speaker
bios
Richard Byles Richard Byles has been the President and CEO of Sagicor Life Jamaica for the last eight years. Presently, he also serves as the Chairman of the board of Desnoes and Geddes and Pan Caribbean Financial Services, as well as a Director at Air Jamaica Limited. Byles served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pan Jamaican Investment Trust Limited (Pan Jam) for 13 years and is renowned for his contribution in guiding the company through the challenging economic period of the 1990s. Due to his extensive knowledge of the financial industry, Byles is appreciated as an expert in areas such as life, health and general insurance, banking and pension administration. Byles, who obtained a BSc in Economics from the University of the West Indies, Mona and an MSc in National Development from the University of Bradford in England, is also active in public service as a recently elected vice president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ). Byles is married and has two sons.
William Mahfood William Mahfood is a second-generation leader in his family business, Wisynco Group Limited, where he rose to the position of Managing Director in 1994 after many years of working with his father during the summer breaks, beginning as early as age 11. Mahfood is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, where he studied engineering and information systems. He played an instrumental role in the diversification of Wisynco from plastic, rubber and synthetic material production to manufacturing and distributing exciting brands such as Wata, CranWata, Bigga Schweppes, Minute Maid and Boom – Jamaica’s first and only locally produced energy drink. Additionally, it was under his leadership that the Wisynco Foods subsidiary, which manages the Wendy’s and Domino’s Pizza franchises, was formed. Mahfood’s belief in helping others is evidenced by his ongoing contribution to Food for the Poor by supervision of its policies, ensuring that various forms of assistance are provided wherever necessary. He is also a family man who is married and has four children.