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First Antigua-born woman to head major international bank in Antigua

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Ladesa James-Williams has taken up her appointment as CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Director, Retail Sales OECS and Country Head, Antigua.

She is the first Antigua-born woman to attain this position.

She is a product of public school education, having attended Bolans Primary School, Antigua Girls High School and Antigua State College, followed by studies at UWI St Augustine where she obtained a double degree in Chemistry and Management.

She began her career in banking in 2001 with her employment at Barclays Bank PLC as a management trainee and worked in Retail and Personal Banking in Antigua, Corporate Banking in St Kitts, Human Resources in Barbados, and International Wealth Department in The Bahamas.

James-Williams also completed assignments as Corporate Manager in Antigua; Senior Corporate Manager in Barbados; Country Manager of St Kitts & Nevis and most recently as Director, South EC having responsibility for Grenada and St Vincent and Country Head St Lucia.

She serves as Trustee on CIBC FirstCaribbean’s ComTrust Foundation which manages the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities focusing on Youth & Education; Health & Wellness and the Community and Environment. She is also a Director of the Eastern Caribbean Automated Clearing House Services Incorporated and also serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board St Lucia.

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She is the immediate Past President of the Bankers Association in St Lucia and was recently appointed Director on the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra Board.

Under her leadership FirstCaribbean International Bank St Lucia was awarded Bank of the Year 2019 for Customer Service by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

She was the recipient of the Antigua & Barbuda National Young Professional of The Year Award 2012 and is a recent graduate of FirstCaribbean Senior Leadership Development Programme through Harvard Business School.

James-Williams is a sports fanatic, a self-professed foodie and mother to 5 year old son Zane and 10-month-old daughter Zary.

Her personal motto is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

The bank’s Managing Director, Donna Wellington congratulated James-Williams and noted that “Ladesa has a passion for developing people, nurturing client relationships and giving back through social corporate responsibility initiatives. Under her leadership the St Lucia business was recently awarded Bank of the Year for Customer Service by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. We wish Ladesa continued success as she provides strategic leadership to driving growth and efficiencies in line with our overall strategic mandate.”

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]