Mrs. Marlene Street Forrest is the Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) and Director of both its subsidiaries. Her mandate is to continue the process of developing the JSE Group and particularly the Exchange, in an atmosphere of transparency and fairness while utilizing appropriate technology in providing the greatest possible efficiencies to the market.

Mrs. Street Forrest has a wealth of experience, having worked in senior management positions at varying private and public sector organizations in Jamaica and overseas. Under her stewardship the JSE became mutualized and the US Denominated Market and the Junior Market were launched. She also spearheaded the Registrar Division of the Jamaica Central Securities Depository (JCSD) when she served as General Manager for this subsidiary of the JSE. Today, Mrs. Street-Forrest is a highly demanded speaker, having given presentations at many local, regional and international conferences and seminars for the securities markets and financial services industry.

The Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness was first elected as Member of Parliament (MP) to represent the Constituency of West Central St. Andrew in 1997, at the age of 25. Now in his fourth consecutive term as MP, Mr. Holness became Jamaica’s ninth Prime Minister after the Jamaica Labour Party defeated the People’s National Party at the polls on February 25, 2016.

Mr. Holness has pledged to build real partnerships with the Private Sector, Civil Society, the Diaspora, the Opposition and International Partners in order to achieve the vision of shared prosperity for all Jamaicans through inclusive economic growth and meaningful job creation.

Mr. Holness first served as Head of Government from October 2011 to January 2012 having succeeded former Prime Minister the Honourable Bruce Golding.

Prior to assuming the awesome responsibility of leading the nation, Mr. Holness has worked steadily at various levels of the political and governance systems. He has focused on several key portfolios areas including: social welfare, community development, housing and education. However, it is in the area of Education that Mr. Holness found his passion and distinguished himself both as the Opposition Spokesperson on Education and in the Cabinet as Minister of Education.

His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, was sworn in as Guyana’s Ninth Executive President on August 2, 2020.

Dr Ali is one of two sons of his parents, who are both educators. He was born on April 25, 1980, into a Muslim, Indo-Guyanese family at Leonora, West Coast Demarara. His early education started at Leonora Nursery and Primary schools and progressed to the Cornelia Ida Primary School, while he completed his secondary education at the St Stanislaus College in Georgetown.

Dr Ali is the holder of a Doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Arts Degree in Manpower Planning, a Post Graduate Diploma in International Business, a Post- Graduate Certificate in Finance from Anglia Ruskin University, an LLM Degree in International Commercial Law at the University of Salford and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons.) in Business Management from the University of Sunderland.

He was also a member of the Canadian Institute of Management (up to 2017) and Project Management Professional-PMP (2006).

He previously served as Project Manager of the Caribbean Development Bank’s Project Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Finance and Senior Planner in the State Planning Secretariat. He became a member of the National Assembly of Guyana in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the portfolios of Minister of Housing and Water and Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce. During his time at the Ministry of Housing, he implemented the most extensive endowment campaign in the history of the country, backed by a massive distribution of lots to citizens of all social strata and geographic regions.

In the National Assembly, Dr Ali was also a leading spokesperson on the economy and finance. He served as chair of one of the most important committees, the Public Accounts Committee, and co-chair of the Economic Services Committee of the Parliament of Guyana.
Dr Ali is married and is a father.

Gregory Fisher has served in the securities business for over 30 years. A Managing Director at Jefferies, he joined that firm in November 2015, as Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income Sales within Jefferies Wealth Management Division.

Prior to joining Jefferies, Gregory worked at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc, also as a Managing Director. He joined Oppenheimer in 2005, where he was instrumental in the creation of a new Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. branch, Atlanta International, with its main focus on the
Caribbean and Central American businesses.

Gregory was a Senior Managing Director at Bear Stearns & Co., before moving to Oppenheimer. As a Senior Managing Director at Bear Stearns, he was also in charge of Sales and Trading for firms in the Caribbean and Central America.

Winston Adams is the Executive Chairman of the UCC Group which includes the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, UCC Global, UCC Academy, Global Knowledge Process Solutions (GKPS), UCC Foundation, US Inc., RE/MAX Elite Realty, RE/MAX Jamaica, SPECTRUM Capital Partners, SPECTRUM Capital (St. Lucia) Holdings, Worthington Real Estate Investment, and the latest acquisition: Monaire Financial Services Limited.

Dr Adams studied at Howard University, Florida International University and University of Phoenix, and obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration & Doctorate in Business Administration, Strategic Leadership & Disruptive Innovation.

Dr Adams created history in 2002, with the successful acquisition of the prestigious 27-year-old Institute of Management and Production (IMP) by the Institute of Management Sciences, creating the largest privately-held higher education conglomerate in Jamaica with a combined annual student population for the University of approximately 7,000 and an annual operating budget of just about J$1.5B.

In 2004 he was honoured as a Jamaica Observer Business Leader for his vision and creativity in establishing Jamaica’s foremost private higher educational institution. He is married to Geraldine. The couple has two daughters.

Tariq Alli has over 20 years of extensive experience in corporate finance spanning debt capital markets, deal origination, syndication, and structuring. He previously held several roles including Assistant Vice President and Vice President across various indigenous financial institutions in Trinidad & Tobago before he joined the First Citizens Group in 2011. At the First Citizens Group, he held the positions of Head of Capital Markets, Assistant General Manager – Corporate & Investment Banking Unit, and, before joining the IDB, General Manager – Corporate and Investment Banking Unit where he had overall responsibility for the Unit’s Private Sector, LATAM, Government of Trinidad & Tobago and Debt Capital Markets Business Units.

He attained a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from The University of the West Indies and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

Ms. Joanna A. Banks was appointed PanJam’s CEO and joined its Board of Directors in 2021; having previously held the senior positions of Vice President and Senior President of New Business Development and Strategy. She has successfully been leading PanJam’s strategic planning process and investments for several years.

Prior to joining PanJam, Ms. Banks was Vice President and Director at ExxonMobil, where she managed the US$7 billion fixed income portion of the US pension fund. Ms. Banks tenure at Exxon Mobil over [six years] involved M&A support, financial management, investor relations and a wide range of cross-border transactions.

Ms. Banks scholastic achievements include a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is also a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Ms. Banks is a Director of Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited, Sagicor Investments Jamaica Limited, Jamaica Property Company Limited and Term Finance (Jamaica) Limited. She also serves as a Trustee of the C.B. Facey Foundation.

Christopher Andrew-Marc Brown was appointed as General Manager for the Project Management Office at the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ). He is an open-minded, creative thinker who enables thoughtful discussions around solutions. In his role at the DBJ, he is responsible for designing innovative financial solutions and implementing programmes that drive private sector led growth for Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). He also manages the Bank’s technical assistance portfolio which focuses on strengthening the MSME ecosystem for improved productivity.

Christopher has worked on Government programmes funded by international development partners such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Union and the World Bank in the areas of MSME development and energy sustainability projects.

He also currently serves as the Project Manager for the Boosting Innovation, Growth and Entrepreneurship and Ecosystems (BIGEE) programme, financed by the GOJ and IDB which is geared at developing the financing and supporting technical assistance required in each stage of the business and innovation lifecycle.

Richard Owen Byles was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 25 February 1951. He has served the private and public sectors in several senior management positions spanning three decades, and is one of the most accomplished corporate leaders of his generation.

Mr. Byles was appointed Governor of Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) effective 19 August 2019.

Before assuming the role of BOJ Governor, he served as Chairman of Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited following 13 successful years at the helm of Sagicor Group Jamaica as President and CEO. Prior to his tenure at Sagicor, Mr. Byles served as President and CEO at PanJam Investment Limited for 13 years.

In addition to serving as Chairman for several Sagicor Group-related boards, he was also Chairman of several other boards, including Desnoes and Geddes Limited (Red Stripe Jamaica) and a Director on others, including PanJam Investment Limited.

His public sector service includes serving as the first private sector Co-Chairman of Jamaica’s landmark Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC).

Mr. Byles holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of the West Indies, Mona, and a M.Sc. in National Development from the University of Bradford, England. He was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters from Northern Caribbean University, and the Doctor of Business from the University College of the Caribbean.

Honourable Pearnel P. Charles Jr. was the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. Prior to this appointment, he was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, the National Council for Coastal Zone Management, among other areas. He also served as Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security where he had portfolio duties for the Department of Correctional Services, the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force and special projects within the national security portfolio. He is also the Chairman of the UNESCO Youth Advisory Council.

Minister Charles is an Attorney-at-Law qualified to practice law in Jamaica and the United States of America. Throughout his professional career, he served with distinction as a Judicial Clerk, Senior Clerk of Court, Crown Counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and as the Lead Counsel and Managing Attorney of The Law Offices of Pearnel P. Charles Jr.

The Senator is also a former President of the Law Society and a former Guild President of the University of West Indies where he earned two honours degrees; a Bachelor of Science (double major in Biochemistry and Zoology) and a Bachelor of Laws. Additionally, he holds a Master of Laws degree from The George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. where he was awarded the Thomas Buergenthal Scholarship for academic performance.

Pearnel Charles Jr. was born with a passion for community service and as a youth advocate, he continues to actively participate in community activities geared towards uplifting underserved communities and protecting the most vulnerable.

Nigel is a communication specialist whose practice spans both the public and private sectors. For more than fifteen years he served the financial sector working at Island Life Merchant Bank, Barita Investments Ltd., and CIBC First Caribbean International Securities Ltd (CIBCFCIB).

Coke currently serves as the Communication Director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica. He is a member of the Church’s Executive Committee (Board), Administrative Committee (ADCOM), and its Finance and Investment Committee.

This results-driven, highly motivated professional is the Chairman of the NCU Media Group Advisory Board. He holds membership in the Press Association of Jamaica, the Society of Adventist Communicators in North America, and is the current Secretary-General of the National Religious Liberty Association (NRLA).

Twenty-five years ago he married the love of his life, Bobbette. They have remained happily married and are the parents of two young adult sons – Chad-Anthony and Ramoy.

Mr. Cook is the Senior Vice President, Market Development of the Canadian Securities Exchange where he has been a member of the executive management team since the exchange launched in 2003. In his current role he provides leadership in both regulatory and business development roles. He currently participates in the exchange’s committees responsible for listing approvals, market maker assignments and the composition and maintenance of the CSE Composite Index.

Immediately prior to joining the CSE, he held the position of V-P Market Surveillance, Market Regulation Services Inc., which was created in 2001 by the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) and the Investment Dealers Association of Canada (IDA) to regulate Canadian markets.
Rob had a 19-year career at the TSE where he held a number of positions in listed company and market regulation including Director, Original Listings, followed by Director, Market Surveillance. Before that he worked in the mining industry for three years as a mineral economist for a major mining company and an international consulting firm.

Rob holds an Honours BA in Economics from York University and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Gobind Nauth Ganga completed his BA degree in economics and administrative studies at the University of Winnipeg and his MA and PhD degrees in economics at the University of Manitoba during the 1980s. He was a lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at his alma mater. He was also a lecturer in economics at the University of West Indies, Mona Campus, in Jamaica, an adjunct professor at the Consortium Graduate School at Mona, Jamaica and a senior researcher/senior lecturer at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus.

In 1995, Dr. Ganga was appointed Director of the Research Department at the Bank of Guyana. He held that position until November 2003, when he was appointed Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., representing 10 Caribbean territories along with Canada and Ireland. In June 2005, Dr. Ganga was appointed Deputy Governor at the Bank of Guyana. However, he was only able to take up his appointment after completing his term at the World Bank. On May 8th, 2014, he was appointed Governor of Bank of Guyana.

Dr. Ganga has a wealth of central banking experience. He has written and published many articles on a wide variety of economic issues, including banking, monetary policy, finance and economic development. He has made several presentations and participated in numerous international and regional conferences.

Since 1993, Dr. Ganga has served on many Boards, Committees, Commissions and Tribunals. At the World Bank, he served on the Committee on Governance and Administrative Matters as well as the Sub-Committee on Development Effectiveness. Also, he has been the chairman of the Committee of Caricom Central Bank Governors and the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC).

Steven Gooden is the Chief Executive Officer of NCB Capital Markets Ltd, which is the wealth, asset management and investment banking division of the NCB Financial Group. Under his leadership, the entity has become Jamaica’s leading capital markets outfit, with a strong and growing presence throughout the Caribbean via the establishment of hubs in the Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados. Steven’s ascension to executive management was at 26 years old when he was appointed head of one of Jamaica’s leading fund management companies.

In 2009, he rejoined NCB Capital Markets as Vice President, Investments and Trading where he successfully integrated the investment management functions of the Group’s subsidiaries with combined assets exceeding US$2billion and successfully led the company through two national debt exchanges. Steven is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, has a Master’s Degree in Finance and Economics, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Accounting, and has received many accolades in the areas of research and portfolio management. He has also participated in executive development courses covering Strategy, Change Leadership and Mergers & Acquisitions.

Steven sits on the board of directors of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Ltd, TransJamaican Highway Ltd, the Jamaica International Financial Services Authority and several companies within the NCB Financial Group. Additionally, he is the Chairman of Limners & Bards Ltd and Mundo Finance Ltd; as well as President of the Jamaica Securities Dealers Association.

Berisford Grey (known as Beris) is widely considered one of the region’s top investment bankers. As one of the founders of Sygnus Capital, he is living out his passion to create a leading Alternative Investments firm that uses creative approaches to unlock capital for clients.

Beris’s career was launched in the European Debt Capital Markets where he worked as an Associate Director in investment banking with particular focus on Securitisation and Structured Finance. After returning to the Caribbean, he held key positions at leading regional banks where he used his out-of-the-box thinking to generate game-changing results. This includes setting up and driving the Scotia Investments Capital Markets Unit to become a leader in the local market within 3-years and contributing significantly to the turnaround of CIBC FirstCaribbean Corporate & Investment Banking business between 2013-2016. Over the last decade he has raised over US$ 10 billion in financing for corporates and sovereigns across the region.

At CIBC FirstCaribbean, the largest regional bank in the English Speaking Caribbean, he held the posts of Managing Director and Executive Director of Corporate and Investment Banking where he oversaw a loan portfolio of US$3.0 billion USD in assets, and developed and executed regional strategy for the business to ensure competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

Prior to joining CIBC FirstCaribbean, Beris served as Senior Vice President of Origination & Capital Markets at Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited between 2010 and 2013. During this time, he executed some of the most innovative transactions in the local market

She serves as the President and Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria (IoD), the Chief Executive Officer of Leading Edge Consulting, Nigeria and Partner at Kestria, a Global Executive Search Partnership ranked as the fastest growing and largest executive search alliance in the world with footprints in 90 cities across six continents.

She holds a PHD in Psychology with specialization in Psychometrics from the University of Lagos. Dr. Jidenma has over more than three decades made profound contributions in the area of Human Resources Management & Organizational Development. Her professionalism has earned her respectability and recognition in the corporate sphere. She has served on different boards including as a Non-Executive Director in First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited and as an independent Non-Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Limited. She also provided oversight to the Board Subsidiaries in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, DRC, Guinea and United Kingdom. She is also a Director of the Nigeria-South African Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Governing Council of the Nigeria British Chamber of Commerce and a Director of the African Corporate Governance Network (ACGN).

A Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, Dr. Jidenma is a multiple award winner. Dr. Jidenma deploys her spare time in rendering philanthropic work. She is the founder & Executive Secretary of the Goddy Jidenma Foundation, noted for thought leadership in Africa. Her personal goal is to contribute to Africa’s renaissance, transformation, and reintegration with its diaspora.

Dr Joel Haruna was born on the 1st of September and hails from Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a consummate Banker with over 20 years’ cognate experience in areas of Risk management, Operations, Portfolio management, Strategic management, Business Development and Advisory Services, He had worked in the defunct United Bank for Africa, Diamond Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc, He has held several position including Head of Operations, Branch Manager, Divisional Head and Regional Manager in charge of Abuja at various times. He is currently a General Manager with Dignity Finance and Investment Ltd, Vice President of the Celerux Group managing various high-profile Franchises in Abuja and North and Finance Director of Ash Biomedicals and Diagnostics Ltd.

Dr Joel Haruna is an alumnus of the Prestigious Harvard Business School, Boston MA, Nasarawa State University, and the University of Jos, He holds a B.sc Degree in Accounting, M.Sc. Accounting, MBA and PhD. In Finance all by examination and Research.

He is a thoroughbred professional and a multi-disciplinary scholar, a Certified and Chartered Accountant, Chartered System accountant, Chartered Banker, Chartered Stockbroker, He holds Associate Membership and Fellowship of several institute in Nigeria, USA, and the United Kingdom in the areas of Finance, Business and Accounting.

Amal Hassan is the Founder and CEO of Outsource Global – Nigeria’s leading business process outsourcing giant, servicing countries in Africa, the United States, UK, Canada and Japan.

In 2013, she founded Outsource Global and currently leads a team of 1000+ staff in 3 locations across Nigeria. Outsource Global is a gender-balanced company focused on inclusion and empowerment.

In 2018, Amal was named one of the 16 women business leaders by Fortune-US Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. She has been recognized as one of Nigeria’s star by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria for her outstanding impact to nation-building. In 2022, she was recognized by UN Women and UNDP for her contributions to women’s political and socio-economic empowerment in the Nigerian Private Sector, winning the Inaugural International Women’s Day Award.

She has participated in business missions and attended various professional and leadership courses, conferences and seminars both locally and abroad. Widely regarded as a role model for the girl-child and women especially in northern Nigeria, she has continued to mentor young leaders across her industry.

Amal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administrations and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria . Amal is a partner in Bluetag Group the holding company for Parkway Projects, HealthStation, Bluetag Technologies, Bluetag Synergy and Outsource Global.

Simone Hudson holds the position of Vice President- Alternatives and Fund Management. She is charged with the responsibility of expanding the company’s off balance sheet product offerings which includes its Unit Trust portfolios, Structured Products Solutions and the build out of its Alternative Investments platform.

Ms. Hudson has over 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry both in Jamaica and Canada. In her previous roles in Research and Investment Banking at NCBCM, she coached three winners of the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Market Research competition, spearheaded the development of the company’s first Structured products offering as well as structured and arranged one of the largest infrastructure bond offer in the region.

Ms. Hudson has won several awards in the area of Research in Jamaica and placed first in the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners Case Competition in 2018.

She holds a BSc. in Economics and Statistics from the University of the West Indies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from Centennial College and is a CFA Charter holder.

Timar is Assistant Vice President responsible for originating and structuring capital markets solutions for corporate entities of varying sizes at NCB Capital Markets Limited.  His expertise spans, negotiation, valuation, and deal advisory, structuring, syndication and execution. As an investment banker at one of the nation’s leading brokerage houses he has, advised on and lead the execution and successful close of deals spanning the gamut of the private and public debt, and equity capital markets.

Timar is a CFA Charterholder and holds a BSc. In Actuarial Science (Hons.) from the University of the West Indies, Mona, an MSc. in Applied Statistics, and an MBA in Finance, Strategy, and Operations both from the University of Oxford where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar

Timar is passionate about national progress and takes a keen interest in Education and Youth development. He served as a member of the Vauxhall High School Board and is a part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community in Kingston, where he pioneered the group’s flagship program “MENd” – a mentorship program that targets young men from inner-city communities.

Simon Johnson is an experienced Investment Banker with a proven history of deal structuring and execution. He is skilled in structuring creative debt and equity solutions, carrying out extensive due diligence, transaction management, and regarded as an astute leader of people. He is experienced in executing structured transactions within and outside of the Caribbean region.

These skills are complemented by his experience as an Economist. Simon has led and executed policy research, both qualitative and quantitative, in various sectors; namely fiscal, education, and energy. His particular focus is to use his knowledge of economics as a tool to broaden access to financial markets. This access spans from the average citizen to small businesses to corporations that will ultimately be contributors to sustainable development.

Simon is a trained Development Economist, having studied for and executed research in that field. He is passionate about improving access to financial markets through also improving access to information about creating, managing, and maintaining wealth. I am a trained Development Economist, having studied for and executed research in that field.

Terise joined Barita on March 2, 2020 as Vice President, Investment Banking. Prior to joining Barita, Ms. Kettle held key roles within the financial services sector including Assistant Vice President, Corporate & SME Banking and Team Lead – Relationship Manager (Corporate & Commercial Banking). Terise holds a Master of Business Administration in Banking and Finance with Distinction and a Bachelor’s in Management Studies and Accounting with Honours from the University of the West Indies. Additionally, she has Project Management Certification from the University of the West Indies.

Damien King is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), a public policy think tank, and formerly a lecturer in Economics at the University of the West Indies. He has written, supervised, and published academic work and policy papers in the areas of sovereign debt, economic modeling, international trade, and financial inclusion, amongst others. Damien is the author and editor (with David Tennant) of Debt and Development in Small Island Developing States, (Palgrave, New York). He earned his B.A. from York University, Canada, an M.Sc. from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a Ph.D. from New York University, USA. Damien serves on corporate boards in the public and private sector. Recreational activities include watching cricket, hiking, and reading.

K’adamawe K’Nife holds a PhD in Sustainable Development and an MSc in Economics. K’Nife currently leads and coordinates the BSc in Management and Entrepreneurship Option and is a researcher and lecturer at the Mona School of Business and Management, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, in the field of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Planning. His research focus is on Social Entrepreneurship and the application of dynamic strategic planning techniques in planning, policy and project development. He applies these techniques at the international, regional and national levels, with a special interest in developing countries, ‘at risk communities’ and focusing on ‘at risk youths’. K’Nife is currently the Director of the Office of Social Entrepreneurship and Youth Crime Watch Jamaica. Dr. Knifes is also an associate researcher with the Institute of Sustainable Development, UWI.

Dr Axel Kravatzky is the Managing Partner of Syntegra-ESG – based in Trinidad & Tobago. He has been working throughout the Caribbean and Europe for over two decades. Axel advises and guides leaders on navigating their organizations through the chasm between their organizations today, at the beginning of their ESG journey, and tomorrow’s purposeful, high-performance, sustainable leaders of their industry.

Axel is also the Vice Chair of ISO/TC309 Governance of Organizations and was the co-convener of ISO/TC309/WG1, which developed ISO 37000:2021 Governance of Organizations — Guidance. Axel currently convenes ISO/TC309/WG1 Governance of organizations and leads the development of ISO 37006 Indicators of Effective Organizational Governance -to be published in early 2024. Axel is the founding Chair of the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute (2012-2016).

With over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, Julian currently operates as JMMB’s Group Chief Investment Strategist. In addition to his position at JMMB, he has played a significant role in the development of Jamaica’s capital market. His experience includes positions at Dehring, Bunting and Golding Limited (now Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited) and JMMB. A former Managing Director of Lets Investment Limited, his leadership resulted in the boutique operation becoming a global player in the trading of internationally issued securities.

Julian is the Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE). He is a founding member and current Vice-President of the Jamaica Securities Dealers Association (JSDA), and also serves various institutions as a director, including JMMB Securities Limited, JMMB Investments (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, JMMB Securities (T&T) Limited, JMMB Puesto de Bolsa; Factories Corporation of Jamaica; Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Ltd.

Mr. Oliver Mair brings to the Jamaican Consulate a wide experience in marketing, sales, business and the arts and expertise spanning the tourism, agro-processing and real estate industries. He is a former Sales and Marketing Manager at Jamaica Broilers and believes strongly in brand Jamaica and volunteerism.

The former Air Jamaica Regional Marketing Manager and Campion College graduate is also an avid sports fan and has served as Vice President of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association. Another of his passions is theatrical production, for which he has achieved an Actor Boy award.

Mr. Mair who holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Nova South Eastern University and Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a Management Studies minor (Upper Second Class Honours), is also a realtor at Coldwell Banker Jamaica Limited.
Mr. Mair is married to Tanya and they have a daughter, Serena.

Kadeen Mairs, is widely regarded as a visionary entrepreneur and strategist whose philosophy of “solving problems and creating businesses with the solutions” has resulted in extraordinary business success and inspiring initiatives.

Kadeen Mairs, the founder and director of Dequity Capital Mangement Limited and Chief Executive Officer of its portfolio company, Dolla Financial Services. Mairs has over 14 years of experience in the financial sector, starting at 18 working within Credit Unions, Commercial Banks, Investment Banks, Venture Capital Companies and the Founding of Micro Finance Institutions.

Among his many personal accomplishments, Kadeen is a Certified Expert in Micro Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management – Germany, and has received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Montego Bay Community College – Management Major and pursued a Master of Business Administration with a major in Marketing from the University of Technology Jamaica. He is the recent recipient of the Young Entrepreneur Award courtesy of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Delroy McLean is the Senior Director for Enterprise, Government & Products at Cable & Wireless Communications. In this capacity, he charts the company’s ICT solutions roadmap and owns the delivery of innovative products for organisations across the Caribbean and Latin America. This multi-faceted role allows Delroy to leverage his background in key areas of the B2B organisation as he actions customer insight, builds partnerships and delivers major commercial deals.

Delroy possesses a 20-year track record of optimising B2B sales, spearheading engineering systems integration across multiple technologies, leading change management and facilitating ICT business transformation. With a focus on building effective teams, he has held several leadership roles, including Vice President of Service Delivery and Support for Fujitsu Caribbean and Director of Sales Engineering at Columbus Communications, immediately prior to the merger with Cable and Wireless Communications.

Since joining Cable & Wireless Communications in 2015, Delroy has led the C&W Business Regional Sales Engineering team, the Networking, Security and Mobile Workforce Solutions team and, most recently the C&W Business Jamaica team. In that role, he delivered accelerated growth of C&W Business’ solutions portfolio across all segments of the Jamaican market and increased efficiencies in service delivery and support.

An advocate for professional empowerment, Delroy has mentored executives to step into the next level of their professional journey.

Eva Mitchell is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange Limited (TTSE) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Trinidad and Tobago Central Depository Limited (TTCD). Ms. Mitchell joined The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange Limited (TTSE) in 2016 as Manager – Market Operations, with the responsibility of overseeing the daily market operations of The Exchange.

She has over 19 years’ experience in various areas of financial services such as Finance, Asset Management, Retail and Commercial Banking, and Brokerage Services. She holds a BSc. (Hons.) in Business Management from the University of New Brunswick and a MSc. in International Finance from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business.

In October 2020, Ms. Mitchell assumed the position of Acting CEO of the TTSE, with overall responsibility for business development and operations of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the TTCD. In April 2021, Ms. Mitchell was appointed Chief Executive Officer of both Companies.

Over the past two decades Nataliya worked at the World Bank, IMF and IFC on macroeconomic policy, private and financial sector development issues in over 50 countries. She is currently a Lead Economist for the Caribbean overseeing engagement on macroeconomic policy, financial and private sector development, governance and poverty. Before joining the team in the Caribbean region she led economic team for Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. Earlier, she was based in East Asia region and focused on financial sector in the Philippines as well as worked on financial inclusion in Myanmar, SME finance policy in Malaysia, and financial inclusion and community development in Indonesia.

Ms. Mylenko is the lead author of the number of the World Bank Group reports including Global Survey on Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Oversight Frameworks and Practices in 114 countries, and Financial Access reports, introducing for the first time indicators of financial access in 140 countries and providing analysis of the trends in financial access policies.

Dayo Obisan is the Executive Commissioner in charge of Operations at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria where he oversees the core technical functions of the Commission covering M&As, issuance of securities, investment management, market development, and the registration of operators in the Nigerian Capital Market, among other key transactional matters.

Prior to his appointment as a Commissioner at the SEC, he was the President of the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria and has held C-suite roles in some of the leading independent Asset Management firms in Nigeria. With about 2 decades of experience as a Fund Manager, Dayo contributed to the launch and operation of several notable transactions in the Nigerian capital market, including the creation of the first publicly-raised fund (unit trust) targeting investment in Nigeria’s entertainment sector, the restructuring of Nigeria’s first $-denominated mutual fund and management of Nigeria’s first gender-specific mutual fund.

Dayo holds an M.Sc. in Business and Financial Economics, is a Fellow of the Institute of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers (IAPM) and a Doctoral student at the Swiss School of Business Research.

Julian Jay Robinson M.P. is Opposition Spokesman on Information and the Knowledge Economy, Member of Parliament for the constituency of South East St. Andrew and Deputy General Secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP). He served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining from 2012-2016.

He entered representational politics in the local government elections of 2007, running in the Trafalgar Division for a parish council seat the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Julian represents a new generation of political leadership in Jamaica. He respects and is in return respected by all, including his political opponents. Highly visible on the national stage as the PNP’s Deputy General Secretary, Julian’s strong organizational skills, sharp intellect, and the ability to rationally discuss local, national and international issues have earned him positive recognition.

Julian has devoted himself to national and public service, and has served on a number of executive boards, including the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, the Factories Corporation of Jamaica, the Kingston and Montego Bay Freezone Company, the HEART Trust/NTA, and The Institute of Sports. He has also served a member of the National Advisory Committee on Local Government Reform. In 2003, Julian was elected Deputy General Secretary of the PNP, and chose to leave JAMPRO to work full time with the party secretariat.

René was born and raised in Curacao, finished his law studies and joined the Citco Group of companies where he worked for 28 years in different jurisdictions/countries in the areas of fiduciary / trust services and international banking services. In 2012 René joined the Dutch Caribbean Securities Exchange where he is still involved as the Senior Commercial Advisor.

• Electromechanical Engineer, with +7 years of experience in Energy Efficiency and PV Systems
• Specialized in Applications and Distributed Generation
• Experienced Project Manager and has deployed several projects throughout all LATAM
• Joined Huawei Digital Power since 2021 and in a short period of time has become a leader in his field.

Stacy-Ann Tait spearheads the development of the company’s business strategy for its proprietary investment portfolios across multiple jurisdictions while leading the Trading & Portfolio Management Teams. She has over 16 years’ experience in the financial services industry, which includes experience in portfolio management, risk management, fund management and corporate finance. Stacy-Ann holds a Bachelor of Science in Banking & Finance from the University of the West Indies and is a CFA and CAIA Charter Holder. She served as a director and secretary on the Board of Directors of CFA Society Jamaica for the period April 2018 to August 2021. She serves as a business advisor and mentor to Clean Crew Jamaica.

Gervase has been President and Group CEO of the Massy Group of Companies since 2009. Prior to his appointment, he also served as the Executive Chairman of the Group’s Energy & Industrial Gases Business Unit and has served as a Director of Massy Holdings Limited since 2004, the year in which he joined the Group.

Prior to his Massy experience, Gervase was a Partner at the international management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, where he spent 11 years serving clients in the US, Latin America and Caribbean across a wide range of industries. He currently serves on the Trinidad & Tobago Board of Citigroup Merchant Bank Limited, the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business and United Way Trinidad & Tobago and is the Chairman of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation.

Jai’s mastery is engineering tactical technology to evolve organizations out of legacy systems & processes in order to adopt flexible turn key solutions. Jai commands the development of technology to create an environment for organizations to compete at a high level. Under Jai’s leadership, Blockstation’s Development team has successfully deployed it’s technology and suite of products to Stock Exchanges, Depositories, Financial Institutions and Regulators.

Jai’s expertise in enterprise architecture and software development has created a unique Blockchain and digital assets space, one where exchanges are more inclusive, more attractive, more competitive and more accessible, all while under a regulatory framework. Prior to Blockstation, Jai founded Illions, an ERP Cloud company with customers across 12 industries under one flexible platform. Jai is the inventor of Cross Company Automation, which is a process to automate internal and external data exchange across multiple independent organizations.

Marlon E. Yarde has been with the Barbados Stock Exchange Group since November 1, 2003. The Group includes the parent, Barbados Stock Inc (BSE) its subsidiary, the Barbados Central Securities Depository Inc. (BCSDI) and the subsidiary of the BCSDI, the BCSDI Custodian Trust Services Inc. (BCTSI). He currently holds the position of Managing Director and CEO within the Group.

Mr. Yarde has played a leadership role in the significant developments within the BSE over his nineteen plus years tenure, including the BSE’s demutualization and the launch of the International Securities Market.

Mr. Yarde, a Chartered Accountant with his professional qualifications being a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants Association of Canada and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados.

He is also a Chartered Governance Professional and Chartered Secretary holding a Fellowship designation from the Chartered Governance Institute given in London.

In addition, Mr. Yarde holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Huddersfield in the UK and a Master of Laws Degree, specializing in Securities Law from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Yarde is a keen support of and advocate for excellent corporate governance practice in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.

Kerry has over 16 years of experience in the financial industry specializing in investments. She has a unique blend of charisma, boldness and wit which one could easily attribute in part to her success. Over the life of her career, she has been instrumental in closing some of the Caribbean region’s largest and most significant transactions in both private & public debt & equity.

Kerry is the recent founder and director of Amani Consulting Partners; a boutique firm that will guide and represent clients in various capacities. Prior to consultancy, she built her career at two of the Caribbean’s leading financial institutions last of which she was a senior executive accountable for wealth management. In this capacity she led the largest team in the organization and was responsible for charting the strategy for sales and distribution of the firm’s investment products. This saw her spearheading sales operations, customer experience, digital channels, wealth marketing strategy, and syndication which expanded across the company’s regional entities. She was also integral in key strategic projects which saw her working alongside renowned international consultants and other leaders across the Group of Companies.

Kerry has a passion for financial literacy and freedom, mentoring, and philanthropy. She has served on the boards of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and Rotary International (Club TNH).

She’s a firm believer in never allowing ones mindset nor circumstance to limit ones God-given potential; her mantra “if you can dream it, you can do it” ~ Walt Disney.

Kerry is a Certified Financial Planner and holds an MBA (Finance) from University of Manchester, UK and BSc. (Business) from Norfolk State University, USA. She also completed executive education: Canadian Investment Fund (CIFC), corporate finance, and leadership from Stern (NYU) and Chicago Booth Business Schools.

Omar Zeolla is a research analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. where he focuses on Emerging Markets corporate fixed income, specializing in Latin American issuers. Omar has been at Oppenheimer since March 2012. He has over 15 years’ experience in research and investing in Emerging Markets having worked in both the sell side and buy side. Omar began his career at Citibank and held publishing research positions at Lehman Brothers, ING, UBS and RBS. He worked as an investment analyst, specializing in distressed situations and private equity at Fintech Advisory and JCAM (James Caird).

Omar holds a BA and MA in Economics from Fordham University and has the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. He is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).