or challenges, and provide transparent disclosures as we progress with purpose.
Chris Fowler, President and CEO CWB Financial Group
4 2022 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENT
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