Good morning everyone! It’s a privilege to be here at Tech Hub Islands Summit 2025, among such a diverse, progressive group of technology pioneers, partners, business leaders, and policymakers. 

It is a distinct honour for us at Republic Bank to serve as Title Sponsor for a sixth year, and to work with the great team at AMCHAM to bring another iteration of T.H.I.S to life. 

Netflix Founder and Chairman Reed Hastings once said “Stone Age. Bronze Age. Iron Age. We define entire epics of humanity by the technology they use.”  As we assemble to define what the Digital Age means for us in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, I share this reflection with you to highlight that we are doing more than shaping the here and now. At this summit, we have the awesome responsibility to advance digital transformation because it will define what our region becomes and what future generations inherit. 

As an indigenous bank with an international footprint across 16 territories in the Caribbean, South America, the UK and Ghana, we at Republic Bank see our role in tech and innovation as both crucial and expansive. We know that our ability to serve, grow, and remain relevant is tied to how we embrace, invest in, and shape digital future transformation that is bold, exciting and profitable… as well as sustainable, trustworthy, equitable and inclusive. 

We do this for the ultimate benefit of our customers, shareholders and employees. Moreover, we fervently believe that the transformative impact of technology must also extend to the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate. 

That’s why T.H.I.S 2025 is so significant. Our contributions and exchanges on digital development at this Summit, have the potential to drive Trinidad and Tobago and our region, to heights previously unimagined. 

And this year’s theme of Engage, Execute, Evolve provides a clear roadmap as to how we can achieve it. Because in an era defined by relentless technological change, tangible success depends on:
• how boldly we engage with both digital possibilities and our people, 
• how strategically we execute transformation, and 
• how continuously we evolve to meet the future head-on.

Engage
Ladies and gentlemen, whether you lead a dynamic start-up, a pan-regional institution, or are charged with the welfare of entire countries as government officials, digital transformation begins with the engagement of people… to solve their problems or to uplift them with new possibilities. 

The people skills matter just as much as the coding and networking skills. In our digital transformation efforts at Republic Bank, we remain people focused as we become increasingly technology driven. 

This means creating digital financial tools and services to empower our customers as well as integrated, omnichannel experiences that are best in class. Tools such as RepublicOnline, RepublicMobile, and RepublicOnboard that allow our customers to bank anywhere, anytime, easily, conveniently and intuitively. Services that include our pioneering Republic Life Insurance Company, the first end-to-end, fully digital insurance service to be launched in the Caribbean, that with a few seamless clicks you can attain affordable and accessible insurance…

For us, it’s about acknowledging the healthy union and forging a tighter alignment between our business and technology functions to create solutions that eliminate bureaucracy, bolster productivity, and reduce inefficiency and waste.

And especially for our teams, it calls on us to prepare our organisation and our people for the future of work. We’re in the early stages of reimagining our workplace, piloting hybrid workspaces that move beyond traditional office norms to better support flexibility, productivity, and collaboration.  It also means adopting progressive technologies like Artificial Intelligence which is reshaping how talent is acquired, developed, and managed globally. 

Similarly, it is incumbent and open to all organisations, whether large or small, to begin to engage their workforces to remain competitive and inclusive. AI isn’t here to replace humans - it’s here to augment us, and so, we must catalyse a workforce evolution through investment in digital literacy, targeted upskilling, and lifelong learning. 

In the Caribbean, this shift carries immense potential and urgency. A 2025 collaborative study by the World Bank and International Labour Organisation, titled “Quantifying the Job Potential of AI in Latin America and the Caribbean”,  indicates that 30-40% of jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean are exposed to generative AI, where 8-12% could see immediate productivity gains.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a clarion call that the influence of emerging and growing technologies is not something for the distant future - it is the reality we must lean into, together. 

The shift is already here. If we want to bring our region forward, engagement with the people we serve, must be our first act of leadership.

Execute
Founded on earnest engagement, the successful execution of digital transformation happens when strategy, talent and technology are aligned. Digital transformation succeeds when we stop treating technology as a support function and start owning it as a strategic advantage. At Republic Bank, we’re doing just that. 

Successful digital transformation is no longer the sole responsibility of I.T. departments - it’s a shared mandate across every business unit. To be innovative technology and business leaders working hand-in-hand from strategy to execution.

A prime example of such collaboration is our Republic Onboard 2.0 platform which allows first time customers to create a new bank account with us online. Through agile project management that allowed for deepened collaboration between business and IT functions, the project incorporated international best practices to create a unique solution customised to fit local and regional needs and was launched across multiple countries in a significantly reduced timeline. 

Another noteworthy project was the successful development and deployment of the Secured Investment Note Certificate (SINC) application at our Forex Treasury Department – which has enabled better information management, analysis, and tracking. The required functionality was not available from third party vendors, and this encouraged an in-house development of a fit for purpose replacement application. Completed within 8 months, this was one of the first fully internally developed, cloud-hosted applications designed and built by our very own engineers. 

Of course, the successful execution of digital initiatives is not holistic if it does not take into account mitigating and minimising risk. It’s a challenge that even global conglomerates battle to overcome. As recently as May 2025, international brands such as Adidas and Marks & Spencer  have fallen victim to cyber-attacks, with the latter reporting that the incident cost the firm £300 million. 

And so, cyber-security and cyber resilience is, not only an IT function -  it must be an enterprise-wide mandate.

We’re building a security-first mindset across every team, every process, and every product because for our industry, safety, security, and trust are non-negotiable. We diligently adhere to annual cybersecurity training, strive to surpass international security standards, and constantly conduct rigorous simulations to test our systems. Every single one of our almost 7000 team members.  The fruits of our labour have earned us international recognition on the VISA Global Registry for achieving the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard in May 2025.

We’re not just aiming to protect ourselves but are also working to protect everyone who banks with us, partners with us, and builds with us. In April of this year, we launched an integrated cyber security awareness campaign across our entire Group to support our customers and the general public in better identifying risks and taking necessary precautions to protect themselves from cyber threats.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve found that executing digital transformation comes from the integration of people, process, and technology.  It allows us to work faster, design smarter, and respond to our customers' evolving needs with greater precision and security.

If these are the results that can be achieved within an organisation, imagine what would be realised if this approach is replicated across an eco-system? 

Our digital future in the Caribbean depends on deep collaboration and the alignment of strategy, talent, and technology across sectors. The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have echoed the sentiment that peer learning across sectors is key to unlocking region-specific solutions that reflect our local realities and amplify our strengths. 
The dialogue begins here at T.H.I.S.  and we must build on this unique opportunity to work together to realise tangible outcomes… to evolve. 

Evolve
Evolution is not optional. Ironically in the digital era, an almost prehistoric reality still pertains - evolve or become extinct. We must adapt and change to remain relevant, resilient, and future-ready.

As I mentioned previously, AI and automation aren’t just shifting workflows - they’re redefining the structure of entire industries. In the Caribbean, it’s estimated that 2-5% of jobs are at risk of automation, with women and young people most affected. But this disruption also holds immense promise.

ECLAC states that AI is essential for breaking productivity barriers and accelerating inclusive growth. The question is not whether disruption will happen, but how we respond.

The modern workforce must now master what AI cannot replicate - emotional intelligence, creativity, and strategic thinking. The impact will be uneven, with wealthier nations adapting faster. As a region, we must prepare to close this gap, not widen it.

As ethical challenges such as data privacy and algorithmic bias arise, we must not only change our systems, but our mindsets. These challenges must be addressed head-on, with governance and transparency.

We’re also called upon to evolve our role in the value chain. The question is no longer just “build or buy,” but “how much do we own?” Third-party vendors remain important, but to lead our transformation, we must also claim ownership of key technological capabilities. Ownership equals agility, innovation, and sovereignty.

Our Moment 
Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, the Caribbean cannot afford to be a bystander in this transformation. This is our moment to lead, not follow.

To the tech entrepreneurs in the room: keep co-creating with industry to secure, digital solutions that empower people and drive value.

To fellow business leaders: let’s continue to push for innovation that is both people and process centered as much as it is technology-driven.

And to government officials and policy leaders: we need your concerted effort to create the enabling framework for sustainable digital transformation.

Resilient digital transformation requires shared responsibility, aligned direction, and trusted institutions. Rest assured that we at Republic Bank remain a committed partner, working with you all to engage with intention and execute with excellence. 

In the words of Meta C.E.O, Mark Zuckerberg, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking any risks.” 

Together we must take the chance… make the leap to achieve the digital future that we are capable of creating.   

Together we can do T.H.I.S - we can boldly evolve the future of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. 

Thank you!

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