The Bahamas government is allocating resources to facilitate the transformation of the financial services sector. The 2018/2019 fiscal budget was passed in the House of Assembly on June 18th, 2018. In his contribution to the budget debate to the Bahamian Parliament, The Honourable T. Brent Symonette, the Bahamas Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry … Read More
Education & Training
BFSB and Graham Thompson Host Industry Development Series II
The Bahamas Financial Services Board in collaboration with member firm Graham Thompson, Counsel and Attorneys – at- Law, hosted a workshop on International Initiatives Impacting the Financial Services Sector as a part of its Industry Development Series II at the British Colonial Hilton om Thursday May 17th, 2018. Opening remarks were given by the Attorney … Read More
IBFS 2018 A Great Success
This year the Bahamas Financial Services Board hosted its annual International Business and Finance Summit in conjunction with Bahamas Briefing on March 1st and March 2nd at the Baha Mar Convention Center. At the Bahamas Briefing international intermediaries got an opportunity to see and hear why the Bahamas is the jurisdiction of choice as local … Read More
Industry Scholarships for Associates in Captive Insurance (ACI) Designation
BFSB and the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas are partnering again to provide two (2) full scholarships for the Associates in Captive Insurance (ACI) designation offered by the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (ICCIE). ICCIE was developed in response to a need expressed by captive insurance professionals for in-depth educational offerings, information on current … Read More
Financial Services Representatives Pay Courtesy Call On Minister of Education
Representatives of The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) and The Association of International Banks and Trust Companies (AIBT) paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education on June 22, 2017. Industry representatives outlined for the Minister, The Towards a Bilingual Bahamas (TABB) program which is currently in its second year of … Read More
Bahamas Millennials Society (BMS) Mentorship Program 2017
On Wednesday February 22, 2017 the Bahamas Millennials Society (BMS) hosted a “Mentor-Mentee Matching” event. The BMS was established by The Bahamas Financial Services Board in November of 2014 with the key objectives of creating opportunities for exposure, networking and mentorship for young professionals within the financial services sector. The first mentorship program was held … Read More
BFSB HOSTS SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE SUMMIT 2017
The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) hosted its 14th International Business & Finance Summit (IBFS) 2017 which took place at Lighthouse Pointe, Grand Lucayan Resort, Grand Bahama from January 26-28th, 2017 under the theme “Financial Services: Responding to Change through Innovation”. The event attracted approximately one hundred and fifty practitioners (local and international) regulators, government … Read More
TABB 2.0 Launched
Towards a Bilingual Bahamas (TABB) 2.0 was officially launched this morning in Ministry of Education high schools in New Providence and the Family Islands. This programme was introduced in 2015 by the Bahamas Financial Services Board in partnership with Rosetta Stone, The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and The Ministry of Financial Services. It … Read More
BMS and KPMG: A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (NHI) SYMPOSIUM
On Monday, January 16th 2017 The Bahamas Millennial Society (BMS), a networking and mentoring organisation for millennials employed in the financial services sector, participated in a National Health Insurance (NHI) Symposium hosted by KPMG – a BFSB member firm. The speakers for the session were Mark Britnell, KPMG’s Global HealthCare Partner, as well as Dr. … Read More
BISX Engages With Listed Issuers
The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) recently hosted a closed-session Conclave with its Listed Issuers. BISX says the intent was to meet with senior representatives of Listed Issuers to discuss their duties and responsibilities to the market, as well as to discuss the fundamental regulatory principles and overall mission of the Exchange BISX Chief Executive … Read More
The Hon. K. Peter Turnquest was born on August 22nd, 1964 in the Bahamas and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Prairie View A&M University, and his MBA from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in public and private practice for over 30 years in the area of financial accounting and reporting, audit, corporate services, merges & acquisitions, receiverships and liquidations. Mr. Turnquest has had wide business experience having led international sales and manufacturing operations in several countries.
A former Attorney-General of The Bahamas and one of Her Majesty’s Queens Counsel, John’s practice concentration are financial services law and regulation, corporate governance, business restructuring & insolvency, and commercial litigation. He has also been advisor in several major acquisitions and mergers within The Bahamas, and also in acquisitions by or mergers with regional entities.
The Honourable Brent Symonette presently serves as the Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration. In May 2017, Minister Symonette was elected as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of St. Anne’s, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas. An alumnus of Brunel University in Middlesex, England, he graduated with a BSc (Hons.) in Law and Political Science. He is a Barrister-at-Law having been called to the Bahamas Bar in 1978. Mr. Symonette is a respected and experienced politician having served in many governmental capacities for approximately thirty (30) years. His political career began in 1987 where he was appointed to the Senate of The Bahamas serving in this capacity for two consecutive five year terms. In 2002, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Montagu Constituency. During his parliamentary career he served as Minister of Tourism and Attorney General, Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement Party (FNM), Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
Valdez K. Russell serves as the principal of VKR Insights, a communications and reputation management agency. Throughout his professional career, Valdez has been instrumental in facilitating public relations and communication strategies to help individuals and organizations to build relationships and influence change.
Diego Zuluaga is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, where he covers financial technology and consumer credit. Before joining Cato, Zuluaga was Head of Financial Services and Tech Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. While at the IEA, he authored papers on the social value of finance, the role of offshore centers, the regulation of online platforms, and the taxation of capital income, among others. His work has been featured in print and broadcast media, such as the Times, Newsweek, and the Daily Telegraph. Zuluaga is a prolific public speaker as well as a former lecturer in economics at the University of Buckingham.
Ms. Christina R. Rolle is the Executive Director of the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, having been appointed effective 26 January 2015. Ms. Rolle has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Over the course of her career, Ms. Rolle has acted as Director and Deputy CEO for a prominent international private bank and held various senior managerial positions with local and other international institutions including Head of Trust and Fiduciary, Head of Risk, Compliance and Corporate Governance and Manager of Banking Services.
Mr. James H. Smith is currently in retirement since June, 2007. Before then, he served in Parliament as a Senator and in the Cabinet of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas as the Minister of State for Finance during the period 2002 to 2007.
Llewellyn Boyer-Cartwright is a partner in Callenders & Co., The Bahamas’ oldest law firm and recipient of numerous international awards of recognition including the Corporate International Global Award.
Michael Allen has professional expertise in corporate and commercial law, including derivatives law as it relates to the participation by Bahamian entities in financial derivatives transactions, real estate & development, aviation law and wealth management.
Linda Beidler-D’Aguilar joined Glinton Sweeting O’Brien as a partner in July 2015. In her practice she specializes in the structuring and creation of vehicles (including investment funds) for multinational institutional clients as well as private clients; she also advises on corporate transactions, securities law (including public and private offerings) as well as general commercial matters.
Ryan Pinder has been a partner in the law firm of Graham Thompson since January 2016. His practice areas include banking law, corporate and commercial law, investment funds, securities law, capital markets, trusts and estate planning and structuring. He specialises in financial services solutions, planning and wealth management for high net worth individuals and families, and their associated companies and businesses throughout the world.