SDM 2021 People Summit Digital Magazine

JULY 29, 2021 8 AM - 6 PM AST

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SEPTEMBER

22 - 23 2021

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LEADERSHIP MATTERS IN TIMES OF CRISIS

Dr. Didacus Jules Director General

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

We have always known that leadership matters – that is one of the abiding lessons of human history. In every sphere of action and at every level of society, leadership has made a tremendous difference in the evolution of civilization and in our daily lives.

As someone once said, “Vision is the ability to see things, not as they are, but as they can be!” and it is the exercise of vision that has propelled human progress.

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Reduced to its essentials, leadership is about the ability to conceive a larger vision and to motivate/inspire others to adopt and actualize it.

It is about seeing further and acting differently. It was the great African leader Kwame Nkrumah who emphasized the dialectic of thought and action as inseparable capabilities of those who make meaningful revolution possible when he pointed to the need to “think as men (sic) of action and act as men (sic) of thought.” With vision comes the imperative and the responsibility of optimism – a need – as H a r r y Tr u m a n a d v i s e d - t o “ m a k e opportunities out of dif culties.”

LEADERSHIP MATTERS IN TIMES OF CRISIS

To be effective, leadership requires a sense of history since a knowledge of what is past and its relevance or applicability to the present makes a difference in a leader’s ability to shape a compelling momentum behind the cause. And throughout history we have seen leaders – good and bad – utilize and appropriate history to shape their narrative for better and for worse. The morality of the leader(s) assumes particular importance as it provides the compass that points to the historical direction of the cause – is its trajectory one that galvanizes progress towards a better, more tolerant, more peaceful, more inclusively equitable, fairer, and prosperous world?

In times of turbulence and catastrophe when human instinct is triggered by survival impulse, leadership matters even more.

Catastrophe is disorienting and destabilizing. Volatility makes things unstable and unmanageable. Uncertainty generates fear and cultivates susceptibility to convenient “truths.”

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Complexity causes confusion and ambiguity germinates directionless and contradictory tendencies.

We are now in a historical moment when the entire planet is faced with a convergence of crises that individually and collectively constitute existential threats to human survival. From climate change to pandemic to economic collapse at the global level to natural disasters (hurricanes and volcanic eruptions), escalating crime and deepening poverty at the regional level.

All of this is what has framed the SDM 2021 focus on Leadership in Times of Crisis. By bringing together some of the most consequential leaders from many spaces (public, private and civic) and from intersecting geographies (the global, regional, and local) we hope to encourage deep re ection and an inspiration to action that, (in the words of Welsh thinker Raymond Williams) will “make hope possible rather than despair convincing.”

This convocation of those leaders who think as people of action and act as people of thought is central to our response to these challenges of our contemporary time and to our effort to accelerate our regional integration mission.

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ABOUT THE

PEOPLE SUMMIT “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr

The truth is, characters emerge through adversity and the titans of power are bred through crisis. The ability to lead through times of crisis, uncertainty, volatility and ambiguity is inextricably linked to our innate power to win and overcome. At some point, in some era, in a moment, an instance or another, anyone can emerge a leader; on whose shoulders rest the destiny of another, a nation, a race, a creed or a way of living.

This event, curates the story of stellar global leaders, who mastered the art of leading from the front and back; switching when it was important and morphing into something, anything, anywhere in an effort to obtain the ultimate – and that is, creating a future with possibilities! The OECS People Summit 2021 brings together global leaders with real stories and actionable solutions who braced through crisis leading their nations, regions and corporations to unprecedented success.

ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States conceptualized and hosted the inaugural Sustainable Development Movement (SDM) Summit in September 2020 under the theme: Create.

Innovate. Deliver. Sustain.

This is the rst and largest event of its type which created a common space where over 10,600+ Development Partners, the Private Sector entrepreneurs and investors, Academia, Caribbean Governments, Civil Society and individuals gathered virtually to exchange thoughts and agitate action around innovative sustainable growth and development of Small Island Development States (SIDS).

The 2021 iteration of the SDM Summit is positioned to fast-track the fruition of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union through disruptions, solid innovations and agility thereby fostering exponential growth and inclusion for all. The main motivations of the 2021 SDM is nestled in the agile manifesto which precludes: Meaningful partnerships over processes and tools

Over the three days and the period leading up to the Summit, the resounding message which pervaded the airways was the need for a resilient mind-shift, the key ingredient needed to foster social, economic and environmental growth, development and sustainability. The SDM 2020 message reached approximately 14 Million persons across 200+ countries and regions across the world.

MAIN FOCUS AREAS OF

Action and impact over comprehensive documentation Collaboration over contract negotiation Responding change over sticking to the plan

YOUTH ENVIRONMENT

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SDM 2021

HEALTH

ECONOMY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

SDM 2021 PEOPLE SUMMIT

TEAM

Aisha Ally

Lisa Taylor-Stone People Summit Project Manager & Head - Development Cooperation & Resource Mobilization

Communications Specialist & Summit Production Lead

Stefan Paul

Tahira Carter

IT Lead & Network Administrator

Senior Communications Specialist

Rebecca Finlason Harper SDM Ambassador & Events Intern

Sonia Reese

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Information Management Of cer

Natasha Deterville Programme Of cer

Shameila Moses Programme Assistant

Nadege Jn Baptiste Programme Of cer

Yashid Charles Communications Assistant & Summit vFairs Guru

Suean Benoire Graphic Designer

Empowered by Sustainable Brands to Build Sustainable

The Caribbean’s Leading Digital Marketing Agency

TRUSTED BY BRANDS LIKE… WWW.WHYTHOUGHTFUL.COM

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SDM 2021

EVENT SCHEDULE WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Welcome and Event Overview

8:00 AM

Daphne Ewing Chow

Opening Remarks

8:10 AM

Dr. Didacus Jules, Director-General – OECS Commission

OPENING KEYNOTE – INNOVATION, AGILITY AND INCLUSION: OUR PATHWAY TO AN INCREASINGLY VOLATILE, UNCERTAIN, COMPLEX AND AMBIGUOUS ENVIRONMENT

Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves

8:15 AM

Prime Minister – St. Vincent & the Grenadines

KEYNOTE ADDRESS - THE MINDSET OF VICTORY

Ibukun Awosika 9:00 AM

Former Chairman - First Bank of Nigeria Founder & CEO - The Chair Centre Group

10:15 AM

EXHIBITION HALL TOUR

KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION - WOMEN OF POWER AND THE LEADERSHIP TRAJECTORY: THEIR STORIES, THEIR VOICES

Pamela Coke-Hamilton

10:40 AM

United Nations Assistant Secretary General & Executive Director – International Trade Centre

Lisa Hanna Member of Parliament & Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Jamaica

Elizabeth Thompson

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Of Barbados

DISRUPTIONS AROUND LEADERSHIP REPUTATIONS: ARE THEY MADE OR LOST DURING TIMES OF CRISIS?

Michelle Palmer Keizer

12:00 PM

Managing Director, Republic Bank (EC) Limited

Robert Trestrail President & CEO - Sagicor Life Inc.

Wendy Delmar CEO, Caribbean Association of Banks Inc.

1:00 PM

1:30 PM

Lunch Hour Power Talk

Sekon STA, 02N Foundation

Jon Talarico

Jamilia Alexander

CEO – Empire Media Group

DURING A CRISIS, YOUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE LOSS AND KEEP THINGS OPERATING AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE

2:00 PM

Chris Gillet Senior Director, Global CIS DHL Express (Americas)

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE MAGIC: MAINTAINING UNBEATABLE TEAMS DURING TIMES OF CRISIS

3:10 PM

Gervase Warner President & Group CEO, Massy Holdings Limited.

THE ADVERSITY CHALLENGE:

MORPH, STIFFEN OR AGITATE

WITH

Brian Tracy

4:20 - 5:20 PM

Speaker, Trainer, Author

Brian Tracy’s

Like a

Handbook Power Words & Phrases for Getting Your Message Across Get it now

BY BRIAN TRACY

The past 18 months have been particularly dif cult for people around the World. In the Caribbean, the impact of COVID-19 has been felt across sectors; for organizational leaders, that burden has not been easy to bear. Events like the OECS People Summit create important opportunities for communities to come together, and share resources and ideas to successfully move forward. I must congratulate the OECS Team on this commendable initiative. I am very grateful to be a part of it.

The fact is that everyone is afraid. We all have fears of different kinds, small and large, hidden and exposed. Mark Twain said, “Courage is not lack of fear, but control of fear, mastery of fear.” In crunch time, you must draw on your courage to make hard choices and decisions and to do the things necessary to ensure the survival and wellbeing of the people and the organization that depends on you.

Whether it’s COVID-19 or any other situation that may prove to be a set back, when your business hits a crunch point, you must make the survival of your company your primary consideration. Desperate situations often require desperate measures. You must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to resolve the crisis and save the situation.

The worst effect of the fear of failure is that it can cause paralysis. People go into a state of emotional shock, like a deer caught in the headlights. They freeze up. The fear of failure can cause even strong people to become indecisive and irresolute.

The most common quality of leaders throughout the ages is their quality of vision. Leaders have a clear, exciting vision of where they want to go and what they want to accomplish in the future. They articulate this vision clearly to the people around them. This vision then serves as guide to motivate and inspire people to achieve at everhigher levels. Vision is what separates leaders from followers.

The second most common quality of leaders is courage.

Winston Churchill wrote that “courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all other depend.”

Learn How to Think Ahead Try My Personal Development Plan Template

Everyone is Afraid

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The fact is that everyone is afraid. We all have fears of different kinds, small and large, hidden and exposed. Mark Twain said, “Courage is not lack of fear, but control of fear, mastery of fear.” In crunch time, you must draw on your courage to make hard choices and decisions and to do the things necessary to ensure the survival and well-being of the people and the organization that depends on you.

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CRUNCH POINT

Do the Thing You Fear Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “If you would become a success, you must resolve to confront your fears. If you do the things you fear, the death of fear is certain.”

You develop courage in yourself by facing your fears and doing the things that you are most afraid to do. In business, the greatest fear (after the fears of ring someone or being red and nancial loss or bankruptcy) is the fear of confrontation. Many people are afraid to make hard choices and deal with people in a clear, unequivocal, and straightforward way. They fear angry responses, argument, and con ict. This inability to confront people both inside and outside of the business can often be fatal to the enterprise.

Fortunately, courage can be developed by acting courageously. When you do something that you fear, you feel more courageous. In life, courage follows courageous behavior. You become courageous by acting courageously, even when you do not feel like it. Emerson also wrote, “Do the thing and you will have the power.” Don’t be afraid to make hard decisions, especially with regard to people and expenses.

Go Into Crisis Mode When your business experiences a sudden crisis, you must go into “crisis mode.” You must act as though your business were on the verge of failure.

If you were threatened with bankruptcy, what actions or cutbacks would you make to save the business?

Whatever you would be prepared to do to save your business sometime in the future, do it immediately. Crisis management is crucial to save your business from a threat, so don’t delay.

Be aggressive about defending and protecting your business and your nances. Don’t be afraid to discontinue, downsize, or eliminate any business activity. If necessary, don’t hesitate to lay off or re people who are either unnecessary or incompetent. The fear of ring an incompetent employee in a key position is a major reason for business failure.

The author Dorothea Brande once wrote that the most important advice she ever received was to “act as if it were impossible to fail, and it shall be.”

The Two Parts of Courage There are two parts of courage. The rst is the courage to launch, to begin, to step out in faith with no guarantee of success. This is an essential part of courage that you can develop with practice. The second is the courage to endure, to persist in the face of disappointment and temporary failure.

Your job in business is to develop the courage to do whatever is necessary to ght the re, solve the problem, and get through the crunch. This is the hallmark and the test of true leadership.

The Two Parts of Courage 1. Identify some person, situation, or action that you fear; resolve that crisis & confront it immediately so you can put it behind you.

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2. Whatever decisions you would make if your survival was at stake, make them now. As Shakespeare wrote, “Take action against a sea of troubles, and in so doing, end them.”

NETWORK OF SPEAKERS Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined.

Brian Tracy has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 70 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.

He has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the elds of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology.

He is the top selling author of over 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Brian Tracy Speaker, Trainer, Author

He has written and produced more than 300 audio and video learning programs, including the worldwide, bestselling Psychology of Achievement, which has been translated into more than 28 languages.

He speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America's largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Self-Esteem, Goals, Strategy, Creativity and Success Psychology bring about immediate changes and long-term results.

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Prior to founding his company, Brian Tracy International, Brian was the Chief Operating Of cer of a $265 million dollar development company.

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OUR GROWING

He has had successful careers in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, importation, distribution and management consulting. He has conducted high level consulting assignments with several billiondollar plus corporations in strategic planning and organizational development.

He has traveled and worked in over 107 countries on six continents, and speaks four languages.

Brian is happily married and has four children. He is active in community and national affairs, and is the President of three companies headquartered in Solana Beach, California.

He is married to Eloise Gonsalves nee Harris and has three sons (Camillo, Adam and Storm), and two daughters (Isis and Soleil).

Dr. The Hon. Ralph Gonsalves Prime Minister - St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Dr. Gonsalves was educated in St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Colonarie Roman Catholic School and at the St. Vincent Boys’ Grammar School.

He later completed a Bachelors Degree in Economics at the University of the West Indies, there obtaining several noteworthy accolades including, President of the Debating Society and President of the Guild of Undergraduates.

In 1971 he obtained a Masters in Government from the University of the West Indies. In 1974 and 1981 he obtained a Ph. D in Government and a Degree of Utter Barrister at University of Manchester, England and Gray’s Inn, London, respectively.

Dr. Gonsalves has researched, written and published extensively on a range of matters touching upon the Caribbean, African, trade unionism, comparative political economy, and developmental issues generally.

Dr. Gonsalves became the Deputy Political Leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) in 1994. The ULP, a merger of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Labour Party and the Movement for National Unity (MNU), a political party which at the time of the merger Dr. Gonsalves was the leader, won the St. Vincent and the Grenadines General Elections held on March 28, 2001. At the time of the elections Dr. Gonsalves had since been elected to Political Leader of the ULP and such he became the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on that same date, March 28, 2001. He has remained Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines since then, winning the elections again in December 2005, 2010, and 2015.

Among his latest publications are: History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective (Quik Print, St. Vincent, 1994), The Politics of Our Caribbean Civilisation – Essays and Speeches (Great Works Depot, St. Vincent, 2001), The Making of the Comrade: The Political Journey of Ralph Gonsalves (SFI Books 2010); Diary of a Prime Minister: Ten Days Among Benedictine Monks (SFI Books 2010); The Case for Caribbean Reparatory Justice (2014); Our Caribbean and Global Insecurity (2017); The Making of a National Hero: Law and Practice in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SFI Books 2018); The Political Economy of the Labour Movement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SFI Books 2019).

Concurrently while pursuing his political career and prior to his becoming the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Gonsalves practiced law extensively and successfully before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in a wide range of matters, but particularly in the elds of constitutional law, administrative law, matrimonial law, real property law, law of tort generally and the law of contract.

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Ralph Everad Gonsalves was born on August 08, 1946 to Alban Gonsalves and Theresa Francis in Colonarie, a rural village in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Ibukun Awosika Former Chairman - First Bank of Nigeria Founder & CEO - The Chair Centre Group First Female Chair 2016-2021 First Bank of Nigeria

Ibukun Awosika is the Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria's premier and most valuable banking brand. She is also the founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group. The companies in the group are involved in manufacturing, retail and bank-way security systems services. Ibukun chairs a number of corporate and notfor-pro t boards amongst which are: d.light Design Inc., Convention on Business Integrity (CBI), Digital Jewel Limited, House of Tara International and Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC), a facility which she promoted to help address youth employability and enterprise issues in Nigeria.

She sits on the boards of Cadbury Nigeria Plc., Imperial Gate School and Peniel Apartments Limited. She was Chairman, GEMS Africa Limited, FBN Life Assurance Limited, FBN Capital Limited and Kakawa Discount House Limited. She also served on the board of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

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Ibukun is a graduate of Chemistry from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria; an alumna of the Chief Executive Programme of Lagos Business School; the Global Executive MBA of IESE Business School, Barcelona-Spain; and Global CEO Programme of Wharton, IESE and China European International Business School (CEIBS).

With high interest in social issues, including women, Ibukun is a co-founder and past chairperson of Women in Business, Management and Public Service (WIMBIZ). She is the President of International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation (IWEC).

An ordained Pastor and founder of the Christian Missionary Fund, Ibukun, through this faith-based organization works with hundreds of missionaries spread across Nigeria to change lives with the provision of medical, educational, and other supplies.

As a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, Aspen Global Leadership Network, Institute of Directors and Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Ibukun, through her projects aspires to use her opportunities in life to further the greatness of her dear country by raising entrepreneurs to create jobs for the large unemployed youthful population.

She is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), served on National Job Creation Committee (NJCC), and sits on the International Advisory

As a 14 year old, she co-hosted, for 4 years, the Jamaican TV Talk Show named “Rappin” that exposed youth views and inculcated in her empathy for all youth. She was Queens High School Head Girl and UNDP appointee as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. In 1993, she won the Miss Jamaica World and Miss World Titles.

She’s a Karate black belt and a Karate Instructor and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications from University of the West Indies (UWI). Her leadership qualities shone during her stint at UWI when, as a nal year undergraduate, she conceptualized and raised funds to build a much needed Computer Lab for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She also served as External Affairs Chairperson for the Student Government.

HONOURABLE

Lisa Hanna Member of Parliament & Opposition, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Jamaica

Lisa Hanna became Jamaica’s youngest female Member of Parliament when she was elected in 2007 to represent South-East St. Ann. She has twice been re-elected. She was also Chairperson of her Party’s Region One between 2008-2016 and Youth and Culture Minister from 2012-2016.

In 2013 under her leadership she formed an InterMinisterial Committee for Children which involved all relevant Ministries, The Of ce of the Children’s Advocate; and other State Agencies that worked with Children.

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This approach yielded great results including the separation of children from Adult Correctional Facilities and police lock ups, the introduction of the Arts For Life Programme at the South Camp Facility for Girls to teach drama, dance and art, the allocation of increased resources to help nd missing children under the Ananda Alert System, a 50% reduction in violence in schools under the Safe Schools Programme, more children being removed from state care to family environments, the removal of children being locked up for uncontrollable behaviour, the introduction of the Smiles Mobile Unit to help children with counseling, additional resources to build child friendly spaces at police stations across the country, the introduction of the Children’s Advisory Panel and the implementation of The Keating Report to name a few.

The UN acknowledged these achievements and as a result, Marta Santos Pais, UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on Children and Violence travelled to Jamaica to host the rst ever regional conference discuss best practices and solutions for countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

By 2014 Jamaica recorded solid progress at UNICEF, especially with nding solutions to persistent problems involving child rights.

Jamaica’s success, particularly in the way we turned around our approaches to children in lockups and correctional facilities, resonated globally through the walls of the UN. From our interventions and programmes, Jamaica moved up 52 places in the most recent UNICEF Kids Rights Index, to be ranked 51 out of 163 countries globally.

As Minister, she also spearheaded the successful lobby for Jamaica’s rst ever election to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee leading to Jamaica’s Blue and John Crow Mountains’ dedication as an of cial World Heritage Site.

She currently serves as the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. She is Treasurer of the People's National Party (PNP)

Pamela Coke-Hamilton Assistant Secretary General - UN, Executive Director - International Trade Centre

Pamela Coke-Hamilton has served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre since 1 October 2020.

She joined ITC from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she was Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton has a breadth of experience and expertise in trade-related capacity-building and sustainable development. She served with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean Forum in trade negotiations, and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and InterAmerican Development Bank.

She previously served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises through investment promotion.

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She has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable economies such as the small island developing States and least developed countries.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton has worked extensively with the private sector across African, Caribbean and Paci c countries and academia to build traderelated institutional strength within member States.

She also established the Women Empowered through Export (WeXport) platform to address the disadvantages that women-owned rms experience in accessing markets.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, DC, and a BSc in International Relations and Economics from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Chris Gillet Senior Director - Global CIS, DHL Express (Americas)

A truly International leader having worked in Europe, Asia Paci c and the Americas. With more than 25 years providing International trade and commerce solutions to the world’s largest and smallest organizations

The key to his success is delivering on your promise.

For the last 10 years, with a key focus on The Americas, he has been tasked with culture development through increased engagement, for the world’s most International Company, DHL Express.

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With a presence in more than 220 countries, engaging people from such vast cultural backgrounds requires a truly global mindset. People are the key to delivering on your promise, with more than 100,000 employees that can be an extremely powerful tool, it becomes truly unbeatable when those same people are motivated.

Over the last 10 Years DHL Express has seen world class increases in employee engagements scores.

Ensuring these results are achieved without compromising on respect, creates the foundation for a sustainable, engaged, organization.

Jon Talarico CEO - Empire Media Group

Jon Talarico is among the world’s foremost experts on building business relationships that yield pro table results.

He is the co-owner of a $25 million-dollar sports franchise; the producer of two Hollywood lms; and more importantly, he is the prime mover behind the gifting of hearing to over 1,600 patients in the Caribbean.

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Through direct mentorship, he has removed the perception of ‘impossibility’ from the minds of many powerful and in uential entrepreneurs, thought leaders and celebrities, by helping them to quickly discover and extract opportunities from a global network of connections.

Jon believes that every human has a unique million-dollar DNA, purposely designed to leave a potent impact on the world. His goal is to transform 1,000,000 lives ; and to inspire and motivate people to live a life of ful llment, happiness and nancial and personal success through the lms and courses he creates.

Jon is a model of his own principles, having achieved his dream to travel to over 38 countries across ve continents to see some of the most exclusive and beautiful places on earth.

Michelle Palmer Keizer Managing Director - Republic Bank (EC) Ltd.

Michelle Palmer-Keizer was appointed Managing Director, Republic Bank (EC) Limited, in 2019. She is a marketing executive with considerable expertise in credit card business, specializing in Research Development and Financial Product Management, and has a wealth of experience in product development, operational management and strategic management.

As a senior member of the Republic Group for more than three decades, Michelle most recently served as the General Manager, Group Marketing and Communications and led the Bank’s digital and data transformation efforts to implement more diverse customer centric banking services. Most notably, this includes integrating business intelligence, analytics, and various social media platforms as contemporary means of better engaging and serving customers.

She holds an Advanced Diploma in Marketing Management from the Association of Business Executives and a Diploma in Management Studies from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (UWI).

Ms. Palmer-Keizer currently serves as a Board member of Vision on Mission, a nongovernmental organization that helps rehabilitate and reintegrate ex-prisoners and socially displaced persons.

She is a full member of the Association of Business Executives, from which she received the World Prize for Quantitative Methods and is a past president of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurant and Tourism Association (THRTA).

Gervase Warner President & Group CEO - Massy Group of Companies

"Gervase Warner is the President and Group CEO of Massy Holdings Ltd. Massy Holdings is one of the largest investment holding groups in the Caribbean with annual Revenue of US$2 billion and with operations in the U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Colombia, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Jamaica and other countries in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Mr. Warner has served as an Executive Director of the Massy Group for 16 years. From 2004 to 2009 he held the position of Executive Chairman of the Energy and Industrial Gases Business Unit and has been President and Group CEO for the last 11 years.

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Before joining Massy, Mr. Warner was a Partner at the international management consulting rm, McKinsey & Company, where he spent eleven years serving clients in the US, Latin America and Caribbean across a wide range of industries.

He currently serves as the Chairman of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (Associate Institution to the Caribbean Community to support CARICOM Heads of Government to fully implement the CARICOM Single Market and Economy).

Mr. Warner also serves on the boards of directors for Citicorp Merchant Bank (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business and United Way Trinidad & Tobago.

Mr. Warner holds an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He also holds BSE degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania."

Elizabeth Thompson Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Of Barbados

Liz Thompson has worked in development policy for nearly 25 years. She is Barbados’ former Ambassador to the United Nations. As UN ambassador she led processes such as the UN’s Science Technology and Innovation Forum and the Financing for Development processing which she led the successful completion of the UN’s rst virtually negotiated agreement among member-states.

Her professional experience includes serving as Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, with speci c responsibility as one of two Executive Coordinators of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development.

Liz also worked with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative and in a number of advisory roles within the UN system, including on the transition from the MDGs to the SDGs. As UN ASG, she led the development of the UN’s Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI). As an energy consultant for the OAS, she developed energy policy and strategy for Grenada and Dominica.

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Liz is a former Minister of Energy and Environment of Barbados. She led the development of Barbados’ rst National Green Economy Policy, National Energy Policy and Sustainable Development Policy. Over her 12 years as a member of Cabinet she also held portfolios of Housing and Lands, Physical Development and Planning, and Health. Liz served as an elected Member of Parliament and Minister from 1994 to 2008, after which she led Minority business in the Barbados Senate until 2010.

Her work in environment, climate change and sustainable development earned her the prestigious Champion of the Earth Award.

She has spoken on panels or guest lectured on energy, climate change and development issues at universities such as Harvard, Yale, Colombia, the Universities of North Carolina, Waterloo and the West Indies. She has also served as a mentor to the Clinton Foundation’s Women In Renewable Energy Initiative.

She has authored several papers and articles on these themes and is the co-author of two books on sustainable development published in 2014, including From Rio+20 to A New Development Agenda and a motivational book, Make Yourself Happy, published in 2016.

She holds an LLM from the Robert Gordon University, an MBA with distinction from the University of Liverpool, an LEC from the Hugh Wooding Law School and an LLB from the University of the West Indies.

Robert Trestrail President & CEO Sagicor Life Inc.

Robert Trestrail was appointed President and Chief Executive Of cer of Sagicor Life Inc on January 1, 2021.

Robert joined the Sagicor Group in 2001 and has held several Executive positions throughout his tenure with Sagicor. Currently as President and Chief Executive Of cer of SLI, Robert serves on several Boards within the Sagicor Group.

With 30 years of experience in the Insurance and Financial Services Industry, Robert has served the private sector in Trinidad & Tobago as President of the Trinidad & Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) and a Board member of The Chamber for over 12 years.

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Elizabeth Thompson

He has served as a Member of the Appeal Tribunal of the National Insurance Board, a Director of the Association of Insurance Companies in Trinidad & Tobago and presently holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Trinidad & Tobago Insurance Institute (TTII).

Wendy Delmar CEO, Caribbean Association of Banks Inc.

Wendy brings over 20 years of experience in mainstream banking to the leadership of the Caribbean Association of Banks Inc., having previously worked with Scotiabank.

Wendy says that she is ever grateful for the opportunities for growth which allowed her to challenge herself and become a solid individual in the eld of nance.

During her journey with the Bank, Wendy held progressively senior roles, having started her career in Retail Banking as a Teller, moving into Customer Service and then lending. From there, Wendy broke off into training, where she rediscovered her love for imparting knowledge, as she worked throughout the region implementing new technological enhancements to the Banking framework. On her return, Wendy assumed the role of Home Mortgage Specialist with a focus on dealing speci cally with the International Business portfolio.

Elizabeth Thompson

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Wendy later joined the MDO in Barbados as Retail and Small Business Coach, a position sheetained for 2 years before returning to Saint Lucia as the Branch Manager for the Castries operation.

She later took on the role of President of the Bankers Association of Saint Lucia. Both posts she held until she joined the CAB in November 2018. Wendy currently holds an MSc in Global Human Resource Management, which she believes deepens her passion for nurturing growth with the people she encounters daily.

Wendy describes herself as a well-balanced individual who is career driven and self-motivated, but she notes that life has ensured that she appreciates the opportunities to stop and smell the roses - those being family and friends - being intimately familiar with the sting of loss. Wendy is a widow, and mother to 3 beautiful boys, whom she describes as her foundation. Wendy says that they keep her grounded and challenge her daily to be the best version of herself.

SDM 2021

MODERATORS Head of the Environmental Sustainability Division (ESD), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission.

Chamberlain oversees a portfolio spanning: Climate Change and Disaster Resilience; Biodiversity and Ecosystems; Land and Water Resources; Ocean Governance and Fisheries; Sustainable Energy; and Chemicals, Waste and Pollution Management.

Chamberlain’s quali cations include Professional Civil Engineer (BSc); Certi ed Project Manager (PMP, Dip.); Leadership enthusiast (MSc. in Innovation and Entrepreneurship).

Chamberlain has over twenty years of practical experience in leading and implementing regional and national programs and projects for sustainable development in Eastern Caribbean SIDS.

Chamberlain Emmanuel Director - Environmental Sustainability Division OECS Commission

Daphne Ewing-Chow is a well-known and widely published Caribbean journalist with a passion for Caribbean Affairs, the environment and food systems. Originally from Barbados, she currently resides in the Cayman Islands.

An active contributor to a wide number of global publications, including The New York Times, The Sunday Times (London) and the International Monetary Fund (Finance & Development Magazine), Daphne is best known for her work as a Senior Contributor with Forbes, where her fearless and uncompromising perspective on Caribbean issues, particularly from the perspective of food systems, has made her popular with both global and regional audiences.

Daphne Ewing Chow Caribbean Journalist

Daphne has been a speaker at a variety of international events, representing organisations such as the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. She has also been a moderater/ speaker at a number of United Nations events and served as a key moderator at the United Nations General Assembly’s SDG Media Zone in 2019. She has interviewed country leaders, dignitaries and celebrities.

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Daphne focuses on Caribbean development through the lens of sustainability. As a communications specialist and food systems expert, she has managed communications for two climate change projects at the Food and Agriculture Organization, and currently serves as a Communications Specialist at the World Food Programme’s headquarters in Barbados. She also heads up the content team at Loop News in the Cayman Islands and was the former Editor in Chief of Living Barbados Magazine.

Daphne is the winner of the UN-OHRLLS Island Voices Journalism Competition (2019) and the PAHO/CDB/CBU Award “Celebrating Responsible Coverage of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During COVID-19”(2021). She was selected as a judge for the $3 million Zayed Sustainability Prize in the United Arab Emirates (2019 and 2021) and served as a judge for the Rockefeller Foundation’s $2 million Food System Vision Prize (2020), for which she currently serves as a mentor for nalists.

Daphne holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and African Studies from the University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs with a specialty in International Economic Policy from Columbia University in New York.

Patria-Kaye Charles has built a near 20-year career successfully launching and marketing brands and products. Fast moving consumer goods and telecommunications are competitive industries, yet these were the training grounds where she learnt most and thrived best. Currently she is a Senior Brand Manager at Massy Distribution Jamaica.

Entrepreneurship has been an integral part of her journey. During her years as CEO of Jamaica’s only candy company, “Sweetie”, she was named the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur of the Year for 2016.

When she’s not making the world sweeter, Patria-Kaye is a seasoned journalist. She sits on the board of JMMB and the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation. Patria-Kaye holds a rst class honours BA in Media and Communications from the University of the West Indies and an MSc in Management from the University of Edinburgh.

Patricia Kaye Charles Senior Brand Manager Massy Distribution Jamaica Ltd.

Michelle S. Stephens-Jules has led the consulting rm Caribbean Strategy since 2015 and with over 15 years’ experience in business development, strategic planning and marketing within the public and private sectors across the Caribbean, Michelle has developed an expertise in identifying and resolving ineffective strategies. She coaches clients to imagine, craft and implement turnaround strategies that drive market share growth and increased revenue.

Michelle is a Chartered Marketer, Certi ed Strategy and Business Planning Professional, Certi ed Professional Digital Marketer and Certi ed Balanced Scorecard Professional.

Michelle is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School in Scotland, Post-Graduate Certi cate in Marketing and Diploma in Public Relations.

Michelle Stephens Jules CEO - Caribbean Strategy

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Michelle is also a member of the Association of Strategic Planning, Strategic Management Society, Chartered Institute of Marketing, American Marketing Association and Digital Marketing Institute.

Michelle is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School in Scotland, Post-Graduate Certi cate in Marketing and Diploma in Public Relations.

Michelle is also a member of the Association of Strategic Planning, Strategic Management Society, Chartered Institute of Marketing, American Marketing Association and Digital Marketing Institute.

Simone Walker is a creative and dynamic marketer who has had over 15 + years of experience in the nancial services marketing industry. A seasoned marketer and communications professional, Simone has garnered extensive experience in the areas of marketing and brand strategy, digital marketing, advertising management, public relations, retail banking marketing, inbound marketing, sponsorship management, event planning and promotions.

She has held senior roles in three of the island’s leading nancial institutions to include Vice President, Group Marketing, Sagicor Group (Jamaica), Group Marketing Strategy Manager at Jamaica National Group and Director of Marketing Programmes at Scotiabank Group Jamaica. Simone also held the role the Head of Marketing & Customer Experience for Appliance Traders Ltd up until May of this year.

Simone K. Walker CEO - Brand House Agency

Currently, Simone is a marketing consultant, who leads the Brand House Agency working with several small and medium sized companies and emerging brands across a variety of industries.

Mrs. Walker earned her undergraduate degree in Media and Communications at The University of the West Indies and has received professional training in marketing management, leadership, branding management, communication and social media marketing etc.

Simone enjoys coaching and speaking, volunteering in Child welfare and development projects and mentoring young professionals in the pursuit of their career goals.

Born and bred in Saint Lucia, Alisha H. Ally is passionate about the development of the Caribbean region. Her career spans almost fteen years as a Development Communications Specialist; focusing on the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the region by effecting change at both a policy and grassroots level.

She has created and produced multifaceted media aimed at the socio-economic transformation of Caribbean countries.

With the natural and economic vulnerabilities in the Eastern Caribbean, Alisha is specialised in crisis communications and has been an integral partner to government and regional agencies over the past decade.

Aisha Ally

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Communications Specialist & Summit Production Lead

Alisha holds an MA in Media Practice for Development and Social Change from the University of Sussex and a BSc in International Relations from the University of London. She is a recipient of the prestigious United Kingdom's Chevening Scholarship for Future Global Leaders (2017).

With outstanding leadership qualities where she served in a plethora of industries, her track record is in the area of creating solutions that allow entities to achieve their corporate objectives through creative problem-solving, implementation of corporate strategic plans and proactive decision-making. Her vast areas of expertise include: developing and integrating operational and strategic plans, applied research, project management, training design and delivery, project management, events design and execution, monitoring and evaluation, organizational development and business development.

Lisa Taylor-Stone People Summit Project Manager & Head - Development Cooperation & Resource Mobilization

At the Caribbean’s premier business development organization (the Jamaica Business Development Corporation), she masterminded and led multiple winning solutions which includes but not limited to: the Caribbean’s rst and largest Employee Engagement Summit and designed and implemented a suite of consultancy services resulting in revenue growth of over 500% in 6 years.

Lisa is a Researcher at heart where she is responsible for multiple ground-breaking research such as: Jamaica Employee Engagement Report, MSMEs Compensation & Bene ts Report (Jamaica), Public Private Partnership Model (Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica), The Nuances of the Informal Justice System, MSMEs Pro le (Jamaica) among others. She gained higher education at the University of the West Indies, Mona where she is endowed in the honors society, earned a First-Class Honours Degree (BSc. Sociology, Demography, Psychology) and a Master of Science Degree in Sociology.

Lisa currently heads the Development Cooperation and Resource Mobilisation Unit at the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS Commission) where she masterminded and spearheaded the inaugural and largest Sustainable Development Movement (SDM) Summit in the Caribbean.

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She stands on and believes in the power of imagination and possessing a winning mindset to overcome adversity.

Her passion is to see others win, particularly persons who have been socially-excluded. With this conviction, she designed and led the Living Water Programme in Kingston Jamaica where “high-school drop-outs” were empowered with academic and entrepreneurial skills which resulted in their lives making a glorious come-back.

She has three children (Rayonna, Nathanael and Malachi) and is married to Rayon Stone. In her spare-time, she enjoys a good long sleep, listening to the spoken word and cooking up a storm. Lisa is Jamaican by birth and hails from Trench Town in Kingston. She is the daughter of Robert Xavier Francis Taylor and Pauline Silvera.