Paradigm Shift: Opportunities in a New Jamaican Economy

Overview

Jamaica has been quietly stabilizing its economy over the past decade, bringing inflation down to 5% thanks to new monetary policy and the development of sectors like tourism, agriculture, outsourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and construction to create jobs, economic opportunities, and diversify the industry across the country.The island has accomplished significant feats in these sectors and is even now noted as the easiest place to do business in the Caribbean by the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report.

As a Small Island Developing State, the pandemic posed a major threat to the island’s economy. However, with quick reactions from Jamaica’s government and private sector stakeholders, the country has managed to avoid major fallout from issues like food security, shortage of goods, and disturbances in services.

TBY will sit down with JAMPRO President Diane Edwards and Jeffrey Hall, CEO of Jamaica Producers Group to discuss how Jamaica has used the pandemic as an opportunity to change its perspective, and to further push initiatives for strengthening the economy in preparation for the end of the pandemic.

Speakers

Diane Edwards

President JAMPRO

Diane Edwards

President
JAMPRO

Before joining JAMPRO, Diane Edwards served as General Manager and Director of J. Wray & Nephew UK Ltd., where she successfully grew the UK company's turnover by 77% over 10 years. Edwards holds an MBA from New York's Pace University, a master's in international relations from Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, and is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and German.

Jeffrey Hall

CEO Jamaica Producers Group

Jeffrey Hall

CEO
Jamaica Producers Group

Jeffrey Hall is the CEO and Director of the Jamaica Producers Group. He serves as Chairman of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited, Scotia Investments Jamaica Limited, Kingston Wharves Limited. and Lumber Depot Limited and is a director of Blue Power Group Limited and a Vice-President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. Hall received his Juris doctorate degree, with honours, from Harvard University and practiced banking and securities law at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York. He holds a master of public policy degree from Harvard University and a degree in economics from Washington University. Hall has served as a director of the Bank of Jamaica, the Jamaica Stock Exchange, JAMPRO, the National Housing Trust, and the Institute of Jamaica.

Moderator: Benjamin MacShane

Country Editor The Business Year

Moderator: Benjamin MacShane

Country Editor
The Business Year

Benjamin MacShane is country editor for The Business Year. He has a worked on producing business reports, market analyses and conducted interviews with business leaders across South America and the Middle East. He joined in 2019 having previously worked for a management consultancy, Beyond Reform and Development, based in Beirut. He has written articles for the online magazine, The Globalist, on democracy promotion and conflict resolution. Benjamin graduated from Edinburgh University and SOAS in London University.