Presenters

Virtual Roadshow

 

Audrey Richards is a Consultant with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), with responsibility for the Jamaica Venture Capital Programme (JVCAPITAL), which has spearheaded the development of the ecosystem for private equity and venture capital in Jamaica, as well as a number of key projects aimed at development of the local early stage and entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

Mrs. Richards has been involved, in several capacities, in the Jamaican capital markets for more than twenty-eight years, and currently serves as a Director on the boards of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited and several of its Jamaican subsidiaries, as well as a number of private and non-profit institutions, including British Caribbean Insurance Company Limited, Caribbean Mezzanine Fund I Limited, Caribbean Alternative Investment Association, and her alma mater, St. Andrew High School for Girls and the St. Andrew High School Foundation. 

Mrs. Richards is passionate about organizational building, financial market policy development and implementation, and has been involved in a number of market developmental initiatives for the private and public sectors. 

She has consulted, locally, for institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank, Bank of Jamaica, Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), and the Financial Services Commission, and is a foundation member of the JSE Best Practices Committee.  She was previously CEO for Edward Gayle and Company Limited (now NCB Capital Markets), and is a former Deputy Chairman of the JSE Council and Director of the National Housing Trust.

Mrs. Richards holds an MBA (Finance) from the De Groote Graduate School of Business, McMaster University, Canada, and a B.Sc. (Special Chemistry) from the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Christopher Williams, unconventional, pioneering, and enterprising are characteristics readily used to describe the Co-Founder of PROVEN Investments Limited Christopher Williams.  Nominated among the top CEOs in Jamaica for the renowned Business Leader Award 2017, Chris has had an illustrious business career as an Executive driving business value in leading financial institutions in Jamaica.

Fast forward to 2019 Chris is the President & CEO of PROVEN Management Limited the management company for PROVEN Investment Limited and he has played an integral role in the success of the company to date – from raising US$30 million of equity exclusively through a private placement representing one of the largest private or public US dollar offerings in Jamaica's capital market history; posting just over US$10 million of profit in its first two years of operation and being the first company to list on the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s US market.

Christopher chairs and serves as director for numerous boards with the most recent appointments being:  Chairman - Branson Center of the Caribbean; PROVEN REIT Limited; Jamaica College Foundation; and Jamaica Association for the Deaf.  Director - Usain Bolt Foundation; ACCESS Financial Services Limited; PROVEN Wealth Limited; BOSLIL Bank Limited; PROVEN Management Limited and JAMPRO. 

A past student of Jamaica College, with a BSc. in Accounting from the University of the West Indies and a M.B.A in Strategic Marketing and Finance from York University in Toronto, Canada, Mr. Williams is an avid sportsman and is married to Michelle.  They are the proud parents of two boys.

Barry O'Brien, Managing Director and co-founder of WCC which is an award winning impact investment and renewable energy asset development business. WCC focuses on growth sectors such as Renewable Energy, Tourism, Sustainable Food Packaging and Digital Financial Services. WCCs companies have a combined workforce of over 550 and is a joint venture with Williams Industries.

Head of Mission from Jamaica to Ireland as Honorary Consul from Jamaica to Ireland with a focus on increasing bilateral trade. Founding Chairman and co-owner of IFP Investments which is the merger of Irish Flexible Packaging and Fispak Limited, key suppliers of sustainable food packaging to global brands such as Kerrygold, Dawn Meats, Glanbia and Sealed Air.

Co-founder and co-owner of Williams Renewable Energy Limited ("WREL") which is the largest independent power producer in Barbados. WRELs green bonds are certified by the Climate Bond Initiative and verified by Sustainanalytics.

Co-founder and Chairman of SCG Growth Partners which is a fintech company offering digital platforms and bespoke developments to digitalise customers workflow processes. Board Director and Investor into award winning tourist business VIP Attractions. VIP Attractions owns 4 airport lounges and tourist magazines. VIPs lounges were twice voted as the best airport lounges in the world from over 700 lounges by 84,000 members of Priority Pass.

Co-founder and investor into BCDL which is a venture partner of the PLC, General Accident Insurance, founded to launch General Accident in other Caribbean Markets beginning in Barbados. Co-founder and Director of Viridi Energy Limited, which is a Irish PV Solar business, with partners Fingleton White and PRG Power.

Director of Argo Development which is an international, award-winning architectural firm specialising in a BIM design and construction processes headquartered in Barbados. Former CEO of Digicel Jamaica, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean. Former Digicel Group Business Development Director. Founder and former CEO of Digicel Financial Services and Digicel e-Commerce.

Gregory N. Hill, Managing Director, ANSA Merchant Bank, Trinidad and Tobago. Gregory N. Hill is a career investment banker and Caribbean business influencer. He has served in leadership and executive positions at preeminent regional and international Financial Institutions and Business Associations for nearing 30 years.

Mr. Hill joined ANSA Merchant Bank Limited (AMBL) in Trinidad and Tobago in 2007 after acquiring significant banking and capital markets exposure. As Managing Director, he has steered AMBL to become a dynamic regional financial institution. Today, the AMBL Financial Group is unique in the Caribbean financial sector. It encompasses non-bank financial institutions and a newly acquired retail commercial bank. Mr. Hill is Chairman of Consolidated Finance Company Ltd. in Barbados and a Director of one of the region’s oldest insurance companies, TATIL, which owns TATIL Life and has a significant branch in Barbados. In February 2021, AMBL concluded the acquisition of an international bank and launched ANSA Bank Limited, of which Mr. Hill is a Director.

Mr. Hill maintains his connections to the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business where he graduated as Top MBA Student on completing his Executive MBA. He remains Chairman of its Alumni Association, and mentors young students with big dreams whilst creating opportunities for suitable candidates within the AMBL fold. Mr. Hill is actively involved in energizing and promoting regional business sectors for entrepreneurs and business owners. He sits as Vice President of the Board of the Trinidad and Tobago American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and is focused on developing channels of opportunity on a wider scale at the national level Gregory N. Hill is a graduate and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK) (FCCA), and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (ICATT). He represents the Caribbean region as a Committee Member of the Accountant for Business Global ACCA Forum.

Justin Nam is the General Manager of Eppley. Mr. Nam is responsible for managing the credit, real estate and infrastructure investments owned by Eppley and the funds it manages throughout the Caribbean totalling over US$100 million. These funds include the Eppley Caribbean Property Fund and Caribbean Mezzanine Fund II. He is a key member of the team charged with structuring solutions to the strategic capital needs of Eppley and these Funds. Mr. Nam is a director of a number of Eppley’s subsidiaries and affiliated companies and is also a former member of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Board of the National Housing Trust. He also served on the Investment Management Review Commission for the National Insurance Fund. Mr. Nam has been involved in the financial sector for almost two decades. Prior to joining Eppley, Mr. Nam held senior management roles in the financial sectors in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. He holds an MBA from The University of Warwick and an undergraduate degree in Economics (Hons.) from the University of Western Ontario.

 

Simone Hudson, CFA, AVP Alternatives and Fund Management. Simone Hudson holds the position of Assistant Vice President- Alternatives and Fund Management. She is charged with the responsibility of expanding the company’s off balance sheet product offerings which includes its Unit Trust portfolios, Structured Products Solutions and the build out of its Alternative Investments platform.

Ms. Hudson has over 14 years’ experience in the financial services industry both in Jamaica and Canada. In her previous roles in Research and Investment Banking at NCBCM, she coached three winners of the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Market Research competition, spearheaded the development of the company’s first Structured products offering as well as structured and arranged one of the largest infrastructure bond offer in the region. 

Ms. Hudson has won several awards in the area of Research in Jamaica and placed first in the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners Case Competition in 2018.

She holds a BSc. in Economics and Statistics from the University of the West Indies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from Centennial College, completed the Canadian Securities Course and is a CFA Charterholder.

Kevin Valley is the Founder and Managing Director, Become Investible Limited Remote
• Advise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on how to build scalable and investible businesses.
• Speak at media outlets, podcasts, television stations, and business and educational events on business
development, strategy, and capital raising.
• Provide thought leadership through the creation and curation of online articles, videos, digital assets, and
educational products.
• Host the Caribbean Power Lunch podcast.