Caroline Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, Vice President of Corporate Operations and Transformation at Atlantic LNG has been appointed the new President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (AMCHAM T&T) replacing outgoing President, Patricia Ghany who served a three-year term from 2018 – 2021.
“For me, AMCHAM T&T has always been a chamber best characterized for its altruistic actions by people committed to making a difference in the lives of others,” Sirju-Ramnarine told AMCHAM T&T’s approximately 300 member companies in her inaugural address at the organization’s 28th Annual General Meeting on June 22nd, 2021.
Sirju-Ramnarine who is the third woman to be elected as President in the organization’s 28th year history said companies today must remain optimistic and look for opportunities out of the pandemic. She cites progress with vaccines around the world and countries that have pursued aggressive vaccination programmes showing signs of a faster return to normal. “Locally, we are pleased to see the recent progress on that front, and I encourage everyone to do their part in getting us back to normalcy as soon as we can.”
In this regard, AMCHAM has been working with other chambers and private sector organisations on the “Take D Jab Jab” pro-vaccination campaign that will encourage citizens to become vaccinated. Sirju-Ramnarine warns that this is not the time to allow fear to take control, point fingers or lay blame. “It is a time for collaboration – a time for solving problems collectively, a time to put all else aside and to move forward together. Today, we must “Take D Jab Jab.”
Speaking on the theme “Enabling Investment,” Sirju-Ramnarine said AMCHAM T&T is ready to commit to three priority areas of strategic focus to future-proof our economy. The three areas are: 1) The Recovery of the Economy; 2) The use of Technology; and 3) The preparation of our Youth and the Workforce for the Future. “The question today is how can we make the pandemic situation a pivot point to a new future for T&T? The simple answer starts with businesses being able to recover and bounce back stronger. For this to happen, we have to re-instill confidence in the economy.”
“A key element to recovery will be attracting additional Foreign Direct Investment. It will also require significant local investment,” Sirju-Ramnarine said. “Liquidity in the financial system is high. Local companies are listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and some are even moving their headquarters there. We have to make T&T a more attractive place to do business.”
Sirju-Ramnarine said the rule of law will be a key prerequisite to investment attraction and a welcoming business environment. “Countries that display a commitment to the Rule of Law often have high levels of economic freedom, social mobility, and economic growth,” Sirju-Ramnarine said.
“We’re sure that you will agree that enhanced transparency and consistent application of rules are good for business and absolutely necessary for the attraction of investment,” said Sirju-Ramnarine.
AMCHAM T&T over the coming months will be working with the US Embassy and other stakeholders locally on a series of Rule of Law initiatives with the possibility of establishing a multi-stakeholder, Rule of Law Committee.
The new AMCHAM T&T President also said the development of a tech sector will be another major strategic pillar of AMCHAM T&T moving forward that will be key to T&T’s successful recovery from the pandemic. “With efforts focused on re-shoring and nearshoring, coupled with the transformation imperatives laid bare by the pandemic, we have a golden opportunity to make the goal of creating a tech hub, a reality,” Sirju-Ramnarine said. “In addition to the benefits of creating a tech industry, we also have to harness the transformative power of technology. In this vein, the digital transformation of businesses and the Government will be key to a successful recovery.”
Finally, AMCHAM T&T is looking to prioritize youths in the new workforce of the future. Sirju-Ramnarine said developing youths in the new workforce of the future requires building a “Culture of Curiosity” that molds a cadre of young people with analytical thinking skills and other critical skills for the future. “This requires significant work that must be done in examining the role of schools and on the current curriculum. While the pandemic has shown that online school cannot work in totality, we have seen many new tools and techniques being incorporated into the way teachers teach and how students learn. Therefore, our education system must see technical and vocational skills ranging from specific software to soft-skill training as investments into our future.”
At the 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM), AMCHAM T&T elected the following Board of Directors for the term 2021 – 2023:
- PRESIDENT – Toni Sirju-Ramnarine – VP Corporate Operations & Transformation, Atlantic LNG Company Limited
- VICE PRESIDENT – Greer Quan – Chief Executive Officer, Caribbean, Pan-American Life Insurance Group
- VICE PRESIDENT – Gregory Hill – Managing Director, ANSA Merchant Bank Limited
- SECRETARY – Glenn Hamel-Smith – Partner, Head - Banking and Finance, M. Hamel-Smith & Co.
- TREASURER – Mitchell De Silva – Citi Country Officer - T&T Hub, Citibank
- Anna Henderson – Chief Executive Officer, AMARANTH Business Solutions
- Andrea Davis – Country Manager, DHL
- Angelique Parisot-Potter – Executive VP and General Counsel, MASSY
- Dominic Rampersad – President, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd.
- Katishe Serrette – VP-AML/ATF Compliance, Scotiabank Trinidad & Tobago Limited
- Giselle Thompson – VP Corporate Operations, BP TT
- Patricia Ghany – Chief Financial Officer, Esau Oilfield Supplies Co. Ltd (Immediate Past President – AMCHAM T&T)
- Richard Look Kin – Group Chief Risk Officer, First Citizens Trinidad & Tobago
- Simon Aqui – Business Development Executive, IBM Trinidad
- Stuart Franco – Chief Executive Officer, The TSL Group
- Karrian Hepburn – Vice President, Sales and Service, Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation
Chargé d’Affaires, Shante Moore – U.S Embassy Trinidad & Tobago Ex- Officio position
Nirad Tewarie CEO AMCHAM T&T Ex-Officio position
AMCHAM T&T’s 28th Annual General Meeting was sponsored by Platinum Sponsor: E-zone Logistics; Gold Sponsor: Nu-Iron Trinidad and Tobago and Silver Sponsors: Pan American Life Insurance Group; EOG Resources and Atlantic LNG.
For more information, interested persons can visit www.amchamtt.com.
For further questions or comments please contact: Nirad Tewarie, CEO AMCHAM T&T at niradtewarie@amchamtt.com.