Welcome!

I would also like to extend a very good morning to each and every one of you present here today!

It is an absolute pleasure to be here with all of you — a room filled with true safety champions, innovators, and leaders who care deeply about people, progress, and the future of our country.

Today is NOT just another item on the business calendar. This conference is one of the most important gatherings of the year — because what we do here shapes how we think, work, and build resilience at a national level.

As title sponsor, let me first extend heartfelt thanks to our fellow sponsors. Your investment in this event sends a clear signal — that safety, innovation, and sustainability are not side projects; they are priorities for our nation’s growth and success.
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Now, …I want to share something with you. 

When I was preparing for today, someone asked me,
“What do you want people to remember when you’re done speaking?”

I gave them my key points — neatly outlined, well-structured.

Then they asked, “Okay, but what do you want them to feel?”

That one certainly got my attention. Because it’s a powerful question!

So here’s my answer. And this is for all of you this morning:
I want you to feel the excitement I feel about the future of business in Trinidad and Tobago!
I want you to feel inspired — knowing that our dreams for growth, renewal, and sustainability are still within reach.

AND, I want you to feel hopeful!  Because… even in times of uncertainty… our people never lose that innate creative spirit.

Innovation in our DNA
We are a people of resilience! …Innovation is in our DNA! 

For over five centuries, we have redefined, rebuilt, and reimagined who we are — until we stood as an independent, confident, and capable nation.

That same spirit must now drive us forward — to create industries and communities that are sustainable, adaptable, and ready for the future.

And that brings us perfectly to this year’s theme: Innovation for Resilience.

What is Resilience
Resilience is not just about weathering challenges; it is about responding with agility and purpose. AND innovation is the driving force that helps us move forward with confidence.
For decades, Trinidad and Tobago’s economy, and energy sector have played a crucial role in the region, making it a source of national pride. Today, as we navigate the impacts of climate change, digital transformation, cyber threats, and an increasingly uncertain global landscape, we have an opportunity to turn these challenges into inflection points. 

These are NOT just obstacles… They are pivotal moments that, if approached with an innovative and adaptive perspective, can lead us to become stronger AND more resilient organisations.

The world around us is changing fast! — new technologies, emerging threats, new opportunities every day. For some, this change can feel overwhelming. But for others, for us, it’s an invitation — to reimagine, to improve, and to lead.

Because resilience isn’t just about surviving challenges — it’s about using them as springboards for innovation and growth.

Technology and Digitalization 
At Atlantic, we’ve embraced that.

We’ve made innovation part of our daily practice — not just in what we produce, but in how we protect, perform, and prepare.

Take our Initial Incident Notification App — developed during our first-ever “Hackathon” by employees who dared to ask, “What if?”

It replaced manual reporting with a real-time digital system — giving us faster insights, better accuracy, and stronger safety outcomes.

OR our PLEA GateCheck System, which digitally verifies contractor credentials, monitors fatigue, and validates training in real time.

And then there’s our Digital Twin — a virtual replica of our facility that lets teams collaborate, plan, and assess risk ahead of being in the field. It’s innovation with impact — improving efficiency, safety, and decision-making.

Through digitalization, automation, and data-driven learning, we are becoming more agile and more resilient.

Let’s be clear. Innovation is NOT just about technology — it’s about people. It’s about empowering teams and communities to think creatively, ask bold questions, and imagine better solutions.

THAT’S why we created the Atlantic Future Skills Centre in Point Fortin — a place where over 1,200 students every year explore STEM, innovation, and technology hands-on.

Run by graduates of our Point Fortin’s Finest programme, it’s designed to turn today’s learners into tomorrow’s leaders.

COLLABORATION, CONTINUOUS LEARNING & MINDSET 
True resilience lives in people who care deeply, learn continuously, and collaborate courageously.

Speaking about collaboration, my colleague Olufemi Raheem will share how we are reinventing our relationship with contractors to competitive advantage. Collaboration and partnership are integral to organisational resilience. 

And that’s exactly what this conference is ALL about.

Learning. Collaboration. Innovation. Partnership.

None of what we do — not in business, not in safety, not in sustainability — happens in isolation. It takes partnership. It takes teamwork. 

It requires a mindset shift!

It is that unique characteristic in the Caribbean psyche – the ability to dream and to actualize a future that is very different from the present – despite the circumstances. It is about self-belief and embracing purpose. 

It is about being comfortable with disruption. It is about having the frame of mind to deal with ambiguity, to deliver in the face of shifting targets.

This is why forums like AMCHAM’s HSSE Conference are so powerful.

CHANGEMAKERS
So over the next two days, as we exchange ideas and experiences, I encourage you to hold one question close:
“How can I prepare my workplace not just to respond to change — but to lead it?”

Take at least one idea, one insight, one inspiration from this conference back to your team — and turn it into action!

Because resilience is NOT just a word. It is a practice!

It’s creativity, collaboration, and confidence in motion.

So let’s be bold!

Let’s innovate intentionally!

And together, let us build a brighter, more resilient, Trinidad and Tobago — one that does NOT just navigate change, but leads it!

Thank you!