Scotiabank announced Wednesday the appointments of Robert Pitfield as executive vice president, International Banking, and Peter Cardinal, EVP, Latin America. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Pitfield will be responsible for all of the bank’s retail and commercial operations outside of Canada. Formerly executive vice president and group head, Wealth Management, Pitfield joined Scotiabank in 1983 in Commercial Banking. He has worked in various positions in commercial and retail banking. In 1996, he was appointed senior vice president, International Banking, responsible for the Caribbean and Central America. In 1998, he was named EVP Retail Products and Marketing, before becoming EVP, Wealth Management the following year.

Pitfield has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto, a law degree from the University of Ottawa, and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He will report to Scotiabank president, Rick Waugh.

As EVP, Latin America, Cardinal will be responsible for all the Bank’s operations in Latin America, and will be based in Toronto. Cardinal succeeds Bill Sutton, who retired from the Bank last month. Cardinal is currently chairman and CEO of Grupo Financiero Scotiabank Inverlat, S.A., based in Mexico. He will continue to serve as chairman of Grupo Financiero Scotiabank Inverlat.

Cardinal has more than 38 years of experience at Scotiabank, having assumed increasing responsibilities in the areas of Retail Banking and Commercial Banking and Credit in Domestic and International Banking. He has a Certified General Accountant designation and attended the University of Western Ontario’s Management Development program.

“Rick Waugh and I believe that these changes further demonstrate the strength of Scotiabank’s executive team and our commitment to continue to build on our success, especially in our high growth, high potential international markets,” said Peter Godsoe, Scotiabank chairman and CEO.