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Brian Jardim Age: 49 Title: Chief Executive Officer Company: Rainforest Seafoods Montego Bay businessman Brian Jardim has racked up an impressive track record in his chosen field. In a mere 17 years, Jardim has grown Rainforest Seafoods into the largest seafood supplier in the Caribbean. From its western Jamaica Bay headquarters, Jardim leads a team of more than 250 employees who ensure the distribution of more than 400 types of premium quality fish and shellfish to customers across the Caribbean. Efficiency and friendliness are hallmarks of their service. Born in England in 1963, Jardim spent his childhood between Jamaica and Guyana. As a young child, he learned to become an entrepreneur. “I raised chickens in the backyard and sold eggs to family and friends. Then I moved to recycling bicycles that I sold to anyone who would buy them, school friends, and workers at the factory,” he said. Jardim took his education seriously and earned a diploma in business administration from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada; a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in financial accounting from the University of Florida. A two-year stint with Ernst and Young in Miami followed and he became a certified public accountant in Florida before joining the Sandals and Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) Group of companies in Jamaica where he spent 10 years and eventually became president of Sandals Resorts International. In 1995, Jardim partnered with Ian Dear to form Island Entertainment Brands (IEB), which owns and operates 12 restaurants and bars in three Caribbean islands, including the Caribbean franchise of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Marguerites Seafood by the Sea, Groovy Grouper, Blue Beat Jazz Bar and the Jamaica Bobsled Café franchise. In March 2010, Jardim sold his interest in IEB to focus on expanding Rainforest Seafoods and his other Caribbean interests. “The business started by importing seafood from the edge of the rainforest, so the name was a natural fit. I initially dabbled in brokerage of fish from Guyana to several islands, including Jamaica, Antigua and Barbados,” he explained. His board memberships include the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce (MBCC), the Private Sector 26
Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), First Global Bank, and CGM Gallagher Insurance Company. “Quality is our primary concern. We exceed the Food and Drug Administration’s Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points guidelines, concentrating on precise temperature control throughout the processing and distribution process. Our processing team of 50 works around the clock to provide the highest-quality product to our customers across the Caribbean,” Jardim said.