Bios of Board of Directors and Managers

Mr. R. John Wight, CA, CPCU

Chairman

John was born and raised in Canada and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, with a major in Accounting from Concordia University in Montréal. He also received a Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Concordia prior to earning his Chartered Accountant designation in 1986. Following several years auditing with Ernst & Young in Montréal, John moved to Bermuda where he worked for Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

He joined the BF&M Insurance Group as Corporate Controller in 1992 and later became Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Corporate Secretary for all companies in the Insurance Group. John was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of BF&M Limited on 1^st January 2005.  BF&M Limited is the parent company of the Insurance Group which consists of 12 companies employing approximately 280 persons in Bermuda and Barbados.  

John is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Canada and is a professionally qualified member of the American Institute of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. He sits on the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda and the Council of the Bermuda Insurance Institute.  He has attended Advanced Management Programmes at both Stanford University and Dartmouth College, and is committed to continuous education, not only for himself, but also for the entire BF&M staff.

John is Bermudian, married, and has two daughters.

Mr. Carlos Holder, JP, BA (Hons), MA (Econ)

Vice-Chairman

Carlos is a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of the West Indies and a Masters in Economics from Queens University in Canada. He previously served as an Economist with the Central Bank of Barbados before joining the Caribbean Development Bank as a Country Economist in 1991.

He served as Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister of Barbados from 1994 to 1998 and returned to the Caribbean Development Bank as Chief Country Economist in 1998. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the ICBL in October 1994 and was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board in November 2001.

Carlos is Barbadian and has two daughters.

Goulbourne Alleyne, FCII. ARe, ACIS, MBA, CAMS

Executive Member

Goulbourne joined the company as Deputy Chief Executive Officer on January 3, 2012.

He started his career in the insurance industry over twenty-five years ago and has worked in different areas of business operations including Underwriting, Claims and Reinsurance.

Prior to joining the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) Goulbourne held the position of Vice President - Claims & Underwriting since June 2009 with BF&M Limited (Bermuda). He also held senior mangement positions in Barbados with other insurance entities. The most recent was that of Senior Vice President - Insurance Operations.

He is a Chartered Insurer and holds Fellowship designations from the Chartered Institute of the Life Management Institute and the Financial Services Institute along with Associate designations in Reinsurance from the Insurance Institute of America, and in Customer Swervice from the Life Offices Management Association. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Asdministrators (UK). He also holds a Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Planning) from Edinburg Business School.

Goulbourne is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Anti-Money laundering Specialist. His hobbies include reading and gardening. He is married and has two children.

Mr. Winston Beckles, LL.B, LL.M (Lond.)

Non-Executive Director

Winston is a former Corporate Secretary/General Counsel of the Barbados National Bank Inc. and holds a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of London.  He previously served as a Director of the Insurance Corporation of Barbados from 1988 to 1994. He is also a Director of Barbados Agricultural Credit Trust Limited.

Winston is married and has one son.

Mrs. Jennifer Hunte, B.SC., C.G.A., F.C.G.A., F.C.I.S

Non-Executive Director

Jennifer is the Financial Controller of the National Insurance Department and began her career in the private sector in Banking and Audit.  In 1992, she entered the Civil Service where she has held the posts of Co-operatives Officer - Co-operatives Department and Chief Accountant - Ministry of Finance.

She previously served as a Director of the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited from July 19, 2001 to October 17, 2009.  During that time she was a member of the Company's Human Resource Committee and Chairperson of the Company's Audit, Compliance and Corporate Risk Management Committee.

Mrs. Hunte holds a BSc Accounting from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Canada (FCIS) and a recipient of the Certified General Accountants Fellowship Award (FCGA).  She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados and of the Certified General Accountants Association of the Caribbean.  She has previously served as a Director of the Grantley Adams International Airport Inc.

Mr. Eric Smith

Non-Executive Director

Eric is an Associate Managing Editor with the Nation Publishing Company Ltd., having worked in the news media, both print and broadcast, for most of his working career. He holds the post-graduate Diploma in Mass Communications from the University of the West Indies, Mona, as well as a Certificate in Marketing Management and a Certificate in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. He has been the recipient of the United States International Visitor programme Fellowship.

Eric has served on the Board of ICBL and its predecessor Insurance Corporation of Barbados since July 2001. He currently serves as a Director of the Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., and DAYS Bookstore and is a former member of the Board of the National Cultural Foundation.

Eric is married and has two children.

Mrs. Juanita Thorington-Powlett, B.Sc., MBA., FCIS

Non-Executive Director

Juanita holds the post of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs.  Prior to this appointment she was Permanent Secretary (Special Assignments) World Cup Unit, Ministry of Finance.

A former Hubert H. Humphrey North-South Fellow, she holds a BSc. (Hons.) in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies, an MBA from Boston University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Canada.  She also attended the International Trade Institute of Singapore, the Crown Agents Training Centre in the United Kingdom, York University’s Schulich School of Business, Canada and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Juanita also holds a Certificate in Project Implementation and Management, a Certificate in Pension Reform and the Crown Agents International Certificate in Pension Management.

She has served as a Director of the ICBL and its predecessor Insurance Corporation of Barbados since October 24, 2001.  She is also a Director of the Caribbean Development Bank and the National Productivity Council. She is a former Director of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company, the Barbados Water Authority, Grantley Adams International Airport Inc. and the Leeward Islands Air Transport (1974) LIAT.

Juanita is married and has 2 children.

Mr. Clyde Q. Williams, BA, CLU, FLMI, CPA

Non-Executive Director

Clyde holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the West Indies, the designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (Canadian Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) and Fellow of Life Management Institute (with distinction).  He is a Graduate of the School of Agency Management and has qualified as a Certified Public Accountant (State of New Hampshire, USA).

Clyde has managerial experience in the international business sector and over 25 years' involvement in life insurance management, marketing, sales agency development and training.  He is currently the Managing Director of Ross-Williams International Management Services Ltd., Ross-Williams Inc. and a director of several international business companies, some under management.  His experience in the life insurance industry spanned over 25 years starting as a Sales Representative and progressing to Unit Manager and later holding positions of Agency Director, General Manager – Barbados, and Regional Training Director – Caribbean, with American Life Insurance Company.

He has had extensive experience within many organizations in Barbados and has served on numerous Boards and Executive Committees.

Clyde is married and has 2 children.

Mr. Adrian Christie

Non-Executive Director

Adrian is a young, industrious Contractor who has over twenty-five years experience in the construction industry. He is the sole owner of ADC Building & Maintenance Ltd, a well established and recognized firm which has been in operation for over 15 years.  He is also Director of Renad Inc., a property investment company, and Executive Investment Inc.

Adrian received his Building and Drawing Certifiation at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.

Ms. Toni Jones

Non-Executive Director

Toni completed her legal education at the University of the West Indies in 1985 and the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica in 1987. She received the prize for Office Management, Accounting and Conveyancing at Law School.  Her junior years were spent at the Girls’ Foundation School and the Barbados Community College.

After graduating from Law School, Toni worked in the field of conveyancing and corporate law at Nunes Scholefield Deleon & Co in Jamaica and Hutchinson & Banfield in Barbados.  Offshore law was new and challenging, and Toni set up Chase Manhattan Bank’s corporate division in Barbados through Chase Trade Inc., managing hundreds of corporate entities.  She also managed her family business of Durette & Co. (Caribbean) Ltd with its subsidiaries.  She has spearheaded the distribution of Durette’s brand of products into the Caribbean and Latin America.

Toni retains her special interest in commercial, conveyancing and corporate law and is now employed with the National Housing Corporation as Legal Counsel.

Toni is the mother of two daughters.

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Click here to see the Operational Managers Bios