Corporate Executive/Consultant

Brief Work History

Twenty four (24) years’ work experiences, fifteen of which have been spent at the senior management level spanning corporate full-time, management consulting and learning and development in industry, research and education within the private and public sectors.

Key Professional Accomplishments (selected)

• Founded GovStrat Limited (2003):- since its inception, has successfully completed more than 200 consulting/advisory assignments and approximately 350 learning sessions in 23 countries for 185 clients across 16 practice areas.
• At Capital & Credit Merchant Bank (1998-2000):- conducted competitive intelligence and market analyses of the financial sector, developed and presented business plans which resulted in the creation of two new subsidiaries and a portfolio of new banking products.
• At Jamaica Producers Group (1991-1995):- successfully managed one of Jamaica’s most successful agrarian development projects designed to rekindle the export trade of a major national commodity while improving the socio-economic realities of farm families and rural communities. Results: revitalized export-oriented banana export trade with significant increased in volume and foreign exchange earnings; improved socio-economic indicators and livelihood of hundreds of farm families and communities within and beyond the geographically designated project area (four eastern Parishes of Jamaica).
• In Management Consulting (since 2001):- designed and successfully led multi-disciplinary teams of professionals in executing complex strategic planning and business turnaround projects involving the review of local, regional and global literature on specific industry structures; environmental scanning, economic, financial, competitor, business, process, systems’ and people analyses, and stakeholder consultations utilizing internationally recognized and appropriate analytical tools.
• In Corporate Learning (GovStrat Limited) (since 2003):-conceptualized, designed and co-facilitated training delivery of the Caribbean’s first professionally accredited and certified corporate governance courses including the Professionally Accredited Director (PAD), the Professionally Accredited Corporate Secretary (PACS), the Professionally Accrdited Chairman Designation (PAC) and the Accredited Minute Taking Professional (AMTP) Designation, Corporate Reputation Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Performance Management, inter alia.
• Illustrative List of Public Policy Contributions:
• Developed Corporate Governance Framework for Public Bodies Jamaica (2011) which has since been approved by the Houses of Parliament and adopted among Public Bodies of the Jamaica. Client: Cabinet Office of Jamaica
• Developed Framework Communication and Relationship Protocol to guide Permanent Secretaries (PSs) dealings with Public Bodies under their watch (Responsible Ministry) (2010). Resulting from this study, PSs are no longer appointed to or serving as Directors of Boards under their portfolio. Client: Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and Ministry of Tourism, Jamaica.
• Led teams of senior professionals and developed and implemented several strategic planning, organizational restructuring and transformation assignments within the public sector internationally, since 2003
• Advised and trained Government Ministers and Board of Directors of more than 750 Public Bodies spanning 20 Caribbean and Commonwealth countries in both open and customized learning deliverable, since 2003
• On a pro bono basis: conceptualized several policy proposals for JLP Manifesto for 2002 elections that have been adopted and continued by successive governments; namely: Agri-Science Parks, the Agro-Investment Corporation, Inclusive Social Governance Model/Public Private Sector Partnership, inter alia.

Corporate Positions Held:

Founder, Chairman & Lead Global Strategist  

GovStrat Limited, Kingston, Jamaica – 2010- Present

• More recently concern with developing parnerships and the internationalization for  GovStrat thorought Africa and Asia-Pacific by 2025.

President & CEO

• GovStrat Limited, Kingston, Jamaica – 2004- 2007
• Led and supervised day-to-day operations, strategy execution:- staff and consultants supervision, corporate planning and budgets, marketing and communication, selective stakeholder relationship management, new business development and internationalization
• Identified, researched, negotiated contracts, hosted international facilitators and consultants
• Led multi-disciplinary teams of strategic planning, corporate governance and business turn-around professionals in undertaking complex assignments spanning several industries and across public and private sectors
• Led all public sector institutional strengthening, change management, and modernization portfolios
• Advised clients on policy implications, risk, and mitigation strategies regarding governance, strategic planning, and public sector performance management issues
• Provided on-going advice to government Ministers and senior civil servants verbally and through briefs on issues of government procurement, relationship management between government Ministers and permanent, Secretaries, ministers and Public Bodies boards (State Corporations, Statutory Bodies and parastatals, inter alia) and between Boards and senior management teams

Senior Governance & Strategic Planning Consultant, GovStrat Limited, 2004-2006 (3 yrs)

• Designed and co-facilitated learning workshops in corporate governance, strategic planning, and public accountability, leadership development, enterprise risk management, performance management, inter alia, to more than 120 organisations throughout the Caribbean private and public sectors
• Prepared governance notes specifying the roles of the Permanent Secretary vis-à-vis the Minister regarding the monitory and reporting relationship of Boards of Public Bodies under their watch
• Developed Strategic Plans through extensive stakeholder consultations and qualitative and quantitative data analyses, and conducted several corporate/strategic planning retreats for mainly public sector entities (Fiscal Services Limited, Coffee Industry Board, Bureau of Standards, and the National Insurance Board of the Turks and Caicos Islands).
• Designed and facilitated change management and leadership development sessions in customized and advertised executive learning workshops and other forms of learning approaches for many public bodies (Jamaica Hospitals -Senior Medical Officers, Matrons and CEOs; PAHO funded).

Management Institute for National Development (MIND), Kingston, 2003-2004
Senior Learning Facilitator/Consultant
Reported to the Senior Director of Learning and Development

Capital & Credit Merchant Bank, Kingston, Jamaica, 1998-2000 (18 months)
Senior Banking Officer (Corporate Finance and Business Development),
Dual Reporting Relationship to the President & CEO and Senior Vice President & CFO

Independent Management/Agricultural Consultant, (12 months

New Jersey Small Business Development Center, Newark, USA, 1996-1997
Business Associate (Extended MBA Intern)                                                                                               

Jamaica Producers Group (JPG), Kingston, Jamaica, 1991-1995
Liaison Officer (Reported to Kingston and JP Fruit Distributors, UK), 1994-1995
Reported to the Director of Marketing and Business Development (UK operations)

Jamaica Producers Group (JPG), Kingston, Jamaica, 1991-1995
Project Manager/Agronomist (JPG),1991-1994
Reported to the Group Deputy Director of Agriculture, (3 yrs)

Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Kingston, 1988-1989
Field Officer/Farm Management and Farming Systems Economist, (1yr)
Reported to the Chief Technical Officer, based in Rome at FAO Headquarters

An Illustrative List of Consulting Assignments Performed

1. General Management

• Project Leader/Lead Technical Consultant: led a team of five specialists and two support staff in the development of a Five (5) Year Strategic Plan for TECU Credit Union Cooperative Society Limited, Trinidad and Tobago: Implementation of the Balanced Scorecard Approach, conducted Diagnostic Baseline Studies (SWOT) company-wide, Corporate Governance Audit, Capacity Building and Training Audit, Competitiveness and Credit Union Opportunity Study, Employee Satisfaction Survey, Member Satisfaction and Opinion Survey, Information Communication Technology (ICT) Audit and training intervention in strategic planning across the organization in additional to significant external stakeholder consultations.
• Conducted Strategic Management Restructuring of the National Insurance Board of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bureau of Standards, Jamaica
• Developed and Facilitated Training for Board Performance Evaluation Instrument for the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
• Facilitated Strategic Plan development and Corporate Planning Retreats for the Board of Directors and Senior Management of the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Product Development Company Limited, 2010

1. Corporate Governance and Public Policy
   • Lead Consultant: Strengthening the Governance Framework of Public Bodies (IDB/Ministry of Finance & the Public Service, Jamaica funded project). This included delivering a Corporate Governance Code, a Draft Code of Audit Practice, Enterprise Risk Management Framework, among others.
   • Independent Consultant: “Clarifying the Governance Framework for Public Bodies in Jamaica” (IDB/Cabinet Office funded). This project resulted in the development of a Corporate Governance Framework to guide all Public Bodies (approximately 200) in Jamaica through extensive research and consultations. It includes guidelines for the role of the board, Chairman, and Committees; selection, appointment; ethical conduct; enterprise risk, inter alia.
   • Designed and delivered Corporate Governance training intervention for Government Ministers, Chairman, Directors, and Senior executives from 15 social security institutions (2007) and countries, Dominica, 2008, CIDA Funded
   • Reviewed and made recommendations for amendments to several Statutes and Regulations concerning corporate governance in Public Bodies of Jamaica.
   • Developed and delivered Strategic Plan 2009-2011 for Fiscal Services Limited, Jamaica
   • Facilitated Corporate/Strategic Planning Sessions for the top 42 most senior Ministry of Agriculture Directors and Senior Policymakers – completed July 2008.

Board Directorship and other Membership

• Nominee Director, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Since 2013
• Chairman, Jamaica 4-H Clubs, National Board of Directors, 2007 -2012
• Vice Chairman, College of Agriculture, Science & Education (CASE); Chair, Audit Committee
• Director, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), served as member of Audit Committee, 2007-2011
• Director, Heart Trust/National Training Agency; Chair, Corporate Governance Committee, 2007-2011
• Director/Company Secretary, Central information Technology Office (CITO), member, HR Committee, 2008-2012
• Member, Jamaica Stock Exchange Best Practice Awards Committee, 2005-2007
• Member, Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), Corporate Governance Committee, 2003-2007
• Member, International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), Since 2010