50 Most Powerful Women
8. Rita Humphries-Lewin, Founder and Chairman, The Barita Group Rita Humphries-Lewin has been at the forefront of Jamaica’s stock broking industry for over thirty-five years. One of the first women in this hemisphere to become a stockbroker, Lewin went on to become the first female Chairman of a Stock Exchange in the Caribbean leading the Jamaica Stock Exchange in this capacity in 1984 and again in 1995 to 2000. Under her tenure, she spearheaded the establishment of the Jamaica Central Securities Depository in 1998 and the development of electronic trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in January of 2000. Lewin has also served as the Chairman of The Development Bank of Jamaica participating in the development and implementation of Jamaica’s “Highway 2000” project and the “Harmony Cove” project in Trelawny. Founded in 1977 by Rita Humphries-Lewin, Barita Investments Limited has the distinction of being the oldest stock broking company in Jamaica. Over the past 31 years, the company has built a sound reputation for excellence in the areas of Equities Trading, Fixed
The Barita Group is made up of Barita Investments Limited and Barita Unit Trusts Management Company Limited with a dedicated team of over seventy (70) professionals. BM
7. Lorna Myers – Co Founder and Chairman, Restaurants of Jamaica Limited Lorna Myers became the first woman to be inducted into The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s (PSOJ) Hall of Fame, becoming the 20th inductee taking her place in the Hall of Fame among the finest and most celebrated businessmen in Jamaica. Lorna and her Tony Myers founded the privately held Restaurants of Jamaica in 1975 when the family opened the first KFC restaurant in Kingston In 1990, she became Chairman and CEO of the company working alongside her son, Mark, and later her daughters Michelle and Tina. She continued to lead Restaurants of Jamaica through rapid expansion, maintaining leadership in the industry and achieving great success for the company persevering through challenging economic times and many other obstacles,. She is responsible for the expansion of arguably Jamaica’s most popular fast food brand in Jamaica, KFC - doubling the number of KFC outlets and adding Pizza Hut to the company’s portfolio. Restaurants of Jamaica has grown to become the franchisee for both KFC and Pizza Hut – licensed to do so by YUM!, the current international franchisor. With well over 34 KFC restaurants operating in Jamaica and growing and at least five (5) Pizza Hut restaurants also in operation in four of those parishes. Restaurants of Jamaica, currently employs over 1300 persons islandwide. BM
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Businessuite Special Edition
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Income Securities, Foreign Currency Trading, Asset Management and Investment Research. The company is licensed by the Financial Services Commission, is a member of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and a Primary Dealer and Cambio Dealer for the Bank of Jamaica.