Exhibit B.3(a): Annual Information Form

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

ANNUAL

INFORMATION

FORM

November 28, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  1

A NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

From time to time, we make written or oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including in this Annual Information Form, in other filings with Canadian securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements made about our operations, business lines, financial condition, risk management, priorities, targets, ongoing objectives, strategies, the regulatory environment in which we operate and outlook for calendar year 2019 and subsequent periods. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “target”, “objective” and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will”, “should”, “would” and “could”. By their nature, these statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, affect our operations, performance and results, and could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. These factors include: credit, market, liquidity, strategic, insurance, operational, reputation and legal, regulatory and environmental risk; the effectiveness and adequacy of our risk management and valuation models and processes; legislative or regulatory developments in the jurisdictions where we operate, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations issued and to be issued thereunder, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Common Reporting Standard, and regulatory reforms in the United Kingdom and Europe, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s global standards for capital and liquidity reform, and those relating to bank recapitalization legislation and the payments system in Canada; amendments to, and interpretations of, risk-based capital guidelines and reporting instructions, and interest rate and liquidity regulatory guidance; the resolution of legal and regulatory proceedings and related matters; the effect of changes to accounting standards, rules and interpretations; changes in our estimates of reserves and allowances; changes in tax laws; changes to our credit ratings; political conditions and developments, including changes relating to economic or trade matters; the possible effect on our business of international conflicts and terrorism; natural disasters, public health emergencies, disruptions to public infrastructure and other catastrophic events; reliance on third parties to provide components of our business infrastructure; potential disruptions to our information technology systems and services; increasing cyber security risks which may include theft of assets, unauthorized access to sensitive information, or operational disruption; social media risk; losses incurred as a result of internal or external fraud; anti-money laundering; the accuracy and completeness of information provided to us concerning clients and counterparties; the failure of third parties to comply with their obligations to us and our affiliates or associates; intensifying competition from established competitors and new entrants in the financial services industry including through internet and mobile banking; technological change; global capital market activity; changes in monetary and economic policy; currency value and interest rate fluctuations, including as a result of market and oil price volatility; general business and economic conditions worldwide, as well as in Canada, the U.S. and other countries where we have operations, including increasing Canadian household debt levels and global credit risks; our success in developing and introducing new products and services, expanding existing distribution channels, developing new distribution channels and realizing increased revenue from these channels; changes in client spending and saving habits; our ability to attract and retain key employees and executives; our ability to successfully execute our strategies and complete and integrate acquisitions and joint ventures; the risk that expected synergies and benefits of the acquisition of PrivateBancorp, Inc. will not be realized within the expected time frame or at all; and our ability to anticipate and manage the risks associated with these factors. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of our forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that is contained in this Annual Information Form or in other communications except as required by law.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  2

INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain disclosures in this Annual Information Form (AIF) are incorporated by reference from CIBC’s 2018 Annual Report for the year ended October 31, 2018. The table below identifies pages from the 2018 Annual Report which are incorporated by reference into this AIF. The 2018 Annual Report is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Unless otherwise specified, this AIF presents information as at October 31, 2018.

CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Name, Address and Incorporation

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) is a diversified financial institution governed by the Bank Act (Canada). CIBC was formed through the amalgamation of The Canadian Bank of Commerce and Imperial Bank of Canada in 1961. The Canadian Bank of Commerce was originally incorporated as Bank of Canada by special act of the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1858. Subsequently, the name was changed to The Canadian Bank of Commerce and it opened for business under that name in 1867. Imperial Bank of Canada was incorporated in 1875 by special act of the Parliament of Canada and commenced operations in that year. The address of the registered and head office of CIBC is Commerce Court, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5L 1A2.

Intercorporate Relationships

Information about the intercorporate relationships among CIBC and its significant subsidiaries is provided on page 173 of the 2018 Annual Report.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS

The CIBC Organization

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution. CIBC serves its clients through four main strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Small Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management and Capital Markets.

Canadian Personal and Small Business Banking provides personal and business clients across Canada with financial advice, products and services through a team in our banking centres, as well as through our direct, mobile and remote channels.

Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management provides high-touch, relationship-oriented banking and wealth management services to middle-market companies, entrepreneurs, high-net-worth individuals and families across Canada. In addition, we provide asset management services to institutional investors.

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U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management provides high-touch, relationship-oriented commercial, personal and small business banking, as well as wealth management services to meet the needs of middle-market companies, executives, entrepreneurs, high-net-worth individuals and families in the markets we serve in the U.S.

Capital Markets provides integrated global markets products and services, investment banking advisory and execution, corporate banking and top-ranked research to corporate, government and institutional clients around the world.

CIBC’s four main strategic business units are supported by the following functional groups: Administration, Client Connectivity and Innovation, Finance, Human Resources and Communications, Internal Audit, Risk Management, and Technology and Operations, as well as other support groups, which are all included in Corporate and Other. Information about CIBC’s business lines and functional groups is provided in the 2018 Annual Report on pages 1 to 93.

A more complete description of services provided by Canadian Personal and Small Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management and Capital Markets can be found in the 2018 Annual Report on pages 18 to 27.

Competitive Conditions

CIBC was the fifth largest Canadian chartered bank in terms of market capitalization as at October 31, 2018.

CIBC operated in an environment of moderate economic growth in Canada, and of accelerating growth in the U.S. in 2018. Canada enjoyed low unemployment rates that supported household credit quality, but both consumer and mortgage credit growth decelerated due to higher interest rates, softer housing inflation, and regulatory policy decisions. Corporate credit quality remained strong despite a slowing in profit growth, while business investment spending and loan demand accelerated. A slower increase in non-financial corporate bond issuance activity was more than offset by the accelerating issuance of financial sector bonds, while equity issuance activity was light. Government debt continued to grow but at a slightly slower pace than 2017. The U.S. economy showed strong growth and robust employment gains as fiscal stimulus more than offset rising interest rates, helping to drive a pick-up in business lending after a slow 2017. U.S. equity markets had a strong start to the year but gave up that ground in the fall on concerns over global growth and rising interest rates.

Social and Environmental Policies

Additional information about our environmental policies and environmental risks can be found under “Management of risk – Other risks – Environmental and social risk” on page 78 of our 2018 Annual Report. Furthermore, CIBC’s Corporate Responsibility Report and Public Accountability Statement summarizes our commitment to our stakeholders and highlights the activities we are undertaking to enhance our economic, environmental, social and governance contributions. This report is available at https://www.cibc.com/content/cibcpublic/en/about-cibc/corporate-responsibility.html.

Risk Factors

A discussion of risk factors related to CIBC and its business, and the steps taken to manage those risks appears throughout the 2018 Annual Report and in particular under the heading “Management of risk” on pages 41 to 78.

GENERAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUSINESS

Three Year History

At CIBC, we are building a relationship-oriented bank for a modern world.

For many years, CIBC has reported a scorecard of financial objectives to evaluate and report on our progress to external stakeholders. These measures, for which CIBC has set targets over the medium term, defined as three to five years, can be categorized into five key areas of shareholder value:

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Reported diluted EPS was $11.65 in 2018, compared with $11.24 in 2017, up 4%. Reported diluted EPS was $10.70 in 2016. Adjusted diluted EPS ⁽¹⁾ was $12.21 in 2018, compared with $11.11 in 2017, up 10%. Adjusted diluted EPS ⁽¹⁾ was $10.22 in 2016.

In 2018, CIBC made progress towards its efficiency ratio objectives. The reported efficiency ratio was 57.5% compared with 58.8% in 2017 and 59.7% in 2016. The adjusted efficiency ratio ⁽¹⁾ was 55.6% compared with 57.2% in 2017 and 58.0% in 2016.

In 2018, reported ROE of 16.6% was above the 15% target but down from 18.3% in 2017. Reported ROE was 19.9% in 2016. Adjusted ROE ⁽¹⁾ of 17.4% was above our target but down from 18.1% reported in 2017. Adjusted ROE ⁽¹⁾ was 19.0% in 2016.

CIBC’s 2018 reported dividend payout ratio was 45.5%, compared with 45.6% in 2017. The reported dividend payout ratio was 44.3% in 2016. CIBC’s 2018 adjusted dividend payout ratio ⁽¹⁾ was 43.4% compared with 46.2% in 2017. The adjusted dividend payout ratio ⁽¹⁾ was 46.4% in 2016.

CIBC’s rolling five-year total shareholder return for the period ended October 31, 2018 was 60.6% compared with 62.0% for the S&P/TSX Composite Banks Index.

At the end of 2018, CIBC’s Basel III Common Equity Tier 1 ratio on an all-in basis was 11.4%, well above the current OSFI target.

DIVIDENDS

CIBC has a common share dividend sub-policy of maintaining a balance between the distribution of profits to shareholders and the need to retain capital for safety and soundness, and to support growth of the businesses. In the context of this overall policy, CIBC’s key criteria for considering dividend increases are the current payout ratio compared to the target, and its view on the sustainability of the level of current earnings through the cycle. Going forward, CIBC will continue to target a dividend payout ratio of 40% to 50%.

The cash dividends declared and paid per share for each class of CIBC shares and restrictions on the payment of dividends can be found on pages 151 to 153 of the 2018 Annual Report.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE

The following summary of CIBC’s capital structure is qualified in its entirety by CIBC’s by-laws and the actual terms and conditions of such shares. Additional detail on CIBC’s capital structure is provided on pages 150 to 154 of the 2018 Annual Report.

Description of Common Shares

CIBC’s authorized common share capital consists of an unlimited number of common shares without nominal or par value. The holders of common shares are entitled to receive dividends as and when declared by the Board of Directors of CIBC (the Board), subject to the preference of holders of preferred shares. A holder of common shares is entitled to notice of and to attend all shareholders’ meetings, except meetings at which only holders of a specified class or series of shares are entitled to vote, and for all purposes will be entitled to one vote for each common share held. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of CIBC, after payment of all outstanding deposits and debts and subject to the preference of any shares ranking senior to the common shares, the holders of common shares will be entitled to a pro rata distribution of the remaining assets of CIBC. The holders of common shares have no pre-emptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of the common shares are subject to the rights of the holders of preferred shares.

Description of Preferred Shares

CIBC is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Class A Preferred Shares and Class B Preferred Shares without nominal or par value, issuable in series, with such rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions as the Board may determine, provided that, for each class of preferred shares, the maximum aggregate consideration for all outstanding shares, at any time does not exceed $10 billion. There are five series of Class A Preferred Shares currently outstanding (Series 39, 41, 43, 45 and 47) and no Class B Preferred Shares currently outstanding.

The Bank Act (Canada) requires that banks maintain adequate capital in relation to their operations. The Superintendent of Financial Institutions (the Superintendent) establishes capital adequacy requirements for issuances of regulatory capital by banks. These requirements include that all regulatory capital must be able to absorb losses in a failed financial institution. Effective January 1, 2013, in accordance with

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capital adequacy requirements adopted by the Superintendent, non-common capital instruments issued after January 1, 2013, including preferred shares, must include non-viability contingent capital (NVCC) provisions, providing for the full and permanent automatic conversion (an NVCC Automatic Conversion) of such non-common capital instruments into common shares upon the occurrence of certain trigger events relating to financial viability (the NVCC Provisions) in order to qualify as regulatory capital.

The following describes certain general terms and conditions of the preferred shares.

Certain Conditions of the Class A Preferred Shares as a Class

The following is a summary of certain provisions attached to the Class A Preferred Shares as a class.

Priority

The Class A Preferred Shares of each series of Class A Preferred Shares rank on a parity with every other series of Class A Preferred Shares and rank in priority to the Class B Preferred Shares and the common shares of CIBC with respect to the payment of dividends and on the distribution of assets in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of CIBC, provided that an NVCC Automatic Conversion as contemplated under the NVCC Provisions applicable to a series of Class A Preferred Shares has not occurred.

Restrictions on Creation of Additional Class A Preferred Shares

In addition to any shareholder approvals required by applicable law, the approval of the holders of the Class A Preferred Shares given in the manner described under “Modification” below, is required for any increase in the maximum aggregate consideration for which the Class A Preferred Shares may be issued and for the creation of any shares ranking prior to or on a parity with the Class A Preferred Shares.

Modification

Approval of amendments to the provisions of the Class A Preferred Shares as a class and any other authorization required to be given by the holders of Class A Preferred Shares may be given by a resolution carried by an affirmative vote of not less than 66 ^2/3 % of the votes cast at a meeting at which the holders of 10% of the outstanding Class A Preferred Shares are present or represented by proxy or, if no quorum is present at such meeting, at an adjourned meeting at which the shareholders then present would form the necessary quorum.

Rights on Liquidation

In the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of CIBC, provided that an NVCC Automatic Conversion as contemplated under the NVCC Provisions applicable to a series of Class A Preferred Shares has not occurred, the holders of the Class A Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive an amount equal to the price at which such shares are issued together with such premium, if any, as shall have been provided for with respect to the Class A Preferred Shares of any series, together with all declared and unpaid dividends, before any amount is paid or any assets of CIBC are distributed to the holders of any shares ranking junior to the Class A Preferred Shares. Upon payment to the holders of the Class A Preferred Shares of the amounts so payable to them, they will not be entitled to share in any further distribution of the assets of CIBC. If an NVCC Automatic Conversion as contemplated under the NVCC Provisions applicable to a series of Class A Preferred Shares has occurred, all of the Class A Preferred Shares of such series shall have been converted into common shares of CIBC in accordance with a pre-determined conversion formula specified at the time of issuance of the Class A Preferred Shares of such series and will rank on parity with all other common shares of CIBC.

Voting Rights

Subject to the provisions of the Bank Act (Canada), the directors of CIBC are empowered to set voting rights, if any, for each series of Class A Preferred Shares.

Contingent Conversion of Certain Series of Class A Preferred Shares

All of CIBC’s currently outstanding Class A Preferred Shares (Series 39, 41, 43, 45 and 47) were issued after January 1, 2013 and, accordingly, contain NVCC Provisions in their respective share terms and conditions. The number of common shares into which such Class A Preferred Shares would be converted upon an NVCC Automatic Conversion will be determined in accordance with a pre-determined conversion formula specified at the time of issuance of such Class A Preferred Shares.

Bank Act (Canada) Restrictions Related to Share Ownership

The Bank Act (Canada) contains restrictions on the issue, transfer, acquisition, beneficial ownership and voting of all shares of a chartered bank. By way of summary, no person, or persons acting jointly or in concert, shall be a major shareholder of a bank if the bank has equity of $12 billion or more (which would include CIBC). A person is a major shareholder of a bank where: (i) the aggregate of the shares of any class of voting shares beneficially owned by that person, by entities controlled by that person and by any person associated or acting jointly or in concert with that person (as contemplated by the Bank Act (Canada)) is more than 20% of that class of voting shares; or (ii) the aggregate of the shares of any class of non-voting shares beneficially owned by that person, by entities controlled by that person and by any person associated or acting jointly or in concert with that person (as contemplated by the Bank Act (Canada)) is more than 30% of that class of non-voting shares. No person, or persons acting jointly or in concert, shall have a significant interest in any class of shares of a bank,

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including CIBC, unless the person first receives the approval of the Minister of Finance (Canada). For purposes of the Bank Act (Canada), a person has a significant interest in a class of shares of a bank where the aggregate of any shares of the class beneficially owned by that person, by entities controlled by that person and by any person associated or acting jointly or in concert with that person (as contemplated by the Bank Act (Canada)) exceeds 10% of all of the outstanding shares of that class of shares of such bank.

In addition, the Bank Act (Canada) prohibits a bank, including CIBC, from recording in its securities register the transfer or issuance of shares of any class to Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province, an agent or agency of Her Majesty, a government of a foreign country or any political subdivision of a foreign country, or an agent or agency of a foreign government. The Bank Act (Canada) also suspends the exercise of any voting rights attached to any share of a bank, including CIBC, that is beneficially owned by Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province, an agency of Her Majesty, a government of a foreign country or any political subdivision of a foreign country, or any agency thereof.

Liquidity and Credit Ratings

CIBC funds its operations with client-sourced deposits, supplemented with a wide range of wholesale funding.

CIBC’s principal approach aims to fund its balance sheet with deposits primarily raised from personal and commercial banking channels. CIBC maintains a foundation of relationship-based core deposits, whose stability is regularly evaluated through internally developed statistical assessments.

We routinely access a range of short-term and long-term secured and unsecured funding sources diversified by geography, depositor type, instrument, currency and maturity. We raise long-term funding from existing programs including covered bonds, asset securitizations and unsecured debt.

CIBC continuously evaluates opportunities to diversify into new funding products and investor segments in an effort to maximize funding flexibility and minimize concentration and financing costs. We regularly monitor wholesale funding levels and concentrations to internal limits consistent with our desired liquidity risk profile.

The Global Asset Liability Committee and the Risk Management Committee of the Board review and approve CIBC’s funding plan, which incorporates projected asset and liability growth, funding maturities, and output from our liquidity position forecasting.

Access to wholesale funding sources and the cost of funds are dependent on various factors including credit ratings. CIBC’s wholesale funding and credit ratings are also discussed on pages 73 to 74 of the 2018 Annual Report under the heading “Management of risk – Liquidity risk”.

The table below provides the ratings for CIBC’s Class A Preferred Shares and debt obligations as at November 28, 2018:

The ratings should not be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold CIBC securities. Ratings may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the respective rating agencies.

Definitions of rating categories are available on the respective rating agencies’ websites and are outlined in Appendix A. More detailed explanations of the various rating categories may be obtained directly from the rating agencies.

As is common practice, CIBC has paid fees charged by all four of the above-noted rating agencies for their rating services and, to certain of the rating agencies, for other services during the last two years. CIBC reasonably expects that such payments will continue to be made for services in the future.

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MARKET FOR SECURITIES

CIBC maintains a listing of its common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. CIBC maintains a listing of its Class A Preferred Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange ⁽¹⁾ .

The following subordinated indebtedness securities issued by CIBC are listed on the London Stock Exchange:

Prior Sales

CIBC sold one issue of subordinated indebtedness during the year ended October 31, 2018. The issue is not listed or quoted on an exchange:

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DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Directors and Board Committees

Information concerning the directors and board committees of CIBC is found on page 194 of the 2018 Annual Report.

All of the directors have held their business affiliations indicated on page 194 of the 2018 Annual Report for the past five years with the exception of the following:

Directors are elected annually. Under the Bank Act (Canada) and CIBC’s by-laws, a director’s term expires at the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders, which is scheduled for April 4, 2019.

All of the executive officers have held their present position or another executive position in CIBC for more than five years except for Deepak Khandelwal who was at Rogers Communications Inc. from 2014 to 2017 where he was Chief Customer Officer and prior to that was at Google Inc. from 2010 to 2014 where he held a series of senior positions and was last VP, Global Customer Experience; and Larry D. Richman who was at The PrivateBank from 2007 to 2017, where he was President and CEO.

Shareholdings of Directors and Executive Officers

To CIBC’s knowledge, as at October 31, 2018, the directors and executive officers of CIBC as a group, beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, or exercised control or direction over less than 1% of the outstanding common shares of CIBC or FirstCaribbean International Bank Limited.

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Corporate Cease Trade Orders or Bankruptcies

Except as set out below, to CIBC’s knowledge, in the last ten years, no director or executive officer of CIBC is or has been a director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer of a company that: (i) while that person was acting in that capacity, was the subject of a cease trade or similar order or an order that denied the company access to any exemption under securities legislation, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days; or (ii) was subject to such an order that was issued, after that person ceased to be a director or chief executive officer or chief financial officer, and which resulted from an event that occurred while that person was acting in the capacity as director, chief executive officer or chief financial officer. Except as set out below, to CIBC’s knowledge, in the last ten years, no director or executive officer of CIBC is or has been a director or executive officer of a company that, while that person was acting in that capacity or within a year of that person ceasing to act in that capacity, became bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold its assets.

Penalties or Sanctions

To CIBC’s knowledge, no director or executive officer of CIBC: (i) has been subject to any penalties or sanctions imposed by a court relating to securities legislation or by a securities regulatory authority or has entered into a settlement agreement with a securities regulatory authority, or (ii) has been subject to any other penalties or sanctions imposed by a court or regulatory body that would likely be considered important to a reasonable investor in making an investment decision.

Personal Bankruptcies

To CIBC’s knowledge, in the last ten years, no director or executive officer has become bankrupt, made a proposal under any legislation relating to bankruptcy or insolvency, or was subject to or instituted any proceedings, arrangement or compromise with creditors, or had a receiver, receiver manager or trustee appointed to hold the assets of the director or executive officer.

Conflicts of Interest

To CIBC’s knowledge, no director or executive officer of CIBC or its subsidiaries has an existing or potential material conflict of interest with CIBC or any of its subsidiaries.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND REGULATORY ACTIONS

A description of significant legal proceedings to which CIBC is a party is provided under the heading “Contingent liabilities and provision” on pages 167 to 169 of the 2018 Annual Report.

INTEREST OF MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS IN MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS

To CIBC’s knowledge, no director or executive officer of CIBC, or any of their associates has any material interest, directly or indirectly, in any transaction within the three most recently completed financial years that has materially affected or is reasonably expected to materially affect CIBC.

TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR

The addresses for CIBC’s transfer agent and registrar are provided on page 192 of the 2018 Annual Report.

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EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants, Toronto, Ontario, is the external auditor who prepared the Independent auditors’ reports of registered public accounting firm to shareholders in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) – which includes the reports on CIBC’s consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting. Ernst & Young LLP is independent with respect to CIBC within the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, and is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to CIBC within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the PCAOB.

AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee Mandate as approved by the Board is included in Appendix B. The members of the Audit Committee are listed below. Each member of the Audit Committee is independent and financially literate as defined by Canadian securities laws. At least one member of the Audit Committee has been designated by the Board as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the rules of the SEC.

Education and Experience

This section describes the education and experience of CIBC’s Audit Committee members that is relevant to the performance of their responsibilities.

Each member of the Audit Committee currently is, or has previously been, in charge of, or an advisor or a consultant to, a significant business operation, often as president, chief executive officer, chief financial officer or chief operating officer of a large public company. Given the breadth and complexity of a financial institution’s accounting issues, the Audit Committee members participate from time to time in internal or external sessions related to accounting matters or developments. Travel and attendance costs are paid by CIBC. Further detail on the education and experience of each Audit Committee member is set out below.

Luc Desjardins

Mr. Desjardins has been President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Superior Plus Corp. since 2011. From 2008 to 2011, he was a partner at The Sterling Group, LP, a private equity firm. From 2000 to 2008, Mr. Desjardins was with Transcontinental Inc. first as the President and Chief Operating Officer and subsequently as the President and Chief Executive Officer. For the preceding 10 years, Mr. Desjardins held chief executive officer roles at other companies: Mail-Well Inc. from 1998 to 2000; and Supremex Inc. from 1992 to 1998. Mr. Desjardins is a director of Gestion Jourdan SEC and a member of the World Presidents’ Organization. In 2005, Mr. Desjardins received a “Nouveaux Performants Award” granted to successful executives who excel in management practices. Mr. Desjardins holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Université du Québec à Montréal and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Management Development Program.

Kevin J. Kelly

Mr. Kelly was Lead Director of the Ontario Securities Commission from 2010 to 2012 and Commissioner from 2006 to 2010. Prior to joining the Ontario Securities Commission, Mr. Kelly held progressive roles in wealth and asset management in Canada and the U.S. He was Co-Chief Executive Officer of Wellington West Capital, Inc. from 2004 to 2005. For the preceding 15 years, Mr. Kelly held president and chief executive officer roles at other companies: FMR LLC from 1996 to 2003; Bimcor Inc. from 1992 to 1996; and Investment Corporation of Saskatchewan from 1990 to 1992. He also held the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of Midland Capital Corporation from 1989 to 1990. Mr. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University.

Christine E. Larsen

Ms. Larsen has been Executive Vice-President, Chief Operations Officer of First Data Corporation since 2013. Prior to joining First Data Corporation, she held progressive roles in the financial services industry. At JPMorgan Chase & Co. she was the Executive Vice-President, Head of Process Improvement from 2012 to 2013; Head of Mortgage Servicing from 2011 to 2012; Chief Operating Officer, Treasury and Securities Services from 2009 to 2011; and Head of Shared Operations and Technology from 2006 to 2009. At Citigroup, Inc. she was the Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Operations and Head of Global Transactions Services from 1994 to 2006. From 1984 to 1994 she led projects for Accenture with financial services companies. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University and was named one of the Most Influential Women in Payments for 2015 and 2017. Ms. Larsen holds a Master of Library Science degree from Syracuse University (University Fellow) and a Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) degree from Cornell College.

Nicholas D. Le Pan

Mr. Le Pan has extensive experience in financial services matters. He was Superintendent of Financial Institutions for Canada from 2001 to 2006 and led the OSFI supervision sector including the supervision programs for banks and other deposit taking institutions from 1997 to 2000. He is Chair of the Canadian Public Accountability Board, which regulates auditors of public companies. Mr. Le Pan has held various roles with the Federal Government, Department of Finance including as a Special Advisor and as the Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy Branch. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation; Chairman of the Basel Accord Implementation Group; Vice Chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision; Chairman of the Independent Review Committee of Brandes Investment Funds; Chair of the Basel Committee Accounting Task Force; and Member of the Canadian Accounting Standards Oversight Council. Mr. Le Pan received a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours) in Economics from Carleton University and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.

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Jane L. Peverett, FCMA, ICD.D (Chair of the Audit Committee)

Ms. Peverett was President and Chief Executive Officer of British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) from 2005 to 2009 and Chief Financial Officer of BCTC from 2003 to 2005. Prior to joining BCTC, Ms. Peverett was with Westcoast Energy Inc., from 1988 to 2003, where she held progressively senior finance, regulatory and executive roles. From 2001 to 2003 Ms. Peverett was President & CEO of Union Gas Limited, a subsidiary of Westcoast Energy Inc. Ms. Peverett is a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of CP Rail and a director of Northwest Natural Gas Company. She is a Certified Management Accountant and a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors with the designation ICD.D. Ms. Peverett holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Queen’s University.

PRE-APPROVAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Audit Committee has adopted the CIBC Policy on the Scope of Services of the Shareholders’ Auditors (the “Scope of Services Policy”) to provide a consistent approach for the engagement of the shareholders’ auditors. The Scope of Services Policy requires that work performed by the shareholders’ auditors for CIBC or its subsidiaries be pre-approved by the Audit Committee, along with the related fee for that work. The Audit Committee may establish pre-approval policies and procedures that are specific to a particular service. Under the Scope of Services Policy, the shareholders’ auditors will only perform audit, audit-related and tax work, and other work if pre-approved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee may approve exceptions to the Scope of Services Policy if it determines that such an exception is in the overriding best interests of CIBC, and the exception does not impair the independence of the shareholders’ auditors. However, certain non-audit activities set out in the Scope of Services Policy are generally prohibited and will not be considered for exception from the Policy. On a quarterly basis, the Audit Committee is presented with a summary report of all engagements of the shareholders’ auditors that are currently underway or have been completed since the prior quarter’s report, including engagements entered into pursuant to pre-approved quarterly limits. The summary report will describe the nature of each engagement, confirm that each engagement is in compliance with the Scope of Services Policy and state the fees received by the shareholders’ auditors for each engagement. The Scope of Services Policy also sets out ongoing relationship standards and requires that the shareholders’ auditors annually certify compliance with the Policy.

FEES FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY SHAREHOLDERS’ AUDITORS

The information on professional service fees paid to the shareholders’ auditors is provided on page 93 of the 2018 Annual Report.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional information with respect to CIBC, including directors’ and officers’ remuneration and indebtedness, principal holders of CIBC’s securities and securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, where applicable, is contained in CIBC’s management proxy circular for its most recent annual meeting of shareholders that included in its proceedings the election of directors. Additional financial information is provided in the 2018 Annual Report. These documents, as well as additional information relating to CIBC, are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For a description of Canadian bank resolution powers and the consequent risk factors attaching to certain liabilities of CIBC reference is made to “Bank recapitalization (Bail-in) conversion regulations” on page 35 of the 2018 Annual Report and https://www.cibc.com/content/dam/about_cibc/investor_relations/pdfs/debt_info/canadian-bail-in-website-disclosure-en.pdf. The information on our website does not form a part of this AIF.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  12

Appendix A

Rating Definitions

DBRS

Short-term debt ratings deal with the risk that an issuer will not be able to meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Short-term debt rated R-1 (high) is of the highest credit quality, indicative of an entity with an exceptionally high capacity to repay its short-term financial obligations. R-1 is the highest of six short-term debt rating categories. The R-1 and R-2 categories are further denoted with “high”, “middle” and “low” subcategories.

Senior debt ratings provide an assessment of the risk that an issuer will not be able to meet its financial obligations under its long-term debt obligations. Senior debt rated AA is ranked in the second highest of ten categories. It is considered to be of superior credit quality, with capacity for payment considered to be high. The credit quality of obligations rated AA differs from the highest AAA category only to a small degree, and is unlikely to be significantly susceptible to future events. The AA category is further denoted by the subcategories “high” and “low”. The absence of a “high” or “low” indicates a rating in the middle of the category.

Long-term debt ratings provide an assessment of the risk that an issuer will not be able to meet its financial obligations under its long-term debt obligations. Long-term debt rated A is ranked in the third highest of ten categories. It is considered to be of good credit quality, with substantial capacity for payment. The A category is further denoted by the subcategories “high” and “low”. The absence of a “high” or “low” indicates a rating in the middle of the category.

Preferred share ratings provide an assessment of the risk that an issuer will not be able to meet its dividend and principal obligations in a timely manner. Preferred shares rated Pfd-2 are of satisfactory credit quality with substantial protection of dividends and principal. A Pfd-2 rating is the second highest of six categories for preferred shares. Each category is further denoted by the subcategories “high” and “low”. The absence of a “high” or “low” indicates a rating in the middle of the category.

Fitch

The F1 category is for obligations of the highest short-term credit quality and indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. The F1 rating is the highest of seven categories used for short-term debt; a “+” may be added to indicate an exceptionally strong credit feature.

AA is the second highest of eleven rating categories for long-term obligations and indicates an assessment of very high credit quality and very low default risk. This rating indicates a very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments that is not significantly susceptible to foreseeable events.

The A category is the third highest of the rating categories for long-term obligations and indicates an assessment of high credit quality and low default risk. The capacity for payment is considered strong, but may be more susceptible to adverse business or economic conditions than that of higher rating categories.

(The designation “+” or “-” may be used to denote relative position within certain major long-term rating categories, while the absence of such a modifier indicates a rating in the middle of the category.)

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Moody’s

Short-term debt ratings are assessments of an issuer’s ability to repay obligations with an original maturity of 13 months or less. Moody’s has four categories of short-term ratings with the P-1 category being the highest credit quality. Borrowers rated P-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

Long-term debt ratings assess both the likelihood of default on contractual payments and the expected loss in the event of default on obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. The Aa rating category is the second highest of nine categories and includes obligations judged to be high quality and subject to very low credit risk.

The A rating category is the third highest of nine categories and includes obligations judged to be upper medium grade and subject to low credit risk.

The Baa rating category is the fourth highest of nine categories on the long-term rating scale and includes obligations judged to be medium grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

(The modifiers 1, 2 and 3 are used with certain long-term rating categories to indicate that an obligation ranks in the higher, middle or lower range of the rating category respectively.)

S&P

The A-1 category is the highest of six categories used by S&P for short-term debt. An obligation rated A-1 indicates that the borrower’s capacity to meet its financial commitment with respect to the obligation is strong.

The A rating category is the third highest of ten categories used by S&P for long-term debt obligations. Although the obligor’s ability to meet its financial commitment is strong, obligations rated A are somewhat more vulnerable to the negative effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions when compared to obligations in higher rating categories. A “+” or “-” may be used to denote the relative standing of a rating within the category.

The BBB rating category is the fourth highest of ten categories used by S&P for long-term debt obligations. The obligor’s ability to meet its financial commitment is adequate, however, negative economic conditions or changes in circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakening of this capacity. A “+” or “-” may be used to denote the relative standing of a rating within the category.

P-3 is the third highest of the eight categories used by S&P in its Canadian Preferred Share Scale, which is used to rate an issuer’s creditworthiness with respect to a specific preferred share obligation issued in Canada. A “High” or “Low” modifier may be used to indicate the relative standing of a credit within a particular rating category, while the absence of such a modifier indicates a rating in the middle of the category.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  14

Appendix B

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Audit Committee Mandate

In conducting its review of the annual consolidated financial statements or the interim financial statements, and the related MD&A, the Committee will:

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  15

The Committee will satisfy itself that the level of the audit fees is commensurate with the scope of work undertaken and conducive to a quality audit. The Committee will also assess whether any proposed change to the external auditor’s materiality level and/or scope continues to ensure a quality audit.

The Committee will be responsible for overseeing the performance of the Internal Audit function.

On a periodic basis, the Committee will engage an independent third party to assess the Internal Audit function in accordance with professional standards and the Committee will review the results of that assessment.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  16

At least annually, the Committee will review a report from the Chief Auditor with Internal Audit’s assessment of CIBC’s risk governance framework and its assessment of the oversight by Finance, Risk Management and Compliance.

On a periodic basis, the Committee will engage an independent third party to assess the Finance function.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  17

The Committee Chair will report to the Board on recommendations and material matters arising at Committee meetings.

The Committee Chair will co-ordinate orientation and continuing director development programs relating to the Committee’s mandate. At least annually, the Committee will evaluate and review its performance and the adequacy of the Committee’s mandate.

This mandate was last revised and approved by the Board on August 23, 2018.

CIBC 2018 Annual Information Form  18

Consolidated financial statements

Details of the notes to the consolidated financial statements

Financial reporting responsibility

Management of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) is responsible for the preparation, presentation, accuracy and reliability of the Annual Report, which includes the consolidated financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A). The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Section 308(4) of the Bank Act (Canada), which requires that the financial statements be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The MD&A has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of applicable securities laws.

The consolidated financial statements and MD&A contain items that reflect the best estimates and judgments of the expected effects of current events and transactions with appropriate consideration to materiality. Financial information appearing throughout the Annual Report is consistent with the consolidated financial statements.

Management has developed and maintains effective systems, controls and procedures to ensure that information used internally and disclosed externally is reliable and timely. During the past year, we have continued to improve, document and test the design and operating effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The results of our work have been subjected to audit by the shareholders’ auditors. Management has assessed the effectiveness of CIBC’s internal control over financial reporting as at year-end using the Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based upon this assessment, we have determined that internal control over financial reporting is effective in all material respects and CIBC is in compliance with the requirements set by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

CIBC’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have certified CIBC’s annual filings with the SEC under the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act and with the Canadian Securities Administrators under Canadian securities laws.

The Internal Audit department reviews and reports on the effectiveness of CIBC’s internal control, risk management and governance systems and processes, including accounting and financial controls, in accordance with the audit plan approved by the Audit Committee. Our Chief Auditor has unfettered access to the Audit Committee.

The Board of Directors oversees management’s responsibilities for financial reporting through the Audit Committee, which is composed of independent directors. The Audit Committee reviews CIBC’s interim and annual consolidated financial statements and MD&A and recommends them for approval by the Board of Directors. Other key responsibilities of the Audit Committee include monitoring CIBC’s system of internal control, and reviewing the qualifications, independence and service quality of the shareholders’ auditors and internal auditors.

Ernst & Young LLP, the shareholders’ auditors, obtain an understanding of CIBC’s internal controls and procedures for financial reporting to plan and conduct such tests and other audit procedures as they consider necessary in the circumstances to express their opinions in the reports that follow. Ernst & Young LLP has unrestricted access to the Audit Committee to discuss their audit and related matters.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Canada is mandated to protect the rights and interest of depositors and creditors of CIBC. Accordingly, OSFI examines and enquires into the business and affairs of CIBC, as deemed necessary, to ensure that the provisions of the Bank Act (Canada) are being complied with and that CIBC is in sound financial condition.

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

To the shareholders and directors of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Opinion on the consolidated financial statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), which comprise the consolidated balance sheets as at October 31, 2018 and 2017, the consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2018, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of CIBC as at October 31, 2018 and 2017, and its financial performance and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2018, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

Adoption of IFRS 9

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, CIBC changed its method of accounting for the classification and measurement of financial instruments in 2018 due to the adoption of IFRS 9 “Financial Instruments”. Our opinion is not qualified with respect to this matter.

Report on internal control over financial reporting

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), CIBC’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated November 28, 2018 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of CIBC’s internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for opinion

Management’s responsibility for the consolidated financial statements

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditors’ responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Those standards also require that we comply with ethical requirements, including independence. We are required to be independent with respect to CIBC in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the consolidated financial statements in Canada, the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB.

An audit includes performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatements of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures to respond to those risks. Such procedures included obtaining and examining, on a test basis, audit evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to CIBC’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances.

An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies and principles used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in our audits is sufficient and appropriate to provide a reasonable basis for our audit opinion.

We have served as CIBC’s auditors since 2002.

Ernst & Young LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants

Licensed Public Accountants

Toronto, Canada

November 28, 2018

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

To the shareholders and directors of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Opinion on internal control over financial reporting

We have audited Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s (CIBC) internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the “COSO criteria”). In our opinion, CIBC maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2018, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets as at October 31, 2018 and 2017, the consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2018, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information and our report dated November 28, 2018 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for opinion

CIBC’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying management’s discussion and analysis. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on CIBC’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to CIBC in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the consolidated financial statements in Canada, the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Ernst & Young LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants

Licensed Public Accountants

Toronto, Canada

November 28, 2018

Consolidated balance sheet

The accompanying notes and shaded sections in “MD&A – Management of risk” are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated statement of income