Invitation to participate in the FREE Virtual Event on Friday, February 26!

Friday, February 5, 2021 — The OECS Commission will host the Sustainable Development Movement (SDM) 2021 Summit under the theme “More Disruptions. Solid Innovations. Necessary Agility. Inclusion for All” on September 19-20, 2021. 

The OECS CEO Breakfast, scheduled for February 26, 2021, is being held under the auspices of the SDM 2021 and as part of the OECS Private Sector Engagement Strategy.

The free virtual event will create a space in which C-Suite Executives, Development Partners, the Private Sector, Civil Society, Academia, Caribbean Governments, and individuals can meet and exchange best practices and strategies concerning innovative sustainable growth and development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Within the context of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), every single aspect of life, business and being must be completely rethought for both short-term survival and long-term success.

The business decision of the century is polled on three main distinct factors, these include:

• Continuous improvement and interweaving new information in the mode of operating where organized learning must become a life-long process and viewing the current reality as not just a passing fad.
• Becoming agile by making complex decisions quickly and providing solutions understanding that things no longer rest on a predictable base and it will boil down to solidifying a few actions and focusing on restricted areas; pretty much switching into troubleshooting mode.
• Empathy, maintaining wellness and focus are key combinations of thriving. Within the context of things, compassion and profitability are not mutually exclusive. People-centred companies and entities have a higher chance of succeeding than those that put profit before people. In times of crisis, empathy will win the day. In addition to this, keeping a healthy mind and body is critical in this season. Maintaining focus presents a great challenge given the uncertainties however crucial nonetheless. Organizations will need to constantly apply the 80/20 rule by focusing on 20% of the actions that will bring about 80% of the impact.

This inspiring live event will address the following key questions:

• What keeps CEOs up at night in the wake of the current pandemic?
• The “Now” is Agile: Are Small Island Development States Ready for this “Now”?

Join us on Friday, February 26, 2021!

Event: The CEO Breakfast

Date: February 26, 2021

Time: 10 am EST

Zoom Registration Link: https://oecsceobreakfast.vfairs.com/

Dr. the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit has been the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica since 2004, re-appointed in 2005, 2009, 2014 and 2019. Regionally. Skerrit, as Prime Minister, has graduated to the forefront of Caribbean leadership, serving as Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) during periods of historic fiscal and economic challenges faced by the region and the world: high debt, high unemployment, low growth, and high deficits. He has contributed to the formulation of the eight-point stabilization programme of the OECS. He is the Political Leader of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP). 

Prime Minister Skerrit has earned an international reputation for his national and regional leadership along with his hands-on and sincere approach to international affairs. He is now a frequent lecturer at all levels. Lectures include The David Thompson Memorial Lecture: Future of CARICOM and Regional Integration at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados in 2011. He was Keynote Speaker at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Eco-Forum Global in the People’s Republic of China and most recently he was the keynote speaker at a lecture dubbed, “Grenada Revolution and the Current Foreign Policy Challenges of Small Island States”. This lecture was presented on March 16, 2015 at the Trade Centre in Grand Anse, Grenada. 

Ibukun Awosika is the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and most valuable banking brand. She is also the founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group. The companies in the group are involved in manufacturing, retail and bank-way security systems services.

Awosika chairs a number of corporate and not-for-profit boards amongst which are: d.light Design Inc; Convention on Business Integrity (CBI); Digital Jewel Limited; House of Tara International; and Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC), a facility which she promoted to help address youth employability and enterprise issues in Nigeria. Awosika sits on the boards of Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Imperial Gate School; and Peniel Apartments Limited. She was Chairman of GEMS Africa Limited; FBN Life Assurance Limited; FBN Capital Limited; and Kakawa Discount House Limited. She has also served on the board of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

Awosika is a multiple award-winning entrepreneur and the 2020 recipient of the Forbes Woman Africa Chairperson Award. She was also the first Nigerian recipient of the prestigious International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award as a nominee of the US Department of State in 2008.

Dr. Nicholas Earle Brathwaite is a successful engineer, technologist, entrepreneur, multinational business executive and private equity & venture capital investor.

As a technologist, Dr. Brathwaite has several patented inventions and was a pioneer in the development of low-cost cell phones for developing countries and the development of software solutions for integrating product design with supply chain and manufacturing systems. He also led teams that co-developed several successful products including PDAs, Cell Phones, Digital Cameras, Embedded Cameras, Game Consoles and Power Supplies.

As an entrepreneur, he has started several successful businesses which grew to annual revenues ranging from about $50M to $6B and as a business executive he has built and managed large multi-national teams and businesses.

As an investor, Dr. Brathwaite is co-founder and a partner of Riverwood Capital a private equity firm with $2.2B under management and with investments in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Israel. He is also Managing Director of WRV a $400M venture capital JV with investments in the U.S., China, Japan and Israel.