Abraham Smith

Abraham Smith was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Digicel Trinidad and Tobago in November 2020. He brings more than 20 years international senior management experience to the role, having previously worked in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Russia and the Americas.

Abraham first joined Digicel in February 2019 as the Consumer Director where he led Digicel’s consumer and digital businesses, as well as marketing and business intelligence for two years. He was instrumental in conceiving and driving customer-first digital initiatives that resonated with customers and staff; and his contributions have translated into increased usage and revenues which saw Digicel record its best year ever in T&T in 2019.

Prior to this, Abraham served as the Mobile Strategy Advisor for a worldwide religious nonprofit organization with 15 million members in over 150 countries. He has extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Telecom Maldives, Managing Director of WARF Telecom, CEO of Smart Telecom in Nepal and CEO of Coscom (Ucell) in Uzbekistan.

Abraham has a degree from Georgetown University in international business and has taught as an adjunct professor of digital marketing at the LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah USA. He currently sits on the Advisory Board for the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies. Abraham lives in Trinidad and Tobago and is married with two daughters.

Audrey Richards

Audrey Richards is a Consultant with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and has led the bank’s programme for the development of the ecosystem for private equity and venture capital in Jamaica, as well as several key projects aimed at promoting innovation and the development of the local early stage and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Her current focus is expanding the bank’s role as anchor investor in private capital funds, as well as promoting the adoption of globally accepted best practices by stakeholders, advancement of initiatives aimed at legislative and regulatory reforms, and including gender lens investing.

Mrs. Richards has been involved, in several capacities, in the Jamaican capital markets for more than thirty years, and currently serves as Director on the boards of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited, BNS Jamaica Limited, Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited, and is Chairman of the Board of Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Company Limited.

She also serves on the boards of British Caribbean Insurance Company 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 creating capital market solutions, organizational building, financial market policy development and implementation, and has led several 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.

She is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Ticket Policy

Ticket prices and fees for the CIF 2022 Conference are correct at the time of publication. We reserve the right to change the ticket prices at any time, however, any changes will not affect tickets already purchased. A valid ticket entitles you to access the Conference as an Attendee. Persons who register within a particular phase must pay within that phase in order to lock in the ticket price. In the event that payments are made outside of the applicable phase, the rate for the next phase will apply.  

The ticket reference number can be used to access the mobile app, in order to register for the Conference. All tickets must be assigned to an Attendee, and all registration forms must be completed prior to attendance.

Cancellations and Refunds

Cancellations are only applicable to full conference passes (All Days tickets). A cancellation must be in writing and sent to  support@caribbeaninvestmentforum.com with the subject line clearly stating: “Cancellation - GUEST NAME – CIF 2022”.

Confirmed registrants may cancel and receive refunds as follows:
‍
1. Full refund less a USD100.00 administrative fee until September 30, 2022 for full conference passes only.

2. Fifty percent (50%) of the registration fee will be refunded for cancellations received from October 1, 2022 through October 15, 2022; less a USD100 administrative fee.

3. Any cancellations requests after October 15, 2022, are nonrefundable.

4. Daily tickets are non-refundable

5. For cancellations due to Visa Denials, please e-mail:  support@caribbeaninvestmentforum.com (evidence of the denial must be submitted for processing).

6. If you have secured a complimentary ticket but have already bought a ticket, you are not eligible for a refund.

ABOUT
Douglas Cowper
Douglas “Doug” Cowper is Vice President of Tropical Shipping, the leader in quality, on-time logistics solutions for The Bahamas and The Caribbean.

Doug has been leading The Bahamas trade for the past seventeen years and recently assumed management responsibilities for the Western Caribbean markets, in addition to his continued leadership of The Bahamas.

He is a well-regarded leader who in addition to his commercial tasks, served for years as a corporate Mentor for several high potential employees who represent the future of Tropical Shipping.

Cowper counts himself fortunate to have been mentored by great leaders and afforded numerous opportunities to grow alongside the company, and as such, he gives back to the community by serving on several community organizations such as chairman of the YPO of the Bahamas as well as VP of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Bahamas.
ABOUT
senator the hon. paula Gopee-scoon
Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry on September 11th, 2015Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon was re-appointed Minister of Trade and Industry on August 19th, 2020. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2007 and previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In her second term as Minister of Trade and Industry, she aims to continue building upon and expanding programmes initiated in the last five years in an effort to improve the export capacity of the local manufacturing sector and position Trinidad and Tobago as the business and trade hub of the Caribbean.

She will also continue to lead the charge towards stimulating domestic and foreign investments while implementing policies to enhance the global competitiveness of Trinidad and Tobago. She believes in continuous stakeholder engagement to ensure participation in the growth and development of all sectors for a sustainable and vibrant economy.

Her personal interests extend to the deepening of Caribbean integration and she believes in and is committed to equal opportunities for personal growth, self-expression and participation in the development process of Trinidad and Tobago, for all citizens.
ABOUT
JUAN GARATE
Responsible for the Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Cybersecurity platform of the Industry and Mobility Unit at TECNALIA.

‍Juan Garate received his degree in Telecommunication Engineering, Basque Country University in 1999. Joined TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) in September 2007.

He is currently in charge of the Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Cybersecurity platform of the Industry and Mobility Unit in TECNALIA, where he is responsible for the definition of the platform's technological strategic lines, as well as for the team management, participating in the definition and development of projects related to big data and cyber-security technologies applied in different domains such as industry, energy and health.
He is also responsible for the business actions of the platform, mainly focus on Digital transformation in industry, cybersecurity and High-performance architectures Drafting of national and international bids and tenders.

Previously he was International Business development Director of the ICT Division of TECNALIA Research and Innovation, responsible for international market business development in technologies such as Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, blockchain and IoT. He developed its activity mainly in Latin America and European countries.

He has also experience in study, design and deployment of initiatives aimed at improving the competitiveness of organizations through the promotion of innovation and ICT by means of the application of different technologies as well as of different software development processes standards such as, CMMI, ITIL, ISO, EFQM and certifications such as EN 50128, EN 50129. He also conducts training courses on blockchain, industrial cybersecurity and requirements management, and finally he carries out 4.0 industry evaluations to stablish digital transformation strategy and roadmap for industrial companies.
ABOUT
THE HON C. SANDRA V. HUSBANdS

‍The Hon Sandra Husbands is woman with a passion for human development and enterprise success. She is passionate about governance and being able to build strong economic and social platforms which enable people to live their best life. Her life is dedicated to positioning the nations and peoples of the Caribbean to build properly functioning societies and economies that uplift their people and provide them with the opportunities to achieve their dreams.

Sandra Husbands is the Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade with responsibility for trade agreements. The portfolio includes advancing the trade opportunities in Caricom where possible for the CSME and wider across the globe. The Division of Foreign Trade has responsibility for protecting the interests of domestic enterprises and the broader economy in regional and multilateral fora.

Sandra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Law and a Masters in International Trade Policy which prepares her to be able to lead and guide government trade policy to position and enable enterprises to secure trade in regional and international markets.
ABOUT
Charlin bodley
Charlin serves as a manager with RMI’s Energy Transition Academy. The Academy supports senior and mid-level energy practitioners in utilities, government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector entities through capacity development to advance the clean energy transition in the Global South.

Charlin is highly passionate about leveraging her expertise to boost and accelerate an equitable transition through strategic partnerships. Charlin also provides strategic leadership to RMI’s Women in Renewable Energy Network (WIRE) to support women energy leaders in Global South geographies with the know-how, skillsets and confidence to accelerate the energy transition.

Charlin has over 11 years of experience in clean energy with focus on sustainable energy programs and project management.She was the Sustainable Energy Project Development and Gender Expert and the team lead for the Project Preparation Facility at the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), contributing to the Centre’s critical first operational phase as the Caribbean’s implementation hub for sustainable energy. Charlin’s experience extends to her previous position with the Government of Saint Lucia as a senior energy specialist and is highlighted by her success in renewable energy policy and strategy development, sustainable energy program management, renewable energy project management, and capacity building.Pairing her technical expertise with other passions, she strongly supports a just energy transition through focus on gender mainstreaming.

She was previously part-time program manager of the Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Network, then managed collaboratively by the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). Her passion for empowering and building capacity among women to accelerate energy transition inspired her to establish the Caribbean Chapter of the Women in Geothermal Network, WING.

She has a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering in Energy and Environmental Management from the Europa-Universitat Flensburg, Germany, and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), (Autonomous Metropolitan University), Mexico. She also has a post-graduate diploma, Project Management and Financing of Geothermal Energy Projects from the United Nations University Geothermal Training Program, Iceland.
The Hon. Philip Davis
Prime Minister, The Bahamas, Government of the Bahamas
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The Hon. Isaac Chester Cooper
Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation - Bahamas
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Hon. Oneidge Walrond
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Guyana
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The Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Economic Development, International Trade, Investment, Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Development, International Trade, Investment, Industry and Commerce -St. Kitts and Nevis
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The Hon. Pavel Ernesto Isa Contreras
Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development - Dominican Republic
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H.E. Marianne Van Steen
Ambassador to The Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, The Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, European Union Delegation
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Dr. Carla N Barnett
Secretary General, CARICOM Secretariat
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Therese Turner-Jones
Director - Projects, Caribbean Development Bank
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Aaron Bielenberg
Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group
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Ahmed Badr
Director - Project Facilitation & Support Division, International Renewable Energy Agency
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Anastarcia Palacious
Certified Transformational Trainer, TV Host, Best-selling Author
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Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy
Regional Manager for the Caribbean, CAF Caribbean Regional Management Office - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)
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Andrew Mendes
Managing Director, Farfan & Mendes
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Bill Peterson
Founder & CEO, Flying Ship Technologies
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Darwin Telemaque
Chairman, Port Management Association of the Caribbean
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Danielle Abrahams
Executive Director, Volcani International Partnerships
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Deodat Maharaj
Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency
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Diane Edwards
Director, MSBM Consulting
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Doug Cowper
Vice President, Tropical Shipping - Bahamas
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Dwight Dacosta
Senior Business Developer, HDF Energy
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Felipe De La Mota
Team Leader, EU Caribbean Regional Programmes
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Gillian Charles-Gollop
Executive DIrector - Corporate Banking & Sustainable Finance, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank
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Hannah Swift
Country Manager - Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic
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John Eleoterio
Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Sustainability Banking Group
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Jon Talarico
CEO and Founder, The Million Dollar Connector
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JoEllen Laryea
Partnerships, Advocacy and Reporting, Caribbean Export Development Agency
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Juan Garate
Head - AI and Big Data, TECNALIA
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Mervyn Farroe
Regional Representative, USAID / ESC
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Navin Dookeran
CEO, Exim Bank
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Nerisha Farquharson
CEO - Private Capital, Proven Group
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Nicholas Rees
Co-Founder & Chairman, Kanoo Pays
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Dr. Nicholas Brathwaite
Founding Managing Partner, Celesta Capital
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Nigel Baptiste
President & CEO, Republic Financial Holdings Ltd.
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Okechukwu Ihejirika
Acting Chief Operations Officer - Caribbean Office, Africa Export Import Bank
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Philip Julien
Founder & Chairman, Kenesjay Green
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Paco Prieto
Project Manager - Strategy & Business Intelligence, TECNALIA
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Ronald Ramjattan
Founder & CEO, Baron Foods
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Racquel Moses
CEO, Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator
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Sergio Bandinelli
Business Director, TECNALIA Ventures
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Yves Ferreira
Regional Representative for the Caribbean, European Investment Bank
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Dr. Jacqueline D. Bend
Managing Director CIBC First Caribbean - Bahamas
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A Bold New Caribbean.

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Contact
Caribbean Export Development Agency
Baobab Tower, Warrens,
St. Michael, Barbados
‍
‍P.O. Box 5050  
Postal code BB22026
Tel: +1 (246) 436-0578
Fax: +1 (246) 436-9999
E-mail: info@carib-export.com
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‍
‍Torre Diandy XIX, Piso 7
Santo Domingo, República Dominicana
Tel: +1 (809) 531-6565
Fax: +1 (809) 473-7532
E-mail: info@carib-export.com
© 2023 Caribbean Investment Forum
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Produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.