The outgoing Chairman, Emanuel Alexiou said Mr. Hilts’ appointment is in keeping with the corporate governance guidelines that CHBL recently commissioned and adopted.
Mr. Alexiou noted that Mr. Hilts’ appointment is yet another step the publicly-held company is taking in order to raise the bar of governance within the industry with ColinaImperial Insurance Ltd. – one of the largest insurance providers in the country – being a leader in this regard.
“After several successful mergers, we are maintaining our focus on unifying the systems, service delivery methods and corporate guidelines,” said Mr. Alexiou. “The Board unanimously voted to appoint Mr. Hilts as Chairman and we are certain that all of our policyholders, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders will benefit from his guidance and from the experience and insight that he brings to his new role.”
Restating his commitment to play an active role in positioning ColinaImperial as the leader among financial service providers, Mr. Hilts said he will continue to leverage the strengths of all CHBL Board members as well as the committed and dedicated employees of ColinaImperial.
“If I were to condense our philosophy into the most essential element, I would say that ColinaImperial is determined to provide real value to all of our customers and shareholders by consistently outperforming our competitors,” said Mr. Hilts.
“This is a challenge that excites everyone involved at this juncture in ColinaImperial’s history. Our employees at all levels are going to play an active role in shaping the
future of ColinaImperial in terms of creating innovative products, services and standards that we are confident will truly enhance the lives of our policy owners and make the task of insurance and financial planning not just rewarding but also enjoyable.”
Mr. Hilts first came to The Bahamas in 1964 as an employee of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and during his 40 year tenure rose to the top of that organization while making significant contributions to the development of the banking sector in The Bahamas.
In 2004, Mr. Hilts joined the Board of Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited. Earlier that year, he retired from CIBC/FCIB after some 40 years of dedicated service to that institution.
Mr. Hilts’ career development echoed that of his bank, as he moved from Branch Manager to eventually become a Director of FCIB and Chairman of the Board of Directors of FCIB Finance Company (Bahamas) Limited, a position he still holds.
Widely credited with leading and directing CIBC (Bahamas) Ltd.’s successful Initial Public Offering, Mr. Hilts has held office in many local professional bodies such as the Clearing Banks Association, the Bahamas Security Market Task Force, The Bahamas Institute of Bankers, and the Bahamas Financial Services Strategic Task Force.
Mr. Hilts has also played an active role in the life of his community over the years, and in 1993 was awarded with the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow designation by the Rotary Club of East Nassau while serving as President of the club that year.
He is an Honorary Life Member of the Bahamas Red Cross Society, and from 1986-2004, served as Treasurer for the Centre for Deaf Children.
ColinaImperial Insurance Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Colina Holdings Bahamas Limited which is in turn, owned by more than 2,600 Bahamian shareholders and the Colina Financial Group.
Source: The Bahama Journal
