JN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate of the Society of Actuaries
- Special Advisor to the CEO of the Jamaica National Group
Allan Lewis was reassigned as Special Advisor to the CEO of The Jamaica National Group in May 2022.
An astute, dynamic and experienced financial services professional, he joined JN Fund Managers as Managing Director in October 2016. His 30-year career has spanned a wide variety of financial markets, and he has an excellent track record of developing and leading teams to achieve results.
Prior to joining JN Fund Managers, Allan worked with several local financial institutions, where he gained vast experience in asset management; enterprise financial risk management, mergers and acquisitions, as well as wealth management, money transfer, pension funds management and administration services.
Allan is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. He achieved a BSc (Hons), Actuarial Science degree from Western University, Ontario, Canada, as well as an MBA, Actuarial Science and the Ed.M., Urban Education degrees from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. He received USAID and Commonwealth scholarships to pursue his graduate studies.
He is a director of the St. Lucia based Consolidated Foods Limited that operates supermarkets in St. Lucia and St. Vincent and is Chairman of the Jamaica Racing Commission/Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission Pension Fund.
He has served as Chairman of the Pension Funds Association of Jamaica, and led the advocacy body to improve the relationship and communication with its regulators. Up until June 2016, he served as Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), focusing the organisation to maximize shareholder value. During his tenure as Chairman, the JSE was recognized by Bloomberg as the number one performing stock market index in the world in 2015.
Allan is deeply involved in his community. He currently serves as Chairman of the Operations Committee of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica, is a member of the Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew and continues to mentor final year students at The University of the West Indies.
Job Titles:
- Associate Principal, Strategy, JN Consult
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Group Data Protection Officer
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director of JN Fund Managers
Brando Hayden was appointed Managing Director of JN Fund Managers and JN Private Capital effective May 2022. He joined The Jamaica National Group as Assistant General Manager, JN Private Capital in March 2019. Mr Hayden was previously General Manager at JN Fund Managers (2013-2016).
He brings over two decades of diverse experience to the Group, having specialized in global treasury, asset management and institutional sales and trading. His career in financial services covers emerging market fixed income trading at Bankers Trust, currencies at Morgan Stanley, energy derivatives at Enron Global Markets and equity derivatives at UBS. Mr. Hayden's experience also includes senior positions with financial services firms in Jamaica. He served as Head of Trading for NCB Capital Markets, Head of Trading at JMMB and Head of Treasury at JNBS.
A graduate of Munro College (Potsdam, St. Elizabeth), Mr. Hayden holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a BBA in Finance from The City University of New York, Baruch College. Mr. Hayden is also a registered Athlete's Representative (JAM) with World Athletics (formerly IAAF).
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Promotions and Sponsorship / the Jamaica National Group
Job Titles:
- Assistant General Manager, Chief Development Financing Officer
Carlton Earl Samuels has a distinguished career in the field of Financial and General Management. As Financial Manager and Consultant, he has worked in several private and statutory organisations. In 2017, he was appointed Chief Development Financing Officer for The Jamaica National Group. Prior to this appointment he held the position of Assistant General Manager, Group Finance and Mortgage Operations.
In recognition of his outstanding leadership as Managing Director of the National Housing Trust and his contribution to the housing sector in Jamaica, he was awarded the National Honour, Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2006.
He has served on the boards of several Public and Private Sector companies, civic boards and societies thereby contributing to community and national development. In 1997, he was the recipient University of Technology (UTECH) Outstanding Alumnus Award and, in 2006 he received the Distinguished Rotarian Award from the Rotary Club of St. Andrew. In recognition of his contribution to the development of Cornwall College he was awarded the Man of Might Award in 2012 from the Cornwall College Old Boys Association (CCOB). In 2016, he received an award from the Kingston Chapter of CCOB for his contribution to national development. He is a Justice of the Peace for the city of Kingston, is married and has three (3) children.
Qualifications:
Masters in Business Administration, The Chapman Graduate School, Florida International University
Diploma in Accounting, College of Arts, Science and Technology (now University of Technology, Jamaica)
Certificate in Housing Finance, Wharton Real Estate Business School, University of Pennsylvania
A Chartered Accountant by profession
Fellow, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK)
Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, General Manager 's Office
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Technical Product Management & Innovation
Job Titles:
- General Manager of the JN Foundation
- Jamaica National Building Society As Communications Specialist
- Member Ombudsman / Executive - Member Relations and Quality Assurance
- Member Ombudsman / General Manager, JN Foundation
Claudine Allen was appointed General Manager of the JN Foundation on December 1, 2020. In this role, she will lead the Foundation's efforts to contribute to the developmental needs of Jamaica. She will also drive programmes that nurture oneness with JN Group members so that together we may leverage our relationships and resources to enrich lives and build communities. As Member Ombudsman, she will continue to champion the interests of members and lead efforts to resolve customer issues, facilitate measurement and analysis of customer experience and leverage member feedback to inform the direction of the Group.
She was appointed Executive for the JNBS Enterprise Contact Centre and Member Ombudsman in January 2015. With the restructuring of the Society in February 2017, she was appointed Executive - Member Relations and Quality Assurance and Member Ombudsman for The Jamaica National Group.
Miss Allen joined the Jamaica National Building Society as Communications Specialist in the Corporate Communications department in 2006 and has also served as Special Assistant to the General Manager - a position she held for six years. She brings to the Group expertise in corporate affairs and public relations, customer service, business administration, and advertising.
She gained the Master of Science, Public Relations at Syracuse University and the BA (Hons), Media and Communication, from The University of the West Indies (UWI). She is a director of the Jamaica Customer Service Association and United Way of Jamaica.
Qualifications:
Master of Science, Public Relations, Syracuse University
BA (Hons.), Media and Communication, The University of the West Indies (UWI)
Diploma, Business Administration, UWI
The reorganisation of The Jamaica National Group also involved the establishment of the JN Financial Group Limited, which owns all the companies in the Group which offer financial services.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director, JN Financial Group
- Position of Managing Director of the JN Financial Group
Curtis Martin assumed the position of Managing Director of the JN Financial Group in July 2022, with responsibility to lead the JN Financial Group companies, which offer banking, insurance, investment and remittance services. He also assumed the role of Chief Investment Officer of The Jamaica National Group and will have oversight of the Group's treasury and investment functions.
Mr Martin was appointed Chief Financial Officer of The Jamaica National Group in February 2017 and assumed the post of Managing Director, JN Bank, in December 2017. Joining the Jamaica National Building Society in 2013 as Assistant General Manager, Treasury and Investments, Mr Martin possesses extensive experience in banking, corporate finance, treasury and investment management at several leading financial institutions in the private and public sectors for the past three decades.
As Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange & Jamaica Central Securities Depository (2006-2011), he led the diversification of the organisation's revenue stream through the development and launch of the Junior Stock Market, JSE Trustee Services and the JSE E-Learning Institute.
Mr Martin holds the BSc, Management Studies from The University of the West Indies (UWI), the MBA, Finance from Columbia University, New York and is at Level 2 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Accreditation.
He is a Director of the Jamaica Central Security Depository Ltd; a JCSD Trustee Services Member; and a Member of the Kingston College Old Boys' Association.
Mrs Dianne Smith-Sears joined the Jamaica National Building Society in 2005 and has undertaken a number of roles over the years. She is currently Executive, with responsibility to develop and implement a payment network to support the Group's entry into the payment acquisition business.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chairman
- Co - Deputy Chairman / the Jamaica National Group
- Economist
- Member of the Board of the Jamaica National Building Society
Dr Dhiru Tanna has been a member of the Board of the Jamaica National Building Society since 1981 and continues to be a director of JN Fund Managers Ltd., which he served as Chairman between 2005 and 2015. He is a long-standing member of the Society's Finance and Investment Committee, now renamed the Risk Committee, which he has chaired between 2015 and 2018.
Since the transformation of the Society in February 2017, Dr. Tanna remains Deputy Chair of the restructured board of The Jamaica National Group, in addition to being a director of JN Bank and MCS Group.
A graduate of the University of London and the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Tanna is an Economist. He is a former Director and Chairman of a number of Jamaican and West Indian companies. His career spans assignments in Uganda, the USA, Puerto Rico and several organisations in Jamaica, and other CARICOM states. Some of these entities include Neal & Massy Holdings Ltd, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica National Investment Co. Ltd. (JNIC) and Capital Development Fund. Dr. Tanna has served as a Director of the Development Bank of Jamaica between 2007 and 2016. He is Executive Chairman of Blue Power Group Ltd. which was listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in 2010.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager for JN General Insurance Company
Dr. Dana Morris Dixon was appointed General Manager for JN General Insurance Company in May 2022. She joined the JN Group in 2013 as Executive, Business Development and Research for the then Jamaica National Building Society. Starting in 2014, she led the Group's Business Transformation Project to ensure the successful reorganisation of The Jamaica National Group, as well as the conversion of the Society to a commercial bank. She was also Project Lead for the development, regulatory approval and launch of JN Bank UK, the first Caribbean-owned bank to be established in the UK in 2020.
She later served in various capacities, including Assistant General Manager, with responsibility for Group Marketing. Most recently, Dr Dixon was on secondment to the Bank of Jamaica as an advisor, where she worked with all relevant government agencies and private sector interests to complete the requisite work on all elements of the country's risk assessment.
Dr Dixon received the PhD in International Studies from the University of Denver and completed both the Masters in Government and the Bachelors in Economics and International Relations (First Class Honours) at The University of the West Indies. She is also an alum of the Harvard Business School where she completed the executive MBA programme. She is a Fulbright Scholar, is Chair of the Enterprise Team for Integrated Resort Developments, is on the board of the Clarendon Alumina Partners and is a Commissioner of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive, Cyber Security
Dwayne Brown, Executive - Cybersecurity is responsible for overseeing the assessment and monitoring of security controls. In addition, manages the design and implementation of all computer security systems and information security awareness for the companies across the JN Group.
He joined the former Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in 2007 as IT Security Officer and was promoted to Manager, Cybersecurity in 2009. Throughout his tenure, he has proven himself to be a strategic thinker and problem solver - dedicating his vast knowledge of IT services to the safety of all our secured systems.
He completed the BSc in Computing and Information Technology, with Honours, at the University of Technology, Jamaica and the Masters in Network and Data Communication, with Honors, from Kingston University, London, England, completing his thesis on the topic, Network Penetration testing: assessing tools for intrusion. Mr Brown is a Certified Information Security Manager and a Certified Ethical Hacker, who has also received training as a computer hacking forensic investigator.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- General Manager of MC Systems
Dwayne Russell was appointed General Manager of MC Systems in 2016, one of the leading technology companies in the Caribbean, a member company of the JN Group.
He joined MC System in 1995, and in his more than two decades at the company, he has held several leadership roles in the areas of finance, sales and marketing and business development. He has been instrumental in improving efficiencies, reducing bad debts and increasing cash reserves.
As Assistant General Manager, with responsibility for the company's Electronic Phone Card Division, his team fused marketing, sales, information technology and customer service strategies to make their division the most profitable in the company.
Dwayne Russell holds the ACCA certification and a Diploma in Business Administration, Accounting major, from the University of Technology. He also holds certificates in Project Management, Business Analysis, Data Analytics and Unix Database Administration.
Job Titles:
- Executive, Human Resource Development
Job Titles:
- Development Financing Specialist at the Jamaica National Group
- Executive, Development Financing Specialist
Gladstone Whitelocke was appointed Development Financing Specialist at The Jamaica National Group in 2019, with responsibility to develop and implement strategies to grow the corporate and development loan portfolio of JN Bank and to evaluate loan applications to ensure compliance with credit risk tolerance levels.
With over 30 years in the banking and finance sector, Mr. Whitelocke brings a wealth of experience to his portfolio. His expertise lies in relationship management, financial analysis, credit risk management, cost management, revenue growth and regulatory compliance.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Whitelocke was Senior Vice President Non-Branch Sales at Scotia Jamaica Group from 2003 to 2018, and General Manager, Scotia Jamaica Building Society from 2003 to 2013.
Qualifications
MBA, Banking & Finance, Manchester Business School
Certificate, Sales Management, University of New Orleans
Certificate, Project Management, University of New Orleans
Gladstone ‘Tony' Lewars is a retired partner from Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC), where he was the Leader of the Advisory division of the firm and Human Capital Leader for the federation of eight PwC Caribbean territories. In 2015, he was conferred with the honour of The Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in recognition of invaluable service to the public and private sectors of Jamaica.
He sits on the Board of JN Money Services Limited, and Chairs the Boards of JN Cayman and JN Money Services (Cayman) Limited. He was appointed to The Jamaica National Group Board in September 2021 and chairs the Nominations Committee.
He is a member of the Board of Governors of Alpha Academy and served as a Commissioner of the Police Services Commission. He now sits on the Police Civilian Oversight Authority and serves as Secretary/Director for the Jamaica College Trust. He completed the Masters in Economics, the Masters in Accounting and the BSc in Economics (Honours) with The University of the West Indies.
Job Titles:
- Executive, Group Industrial Relations Specialist
Hilret Hanson was appointed Executive, Group Industrial Relations Specialist for The Jamaica National Group in June 2017. His responsibilities include guiding the Group's industrial relations strategy, promoting industrial relations harmony and compliance with labour legislation.
He has worked with the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) for close to four decades, serving in various capacities during his tenure, including Branch Manager, Finance Manager and Senior Regional Manager. He also worked as Executive, with responsibility for Branch Retail Operations; Executive in charge of Business Relationship and Sales; and has served as president of the JNBS managers' association and as staff director.
Qualifications:
Certificate in Jamaican securities, Jamaica Institute of Management
Financial Management courses, College of Art, Science and Technology, now University of Technology
Job Titles:
- General Manager of the Jamaica National Building Society
- Member of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica
Earl Jarrett was appointed General Manager of the Jamaica National Building Society in October 1999. He joined the Society in 1997 as Executive with responsibility for Compliance and Overseas Subsidiaries. Mr Jarrett was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the restructured mutual holding company, The Jamaica National Group Limited in February 2017.
He is a Director on the Boards of all local and overseas companies and entities of the JN Group; and serves as Chairman of the Jamaica Automobile Association (Services) Limited and the overseas subsidiary companies of JN Money Services Limited.
A Chartered Accountant and graduate of The University of the West Indies, Mr. Jarrett serves on the boards of several external organisations. He is:
Chairman, Jamaica Cancer Society; National Council of Jamaica, Order of St John, Jamaican Diaspora Foundation, The University of the West Indies Mona Campus Council and Mona Geoinformatics Institute
Director, The Gleaner Company's UK and North American Boards; Edna Manley College Arts Foundation
Trustee, Dudley Grant Memorial Trust, the YWCA Trust, Caribbean Council (UK)
Trustee Member/Secretary, FIA Foundation
He is former Deputy Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Jamaica Investments Promotions (JAMPRO); former Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica and past President of the Rotary Club of New Kingston. He has served as a member of the National Task Force on Political Tribalism, and as Honorary Secretary of The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ).
In 2008, Mr Jarrett received the Order of Distinction, in the rank of Commander (CD), from the Government of Jamaica for service to the financial sector; and the Pelican Award from The University of the West Indies Alumni, Florida Chapter, for outstanding work in business development among the Jamaican Diaspora in the USA.
In 2010, he was recognised by the American Foundation of The University of the West Indies as a 2010 recipient of the Caribbean Luminary Awards; received the Pelican Award from the Jamaican Chapter of The University of the West Indies Alumni, for significant contribution to the development of the University and to Jamaica; and the Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree, honoris causa, from the University of Technology Jamaica. In 2011, Mr Jarrett received a second Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree from The University of the West Indies.
He was awarded the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston's Man of Excellence award and recognised as the Jamaica Institute of Management (JIM)/Gleaner 2011 Manager of the Year in 2012; and subsequently inducted as a JIM Fellow.
Mr Jarrett was appointed a member of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica in 2013; and in 2014, was inducted into the Council of Volunteer Social Services (CVSS) Hall of Fame for his contribution to the community. In 2015, he was recognised as the Gleaner Honour Awardee for exceptional voluntary service in 2014 and was the 2015 inductee for The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Private Sector Hall of Fame.
In 2016, Mr Jarrett was presented with the Visionary Award by the Mavis & Ephraim Hawthorne Golden Krust Foundation (New York) and Distinguished Member Award by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ).
He was again recognized by the Government of Jamaica in 2018 with his appointment to the Order of Jamaica (OJ), for his exceptional contribution to the banking and financial sectors, public service and volunteerism. Mr Jarrett was conferred with his third honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Education in Leadership (honoris causa), by The Mico University College in December 2018.
Job Titles:
- Acting General Manager
- Member of the Kingston Cricket Club and Former Board
A strong team player and professional with more than twenty years of experience at the Jamaica National Building Society, Horace Hines has served the Society in several capacities, as Supervisor at the Annotto Bay and Port Antonio branches and User Support Officer.
Mr. Hines holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Masters in Business Administration, both from the Nova Southeastern University. He has received certification in Project Management and Marketing from the Mona School of Business and the University of Technology respectively. He has also completed the Jamaican Securities Course (Jamaican Institute of Management) and Stepping up Management - Knowledge Works (Harvard).
Actively involved in the wider community, Horace Hines is a member of the Kingston Cricket Club and former board member of the Building Societies Credit Union. He has served as Staff Director at Jamaica National Building Society and Chairman of the JNBS Sports and Social Club.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Website and Digital Media
Jennifer Alayne Martin, an Attorney-at-Law, has been a Director of the Board of the Jamaica National Building Society since the merger of the Jamaica Savings & Loan Building Society and the Society in 2001. She served as Director of the Jamaica Savings & Loan Building Society from 1996 to 2001.
She was appointed a director of the board of The Jamaica National Group and JN Bank in February 2017. Mrs Martin is a Director of the JN Foundation and a Trustee of the JN Group Pension Plan.
A partner with the law firm Robinson, Phillips & Whitehorne, Mrs Martin is based in the firm's St. Ann office. Mrs Martin was admitted to practice as a Solicitor in Jamaica in 1970 and has extensive experience in conveyancing. She is a member of the Jamaican Bar Association and the Northern Jamaica Law Society.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Strategist
Experienced team leader, deal maker and strategist, Jermaine Deans, was appointed Managing Director of JN Cayman in December 2019. In this role, he will develop business strategies and plans, and oversee all operations and business activities to ensure high performance and the success of JN Cayman.
He joined The Jamaica National Group in 2016 as a Deputy General Manager of JN Fund Managers Limited, with responsibility for Corporate Finance Advisory, Capital Markets and Institutional Sales & Trading.
Mr Deans has over 17 years of experience in Global Financial Markets, Capital Markets, Credit, Commercial Banking, Treasury Management, FX Trading, Bond Trading, Company Financial Analysis and Corporate Strategy Re-engineering, Balance Sheet Restructuring, Monetary and Fiscal Policies, Economics and Central Government Management, Supervision of Financial Institutions, Market Risk Assessment. He has also structured balance sheet solutions for various entities via Financial Advisory, Business Process Re-Tooling, Debt, Equity, Acquisitions and IPOs, and created portfolio solutions for individual clients and proprietary managed assets to achieve stated objectives.
He is a director of Peak Bottling Company Limited, Spike Industries Limited and Stationery and Office Supplies Limited and past member of the Bankers Sub-Committee of the Jamaica Bankers Association. Mr. Deans lectures in Portfolio Management and Financial Markets, and was previously Head of Capital Markets at Sagicor Investments Jamaica Limited.
He holds a BSc. in Business Administration, Finance Major and an MBA, Finance Major, with concentration in Investment Management, from Villanova School of Business, Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager Credit Concentration Risk
Job Titles:
- Executive, Corporate Integrity
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Production Management & Customer Insights JN Group Marketing
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Executive
- Assistant General Manager / Chief Accounting, Taxation and Reporting Officer
Joy Brady is a chartered accountant by training with more than twenty years of financial management experience in the commercial industry and more than fifteen years of experience in auditing.
She joined the Jamaica National Building Society in 2004 as Group Finance Manager and was promoted to Executive in August 2011. With the restructuring of the Society on February 1, 2017, her responsibilities include monitoring the financial accounting and reporting for The Jamaica National Group and its subsidiaries.
Qualifications:
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Level III (1992)
Association of Accounting Technician (AAT), Level III (1984)
Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ)
Fellow, ACCA
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Director of the Jamaica National Group
Mrs. Kathleen Moss is a Management Consultant and Chartered Business Valuator with Sierra Associates, an independent advisory and business valuation firm, which she established in 1993.
She was appointed Chairman of JN Bank Limited in April 2019. She joined the Board of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in 2012 and became Chairman of JN General Insurance Company (JNGI) in 2015, having served on the JNGI board since 1996. Mrs Moss has been a member of the JN Audit and Finance Committees since their inception in the mid-1990s.
Mrs Moss was appointed a director of The Jamaica National Group Limited, the JN Financial Group and JN Bank in February 2017 and is a member of the Audit and Finance Committees of these companies. She serves on the boards of Jamaica Producers Group, Assurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Pan Jam Investment and Kingston Wharves. She also serves on the Executive Committee of Jamaica Producers Group and chairs the audit committees of Jamaica Producers Group and Pan Jam, the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee of Kingston Wharves and the Governance Committee of Pan Jam.
Prior to establishing Sierra, Mrs Moss worked with the consultancy practice of PriceWaterhouse. She is a trustee of the Violence Prevention Alliance. She is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuations and a graduate of The University of the West Indies and McGill University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Customer Support I.T. Department
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager Risk Framework Policy and Reporting
Leesa Kow - Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director, JN Bank
An experienced financial professional and business developer, Leesa Kow assumed the position of Managing Director of JN Bank in July 2022. She was previously Deputy Managing Director for JN Bank, a post she was appointed to in November 2017.
In that role she has led the implementation of JN Bank's strategic digitalisation initiatives - a major transformation project for which she has provided oversight of both the operational and change management processes to ensure alignment, seamlessness and success. She also led the building of the bank's compliance culture, providing oversight of the management of its risk framework, to include the Risk, Compliance and Operations portfolios; as well as the alignment of JN Bank's business strategies
Ms Kow began her career at JN in 2003 as senior manager for Remittances. She was promoted to executive, Marketing, Sales and Promotion in 2006 and two years later to general manager of JN Money Services Limited (JNMS), which traded then as JN Money Transfer, but trades today simply as JN Money. During her leadership of JNMS, JN Money Transfer became the largest remittance brand from the Caribbean, expanding from some 200 branches and agents to more than 8,000, spanning three continents over a three-year period. She also led JN Money to become the market leader on important remittance corridors to Jamaica, such as the United Kingdom & Cayman.
Ms Kow served as president of the Jamaica Money Remitters Association from 2012-2017, and is currently a director of the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) and chairperson of the CAB Advocacy Committee.
She holds the BSc, Management Studies and Accounting (First Class Hons) and the MSc, International Business (distinction), both from The University of the West Indies (UWI).
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, HR Services
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- Acting General Manager of JN Life Insurance Company
- Chairman of the Board of Perishables Limited
- Financial Services Executive
Mr Hugh Reid was appointed Acting General Manager of JN Life Insurance Company in December 2020. Mr. Reid is an experienced financial services executive and entrepreneur, with a track record of success in general management, customer service, sales management, investments, life insurance, mortgage finance, financial accounting and financial management in the financial services, construction and real estate industries.
He joined The Jamaica National Group as a Consultant in November 2018 and successfully completed and participated in several projects in the areas of financial analysis, project financing, project appraisal, as well as policy and strategy development. He was appointed Executive in the JN Group Accounting and Financial Reporting Unit in October 2019.
In 2016, Mr Reid established Customer Needs LLC, in Georgia, Atlanta, a startup company with a focus on real estate investing and financial education. Prior to that, he served in a number of senior management roles as President of Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Company; Chief Operating Officer at the Victoria Mutual Building Society; Senior General Manager at the National Housing Trust; and has also worked in the life insurance and internal audit sectors.
He completed the MSc, Accounting and the BSc, Economics, both at The University of the West Indies. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (UK), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica and the Life Management Institute (US) and completed the International Housing Finance Certificate at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania.
Mr Reid is Chairman of the Board of Perishables Limited; Director of the Kingston College Development Trust Fund and the Kiwanis Foundation of Jamaica; and Vice Chair, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Jamaica Chapter. He is Past President, Insurance Association of Jamaica (2012-2014); Fellow of the Jamaican Institute of Management (2006); and has had a long association with the Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew - Distinguished Club Secretary, Kiwanian of the Year, Past Distinguished President 2000-2001 and Kiwanis Hixson Fellow * Lt. Governor's Award, Division 23 EC&C District, Kiwanis International, for outstanding service as Divisional Treasurer.
Job Titles:
- Executive Associate Principal
- Executive Associate Principal, JN Consult
Onyka Barrett Scott assumed the position of Executive Associate Principal in the JN Consult Research Unit in July 2022, responsible to support the long term growth and sustainability of the JN Group. She was previously Executive, Multilateral Relations of The Jamaica National Group, with responsibility to secure multilateral funding from donors for projects which align with the work and values of the JN Foundation.
Mrs Barrett Scott was General Manager of the JN Foundation between 2018 to 2020. She has more than 16 years of experience working with multilaterals, international and local NGO's. Her dedication to human & economic development has allowed her to create and direct projects and collaborate with multiple partners across the Caribbean, Latin America, Kenya and Ghana. She has significant experience strategizing with Government Agencies across several Caribbean territories to create initiatives that address key national priorities. Mrs. Barrett Scott's key areas of focus in her career have included sustainable development, social enterprise development, triple bottom line impact, national policy development and human resource development.
During the period 2015 to 2017, she was the co-chair of the Social Enterprise Policy Committee, an initiative of the Planning Institute of Jamaica and Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture & Fisheries. Through her leadership, the committee was able to realize the goal of the inclusion of a supporting framework for the operation of social enterprises in Jamaica - a first - under the revised MSME & Entrepreneurship Policy. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange.
She holds the MSc, Development Studies (with Distinction) from SALISES, UWI, a Post Graduate Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance, CIHC - Fordham University (USA) and a BA (Hons), Human Resource Management, Anglia Ruskin University (UK).
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Specialist
Mrs Smith Sears was previously General Manager of Management Control Systems Limited and its subsidiary, Manufacturers Credit & Information Services Limited, with responsibility for overseeing the sales and operations for both companies.
Mrs Smith-Sears is a career Information Technology specialist who has over 25 years working in the finance sector in leadership positions, governing all aspects of information technology. She has also led the sales and operations of the largest card services operations in Jamaica. She is a past Vice President of the Jamaica Computer Society and had served on a variety of Boards in the past.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive, Corporate Communications
Mrs Tanya Pringle was appointed Executive for Group Corporate Communications in June 2019. She joined the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in 2009 as Special Assistant to the General Manager and was appointed Manager of the Group Corporate Communications department in 2011. She was subsequently promoted to Senior Manager in 2014.
During the restructuring of JNBS in 2017, Mrs Pringle and her team led the communication initiatives for the successful transformation of the 140 year-old building society to The Jamaica National Group and the launch of JN Bank.
As head of Group Corporate Communications, she works closely with her team to provide a wide range of communication initiatives, including web and digital marketing, internal communication and media support to the JN Group, its companies and organisations, as well as its Representative Offices in the United Kingdom, Florida and Toronto and companies in New York and The Cayman Islands.
Mrs Pringle previously worked in communications as General Manager, PROCOMM Limited and at The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), where she was recognized as Outstanding Employee of the Year (2005). She has also worked in general management and marketing in the hotel industry and was awarded an International Hotel Association scholarship to the Netherlands in 1993.
Qualifications
MA - Communications, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Certificate courses: Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Marketing
Affiliations
Founding member (2011), JN Toastmasters Club
Former Secretary, Vice President - Public Relations and President, JN Toastmasters Club
Director - Area 12, Division B - Caribbean Toastmasters
Toastmaster of the Year (2019-2020), JN Toastmasters Club
Job Titles:
- Chief Internal Auditor
- Executive, Internal Audit
Mrs Tonya Grant was appointed Chief Internal Auditor for The Jamaica National Group in 2017.
She has more than 25 years' experience in auditing and has participated in diverse internal audit, data analytics, Anti-Money Laundering and leadership conferences and seminars.
Qualifications
Fellow, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA)
Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (FCA)
U.S. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
Job Titles:
- Executive, Special Assistant to the CEO
- Executive, Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer ( CEO
Mrs. Marie Stewart Lewin was promoted to Executive, Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), The Jamaica National Group in June 2019. She serves as the primary contact for matters pertaining to the CEO and acts as liaison to the JN Group's board of directors and senior management teams.
She also plans and executes initiatives and special projects, including: the biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conferences; annual JN Outlook for the Future forums in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States of America; as well as, the Governor-General's Programme for Excellence.
Mrs. Stewart Lewin joined the Corporate Communications department of the former Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) as a Communications Assistant in 2003. She was promoted to Assistant Communications Manager in 2006 and to Manager of the department in 2007.
In January 2011, she was appointed Research Manager for JNBS, with responsibility to develop the JN research agenda; and to plan and execute presentations related to JNBS member companies. Mrs. Stewart Lewin was subsequently promoted to Senior Manager, Research & Public Relations in December 2011. She assumed the post of Senior Manager, Special Assistant to the JNBS General Manager in 2014 and continued in this role, when JNBS was restructured to The Jamaica National Group in 2017.
Mrs. Stewart Lewin previously worked at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) as a Television Producer/Director and was a Senior Television Producer/Presenter for nine years.
She completed the Master of Business Administration, International Business with the University of Liverpool (Laureate); the Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies and the Bachelor of Arts degree in history, both from The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona. She has benefited from a diploma programme and numerous courses in journalism, communications, public relations, public speaking, protocol and business etiquette; as well as, training in radio and television programme production; voice and speech presentation.
She was appointed Justice of the Peace for the Parish of St. Andrew in 2012; and is an Observer on the Advisory Board of Governor-General Programme for Excellence; as well as Chairperson of the Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre Thrift Club, since 1997.
Mrs. Stewart Lewin was also a member of the Inter-American Business Communicators Association 2003-2006; and an Affiliate Member of the Public Relations Society of Jamaica, 2003-2006.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Securities JN Group Legal
Job Titles:
- Chief Technical Officer
- Chief Technology Officer
- Executive
- MC Systems As Technical Representative
A proactive problem solver and decisive leader, with an in-depth knowledge of system infrastructure and new trends, Nigel Thomas was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for The Jamaica National Group in October 2020.
As CTO, he is responsible to align technology vision with business strategy by integrating company processes with the appropriate technologies. He will lead the charge for the rollout of the "JN Cloud" which will offer world class Cloud computing services to JN companies and key customers, through MC Systems. JN Cloud will further increase operational efficiencies and drive profits for the JN Group.
Nigel joined MC Systems as Technical Representative in 1994 where he worked on implementing ground-breaking products such as eMoney, and other technology projects provided by MC Systems. He was seconded to the JN Group as Manager, Technical Services in 2003, with responsibility to manage infrastructure services and successfully led the centralization of IT services and infrastructure in 2008. He has worked on key technology projects such as the groundbreaking JN Live and SOA (JN Teller and SOA module) implementations, the major upgrade of Phoenix from Sybase to SQL server, and the migration of the JN Group Data Center to a virtualized environment.
He was promoted to Head of Technical Services in 2013 and in that role extended the management of Shared IT services to all of the JN member companies.
Nigel completed the Diploma in Electronics & Telecommunications from the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), now the University of Technology and has completed several IT certification courses over the years.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager Financial Risk
With over 20 years of experience in operations, customer service, transport logistics, and security protocols, Owen Smith assumed the role of General Manager of the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) in July 2022. He previously served as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), managing depot operations, road operations, accident administration, information technology, franchise protection, marketing and the security department. Major successes during his tenure include reduction in the JUTC's operational expenditure, digitization of road operations and implementation of capacity building initiatives for the supervisory body of the company.
Prior to his appointment as DMD, as a General Manager at the JUTC, he had oversight for the operations at the Rockfort Depot (RFD) and successfully implemented a number of management initiatives aimed at improving motivation and communication within the depot. He was also responsible for the JUTC's initial response to COVID-19 in March 2020, where protocols were implemented on all RFD buses, minimizing the spread of the disease among the driver cohort and the commuting public. In great part, these protocols were responsible for the very low infection rate among JUTC frontline team members. As Operations Manager and Head of Service at Appliance Traders Limited, he had direct oversight and management of ATL's transportation logistics, general operations, property management and customer engagement protocols.
A trained Urban and Regional Planner, he also participated in a professional development course in the Design of Urban Transport Systems for Small Island Development States from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He also holds numerous professional certifications in urban planning, physical planning and geographic information systems. He is a former member of the Jamaica Defence Force National Reserves and mentors at-risk youth in his spare time.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member and Former President of the Geological Society of Jamaica
Parris A. Lyew-Ayee joined the Board of Directors of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in June 2007, having previously served as a Director of NEM Insurance Company (Ja.) Limited, a subsidiary of JNBS. A board member of the JN Foundation since 2007, he was appointed Chairman, JN Small Business Loans in 2009 and Chairman of the JN Foundation in 2018.
With the launch of JN Bank in February 2017, Mr Lyew-Ayee was appointed a board member of the restructured mutual holding company, The Jamaica National Group.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute, and Chairman of the Caribbean Cement Co. Ltd. At the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies, he is a member of the Campus Council, the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Campus Audit Committee, the Strategy and Policy Committee and the Buildings & Grounds Committee.
Mr. Lyew-Ayee is a member and former President of the Geological Society of Jamaica, a Member of the International Committee for Studies of Bauxites, Alumina and Aluminium (ICSOBA) and the Society of Mining Engineers of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers.
A geologist and mineral engineer, Mr. Lyew-Ayee worked at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute since its inception in 1976 and was its Executive Director for 23 years, retiring in June 2018. For his service to the bauxite/alumina industry in Jamaica throughout his career, the Government of Jamaica awarded him the Order of Distinction (Rank of Officer) in 1988, then the Order of Distinction (Rank of Commander) in 2007.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs & Communication, UK
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chief Executive Officer
- Executive - Corporate Affairs
Paulette Simpson was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer - Corporate Affairs of JN Bank UK in September 2020, with responsibility for Corporate Affairs and Market Strategy. She will continue in her role as Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, for The Jamaica National Group in the UK. There is an obvious synergy between the two roles which will help bring a coordinated focus to the Group's mission in the UK.
She has been part of the JN family since 2002 and has held several other positions within the JN Group, including: Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Chief Representative Officer, UK Representative Office, Jamaica National Building Society and General Manager, JN Overseas (UK) Limited, now renamed JN Money Services (UK) Limited.
Paulette also provides strategic management support for The Voice, which has been Britain's leading Black newspaper for the last 38 years, seeking to reposition the newspaper to achieve greater efficiencies and deeper community engagement.
She has been active in the Windrush Campaigns in the UK for the past few years and is Deputy Chair of the Windrush Advisory Panel and the Windrush Commemoration Committee. Paulette continues to be very active in the community and assists various charities across the UK with their work to improve the lives of Jamaicans in the UK and Jamaica. She was recognised as one of Britain's most influential people of African and African-Caribbean heritage in the annual UK Powerlist published by Powerful Media in 2018 and 2019.
She is a Director, JN Money Services (UK) Ltd, GV Media, publishers of The Voice newspaper and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Qualifications
MBA, University of Westminster
BA (Hons) Business Studies (Finance and Marketing), University of Stirling, Scotland
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Learning and Development, Group Human Resource Development
Job Titles:
- Chairman of JN General Insurance Company Limited
Peter Morris was appointed Chairman of JN General Insurance Company Limited in April 2019. He is also Chairman of JN Life Insurance Company Limited and JN Mutual Funds.
He joined the Board of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in 1993. With the restructuring of JNBS and the launch of JN Bank on February 1, 2017, he was appointed to the Boards of The Jamaica National Group Limited, JN Financial Group Limited and JN Bank Limited.
He also serves on the Board on JN Fund Managers Limited. He is a member of the Finance, Compensation and Proxy Committees of The Jamaica National Group, the Finance Committee of JN Financial Group, and the Finance and Loans Committees of JN Bank.
Mr. Morris has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from The University of the West Indies and an MBA in Finance from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He has more than 25 years of business experience at the management and Board level in Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Job Titles:
- Executive Principal, JN Consult
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, MCS Group
The MCS Group Limited serves as the non-financial holding company and parent of the unregulated entities within The Jamaica National Group.
Raphael Gordon, retired Managing Partner of KPMG in Jamaica and Chairman of KPMG CARICOM, joined the Board of Directors of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) in November 2009. With the restructuring of the Society and the launch of JN Bank on February 1, 2017, Mr Gordon was appointed a director of the boards of The Jamaica National Group, the JN Financial Group and the JN Bank. He is also Chairman of the MCS Group, the JN Group non-financial holding company, Chairman of the Audit Committee for The Jamaica National Group, the JN Financial Group and JN Bank, as well as the JN Pension Scheme. He is the Chairman of the Contributory Pension Fund for Jamaica National Building Society and subsidiary companies.
A Chartered, Certified and Global Cost and Management Accountant, Mr. Gordon is a former Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Caymanas Track Limited, a former Commissioner, The Casino Gaming Commission; a former member of the Air Jamaica Audit and Finance Committee and the EDP Auditors Association Inc., and is a current member of the Public Accountancy Board; past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ) and a former Director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean. He is a former Chairman and Trustee of The Management Services Limited 2004 Pension Fund. He has also served as the Jamaican representative on the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants' International Assembly.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the accounting profession and development of the ICAJ, Mr. Gordon received the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica Distinguished Member Award in 2008.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive, Group Marketing
- Jamaica National Building Society in 2002 As Senior Member Service Officer
Saniah Spencer was appointed Executive, Group Marketing of The Jamaica National Group in March 2021. She provides strategic marketing leadership for the JN member companies, to include alignment of the strategic marketing objectives and executions across the Group. She is also responsible to track marketing performance and reporting and assist with product enhancements and developments.
With extensive knowledge of the banking sector and its operations, Miss Spencer has been Chief - Marketing and Product Development for JN Bank for five years, with responsibility for strategic oversight of the brand, integrated marketing, sales promotions and events management, product development units and the overseas representative offices.
Miss Spencer joined the Jamaica National Building Society in 2002 as Senior Member Service Officer. She has had an accelerated career path, holding key positions in the JN Group, including Marketing Representative, Sales Manager, Operations Development Manager and Senior Manager.
She is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketers, UK, and holds a Masters of Management Degree in Strategic Management & Executive Leadership from Penn State University. She also completed the Banking & Innovation Executive Certification from Florida International University and the BA in Business Management, from Northern Caribbean University.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Secretary
- Corporate Secretary for the Jamaica National Group
- Member of the Jamaican Bar Association
Shakira Pickersgill, who was appointed Corporate Secretary for The Jamaica National Group Limited in September 2019, brings extensive knowledge and vast experience in corporate secretarial services and corporate governance procedures, practices and compliance to the JN Group. She was previously employed to the Development Bank of Jamaica Limited for more than 15 years as Company Secretary and Legal Officer.
She is an Attorney-at-law and graduate of the Norman Manley Law School where she attained the Council of Legal Education's Legal Education Certificate. Ms Pickersgill is also a graduate of the College of Law of England & Wales where she undertook post graduate studies in Legal Practice. She attended The University of Sussex where she attained a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree and also holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Management Studies degree from The University of the West Indies, Mona.
Ms Pickersgill is a member of the Jamaican Bar Association; the Jamaica China Friendship Association; and the Mustard Seed Communities' Powerful Women and Men Perform for Charity Planning Committee; and is a Trustee of the Libnah Graham Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager - Strategy Management
Job Titles:
- Assistant General Manager
- Chief Information Officer
Shereen Jones is tasked with overall responsibility for Information Technology across The Jamaica National Group. She has over 25 years of experience in IT, spanning multiple industries with significant focus on financial services, and has managed engagements in several countries, both regionally and across three continents.
She joined the JN Group in 2006 as General Manager of Management Control Systems (MCS) and assumed the position of Group Executive - Information Technology, in October 2009. However, her association with the Jamaica National Building Society began in 1999 when she assisted with the implementation of the Phoenix Banking system as a consultant.
Mrs Jones was appointed Assistant General Manager of the JN Group in February 2013. Her title was changed to Chief Information Officer for The Jamaica National Group when JNBS was restructured and JN Bank launched on February 1, 2017.
Job Titles:
- Executive, General Legal Counsel
- General Legal Counsel for the Jamaica National Group
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, IT Governance and Service Management