Reliable, cost-effective air transportation for cargo and passengers is critical to economic integration and prosperity within the region.
While international connections have rebounded, intra-regional passenger levels have only reached 60% of pre-pandemic levels.
This panel of industry experts will discuss the importance of cultivating a competitive cost environment, liberalizing regulatory frameworks for operational innovation, increasing intra-regional air connections, and promoting multi-destination itineraries, to improve connectivity and deliver on a harmonized Single Market.
Programme
Moderator:
- Hon. Roger Nyhus, U.S. Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS
Speakers:
- Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO, Caribbean Tourism Organization
- Lyndon Gardiner, Founder and Chairman, InterCaribbean Airways
- Hannah Swift, Country Manager - Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic
- Isaac Solomon, Acting President, Caribbean Development Bank
- Jenny Ann Urban, Managing Director, Air Charter and Maintenance, National Air Transportation Association
- Curt Castagna, President and CEO, National Air Transportation Association (NATA)
- Justin Ram, CEO, Justin Ram Advisory Associates and GSEC
Ambassador Roger F. Nyhus is an accomplished business and civic leader – and one of only a handful of Native American ambassadors in U.S. history. He was appointed by President Joe Biden in September 2022 and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in November 2023. His top three priorities as ambassador are addressing climate change, enhancing regional security and promoting economic prosperity.
Ambassador Nyhus brings an entrepreneurial, private sector perspective to his role. Previously, he served as founder and CEO of Nyhus Communications, a nearly 30-year-old, Seattle-based strategic communications, advocacy and marketing consultancy. In this role, Ambassador Nyhus served as an adviser to business and government leaders around the world, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
Ambassador Nyhus built his career promoting American companies in sectors relevant to the Eastern Caribbean, including sustainability and energy, aviation, travel and tourism, telecommunications, global health and health care, financial services, global philanthropy, seafood and the arts.
Ambassador Nyhus has been recognized for his business, civic and philanthropic work. In 2023, Ambassador Nyhus was inducted into the Hall of Achievement at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, his alma mater, and received the Public Relations Society of America’s Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing the field of public relations.
In 2010, Ambassador Nyhus was named Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Seattle Business Association, North America’s largest LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce. Nyhus Communications earned the Seattle Mayor’s Small Business Award in 2009. In 2006, the Puget Sound Business Journal recognized Ambassador Nyhus as one of 40 outstanding members of the business community under the age of 40.
Dona Regis-Prosper is Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), which serves as the Caribbean’s tourism development agency. She is the first woman to assume leadership of the intergovernmental body and serves as the organization’s chief spokesperson guided by the strategic direction set forth by the Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors.
Her professional career includes pivotal roles as Director of Marketing and Product Development at the St. Lucia Air and Seaports Authority; Director of Business Development for Margaritaville Caribbean Group in Jamaica; CEO of the Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands; and General Manager of the Antigua Cruise Port.
She holds a Master of Business Administration from Durham University Business School and is a Certified Professional Marketer. She was recently honored by the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) with its 2023 Leadership award in recognition for her contribution to Tourism development in the Caribbean.
Lyndon Gardiner, Founder and Chairman of interCaribbean Airways, is a visionary entrepreneur driving economic integration across the Caribbean through enhanced air connectivity.
Raised in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mr. Gardiner's passion for aviation took flight in 1987 with an informal air taxi service that evolved into interCaribbean - now the largest privately-owned airline in the region. Under his leadership, the airline has grown to operate a 20+ aircraft fleet serving 28 destinations across 18 Caribbean countries.
Mr. Gardiner's commitment to bridging the islands manifested in 2020's expansion amidst the pandemic. His companies, including interCaribbean, Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services, and Provo Air Center, comprise the InterIsland Aviation Services Group.
A philanthropist invested in mentoring youth, Gardiner's decades-long journey epitomizes perseverance in realizing his vision: a stronger, interconnected Caribbean facilitated by innovative and competitive regional air travel.
Upon joining Virgin Atlantic in February of 2020 as the Country Manager for the Caribbean, Hannah Swift successfully navigated the pandemic, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes, driving revenues for the region, whilst raising the brand awareness of the airline. She was also instrumental in delivering new route start-ups such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Nassau, Turks and Caicos, and most recently the airlines Inter-Island services.
Hannah has lived in the Caribbean for ten years, having moved from the U.K. Prior to her move, Hannah owned a successful digital marketing agency, with clients ranging from high street brands such as Thorntons chocolates and Bon Marche, to B2B Fortune500 companies like Farnell. Her expertise in marketing spans affiliate, social content, digital advertising and more, and she is the proud recipient of several industry awards.
Her time in the Caribbean has seen her take on senior roles within an advertising agency, strategically managing the digital presence for well-known brands such as Flow, Sagicor and Banks Beer.
Isaac Solomon is the President (Ag.) at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the regional development finance institution based in Barbados. Mr. Solomon is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of the Bank and spearheads the Bank's engagement with its member countries and development partners.
Prior to this, Mr. Solomon held the position of Vice President (Operations) in which he provided leadership and direction to the Economics and Projects Departments and the Corporate Strategy Division.
Mr. Solomon holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of the West Indies in Management, and a Master of Science degree in Financial Management from the University of London’s Centre for International Education in Economics. He also holds the Certified Public Accountant designation.
Jenny Ann Urban is the Managing Director of Air Charter and Maintenance for NATA, the leading association representing the business interests of general aviation service companies on legislative and regulatory matters at the federal level. In this role, Jenny Ann monitors executive branch agency activities and serves as the team liaison to NATA’s Air Charter and Maintenance Committees.
Prior to joining NATA, Jenny Ann was a Manager of Transport and Logistics at PwC Middle East. She advised government executives on aviation regulations and air traffic development throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She previously served as an associate at the international law firms of Cozen O’Connor and K and L Gates LLP, counseling clients, including airlines, trade associations, airports, and manufacturers on regulatory compliance.
Jenny Ann earned her LL.M. in Air and Space Law, J.D., M.B.A., and B.A. all from the University of Mississippi.
Contact
Global Supply Chain Forum secretariat
gscf@unctad.org
Mr. Jan Hoffmann
Head of the Trade Logistics Branch
Division on Technology and Logistics
UNCTAD, Geneva
jan.hoffmann@unctad.org
Ms. Pamela Ugaz
Economic Affairs Officer
Trade Facilitation Section
Division on Technology and Logistics
UNCTAD, Geneva
pamela.ugaz@unctad.org