TORONTO AND BOGOTÁ, July 25, 2011 /CNW/ - Scotia Capital, the wholesale banking arm of Scotiabank, today announced that Héctor Quiñones Gutierrez has been appointed to the position of Country Head of Colombia, effective immediately.

"I would like to congratulate Héctor on his appointment to Country Head and, on behalf of our team in Colombia, welcome him to this position," said Paul D'Agata, Managing Director & Head of Spanish Latin America, Corporate & Investment Banking for Scotia Capital.  "With his solid financial services background, including seven years as Chief Operating Officer and Country Risk Officer for Royal Bank of Scotland's operations in Colombia, Héctor has been integral in steering many of the initial projects during Scotia Capital's first year of acquiring the business last year."

Mr. Quiñones holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Southern Hemisphere University and a Masters in International Business from Harvard University.  He brings over 22 years of experience in the financial services industry, working in a variety of senior level positions.

"Héctor's appointment as Country Head recognizes his significant efforts, and we look forward to continued support in executing the growth strategies in Colombia to maximize the full potential of Scotiabank's presence in Latin America," added Frank Pinon, Managing Director & Head of Latin America, Capital Markets, Scotia Capital.

Scotia Capital is the global corporate and investment banking and capital markets division of the Scotiabank Group. We help corporate, institutional and government clients in Canada and around the globe seize opportunities, unlock value, and achieve their financial goals. Scotia Capital has 29 offices and more than 300 relationship managers organized around industry specialties. For more information, please visit www.scotiacapital.com.

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $571 billion (as at April 30, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.