**Bahamas Selected as Caribbean Base**

Effective November 1, RBC Royal Bank of Canada has combined all of its operations in The Bahamas and the Caribbean into a single administrative region, with its new headquarters based in Nassau. The new region comprises 44 branches in eight countries.

Concurrently, Ross A. McDonald who served previously as RBC’s Vice President, Bahamas & the Cayman Islands, has been appointed Senior Vice President, Bahamas & Caribbean. In addition to having overall responsibility for RBC’s domestic operations in the region’s countries, Mr. McDonald also is responsible for the Bank’s regional headquarters in Barbados. The eight countries include Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and St. Lucia.

Rod Pennycook, Executive Vice President, RBC Banking said *”The appointment of Mr. Ross McDonald to this new position underscores the importance we place on our operation in The Bahamas and the Caribbean. This is the first time all of our retail and business banking units have been under the leadership of a senior executive based in the region.”*

Mr. McDonald also has responsibility for RBC Finance Corporation of Bahamas Limited (FINCO), RBC’s residential mortgage lending company and is a Director for both the RBC Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Bahamas) Limited and RBC Royal Bank of Canada Trust Company (Cayman) Limited. The latter two companies deliver trust and private banking services to offershore clients through RBC Investments, the Bank’s wealth management business.