Top Posts Filled in Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs

Two key positions have been filled in the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs (PIE).

PIE Chief Officer Eric Bush announced earlier this month that career public officer Mr. Wesley Howell had been appointed as Deputy Chief Officer, Security and Public Safety; and Mrs. Briana Ebanks, who previously worked in the private sector in Human Resource Management, was appointed as PIE’s new Chief Human Resources Manager.

Mr. Howell now assists Mr. Bush with the overall management of the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs – in particular, the Security and Public Safety Division.

As Deputy Chief Officer, Mr. Howell is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the RCIPS, Immigration, Hazard Management and Public Safety Communications (911) and provides strategic policy advice on border control and immigration’s internal operations, crime prevention, response and prosecutions as well as hazard mitigation, management and disaster preparedness.

Over the past two decades, Mr. Howell has been at the core of government’s Computer Services Department (CSD), even as technology advanced at light-speed. Beginning as a trainee computer operator in the late 1980s, his blend of practical and academic application to his work saw him become a programmer, then analyst and systems manager.

He was promoted to Deputy Director of CSD in 1999. In the process, he kept pace with the advent of ever-advanced systems and methods, from mainframes, microwave and data-routing to fibre-optic and mobile applications.

The many development projects he participated in during his communications career include areas as diverse as IT security, electronic payment, CCTV and e-business. In addition to his qualification from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, he completed an MBA degree from the University of Liverpool.

In the newly-created position of Chief Human Resources Manager with the Portfolio, Mrs. Ebanks focuses on balancing method with management in the delicate arena of human resources. Her role is both supportive and advisory.

She will provide professional advice as an “internal consultant” to PIE’s senior management, while simultaneously improving the HR activities throughout its departments. This includes ensuring compliance with legal and policy requirements, contracts and performance management.

She has a renewed focus on service, in line with her mandate of “re-engineering government’s business process”, and looks forward to introducing new initiatives to enhance customer-service and efficiency.

Additionally, she liaises with department heads, managers and supervisors to revise personnel policies, procedures and objectives, in keeping with recognised best-practices.

This will include a comprehensive review of the Portfolio’s handbook on HR policies and procedures. She is also standardising recruitment practices and ensuring that security checks and other relevant personnel measures are undertaken diligently.

Managing internal and external expectations is another goal. “It is important that we communicate the values and expectations to all employees. Even so, the public, as well as government’s external agencies and partners, need to maintain realistic expectations of our services,” Mrs. Ebanks said.

Although the Civil Service College offers employees an ever-increasing range of professional, degree and online courses, the Chief HR Manager is focusing on the delivery of training initiatives, staff development and succession planning to meet future needs.

Prior to joining government, Mrs. Ebanks had a diverse career in the corporate and non-profit workplaces. For five years she was development manager for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Following that, she worked as HR manager for a major local retail/service company, and then spent almost a decade in management/consulting with a leading offshore law firm.

Mrs. Ebanks is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she was awarded a Bachelor’s in Business Administration specialising in Organisational Behaviour and Business Policy.

“I am happy to have both positions filled with such talented and professional Caymanians,” Mr. Bush noted. “Having both Mr. Howell and Mrs. Ebanks in the Portfolio’s executive management team will allow for better support, guidance to and supervision of our departments and their activities.”

Both positions were advertised and received several applications.  After an initial short-listing, qualified persons attended a day-long assessment, which tested their relevant skills, knowledge and experience.   The top three candidates were then interviewed.

For the DCO post, the panel consisted of Mr. Alistair Walters, Managing Partner of Campbell’s; Mr. Chris Duggan, Senior Manager at Butterfield Bank; and Mr. Bush

The panel for the Chief HR Manager position included Mr. Bush; Mrs. Kathryn Dinspel-Powell, Deputy Chief Officer for Corrections and Rehabilitations; and Mr. Peter Gough, Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Governor.