Speakers

Rommel Edwards is the Manager of Barbados Port Inc.'s Digital Innovation and Development Department, the department responsible for the development and maintenance of Barbados' Port Community System and Maritime Single Window.

He architected over 40 initiatives to simplify port processes and enhance trade facilitation. He has transitioned BPI's cargo management operations to the cloud and the construction of BPI's online payment platform, a first in the Port's history.

Mr. Edwards has played a role in Barbados Port Inc.'s multiple technology awards. He is a Certified NIST Cybersecurity Lead Implementer and chairs the PCS Technical and Cybersecurity committees.

Diane M. Edwards, MBA has led the Professional Services Unit, the consulting and executive education arm of the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) for one year. Her focus is to grow the consultancy into an internationally recognised partner for business and government by providing world class management consulting, executive education and short courses.

During her tenure, the Unit has introduced 6 new courses, 
announced a partnership with the global market leading Digital Marketing Institute and broadened its consultancy outreach to the Caribbean.

Ms. Edwards joins MSBM from a 9-year career as President of JAMPRO, Jamaica’s investment and export promotion agency, where she and her team led the expansion of the BPO sector from 12,000 to 60,000 employees, attracted investment in 12,000 new hotel rooms and were instrumental in driving the government's Business Environment Reform Agenda.

Dominik has turned his passion for fostering development and fighting climate change into his profession. In his efforts to decarbonize the global economy, he has worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. since 2015.  Leading the World Bank’s mariTEAM in the Transport Global Practice, the senior economist’s main interests are in sustainable shipping and ports.

While his focus is on decarbonizing maritime transport, he also contributes to the World Bank’s increasing engagement in addressing the shipping sector’s digitalization and supply chain challenges in developing countries.

From 2015-2020, Dominik was part of the World Bank’s Climate Change Group working primarily on carbon pricing policymaking around the globe. Prior to joining the World Bank, Dominik was a senior advisor for First Climate, a private consultancy based in Zurich.

He oversaw the carbon compliance management for large industrials, advised public institutions on climate policy and traded CO2 allowances in the EU and Swiss emissions trading systems.

Dominik holds master’s degrees in Finance & Strategy (Sciences Po, Paris), International Affairs & Governance (University of St. Gallen) and International Management (Community of European Management Schools, St. Gallen and Barcelona).

Eduardo José Espinoza Valverde is Director General of Economic Integration, Trade Facilitation, and Transport at Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA).

He is an Economist specialized in economic development, public policies, commercial intelligence, strategic analysis, trade policy, regional integration, and foreign trade. He has extensive experience in trade negotiations, economic research, and project management at the regional level.

He has held various positions at SIECA, including Director of the Center for Economic Integration Studies (2016-2021), Director of Economic Intelligence (2014-2016), and Macroeconomic Analyst (2013-2014). Additionally, he has worked as an Economic Consultant at the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Monetary Council (SECMCA).

Eduardo holds a Master's degree in Strategic Studies from Rafael Landivar University, a specialization in Public Policies from the same university, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the National University of Costa Rica (summa cum laude)

Miguel Esteban is a Professor at the Research Institute of Sustainable Future Society, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Waseda University, in Tokyo, Japan.

He received his PhD in Coastal Engineering from Yokohama National University in Japan in 2007, and then continued with Post-Doctoral Fellowships at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and Kyoto University. Miguel also worked as an Associate Professor at Waseda University and The University of Tokyo.

He has authored over 150 journal papers. Miguel's research deals with the effect of natural disasters on various components of the socio-economic make-up of different countries, in particular tropical cyclones, which are expected to increase in intensity in the future. This, coupled with sea-level rise, is expected to have a great impact on the economy of many countries; his research attempts to quantify the economic damage that this can cause to transport, infrastructure and agriculture.

In Curaçao politics Charles Fernandes Cooper has held several positions: Commissioner of Health and Social affairs of the island territory, island council member, Commissioner of Infrastructure and Public Transportation of the island territory, Member of Parliament, and currently Minister of Traffic, Transportation, and Urban Planning.

As minister, he focuses on improving the infrastructure with an ambitious multi-year maintenance plan. Other topics that have his attention are aviation, shipping, public transport, living, working, road safety, telecommunications, cyber security, and cyber management. His goal is to create a clear noticeable improvement for a sustainable, livable, and prosperous Curaçao.

After completing his vocational study in electrical engineering, he continued in the Netherlands where he obtained degrees in instrument engineering process techniques, and a bachelor chemical engineering at the university of applied sciences in Breda. In 1992, he received his master degree of chemical engineering at the university of Zulia with support of the Isla refinery.

Michelle Victoria Forbes, a Disaster Risk Management specialist with over twenty (20) years of experience, has an extensive background in disaster risk management planning, community-based disaster management, and emergency operations.

Joining the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in 2004, she currently serves as Director. She has managed responses to several hazards impact including La Soufriere volcanic eruption in 2021, Hurricane Elsa 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Tomas 2010, April 2011 Floods, Christmas Eve Floods of 2013, and the November 2016 Floods.

A Fulbright Scholar, Ms. Forbes holds a Master's in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management from Georgia State University, Atlanta.

The area of Public Policy governing disaster risk management is one of Ms. Forbes's focus, and she says that public policies must adapt to the changing environment and seek to build resilience at all levels - the community, national and regional levels.

Patricia R. Francis is currently a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, Chair of the Government of Jamaica's Trade Facilitation Task Force and sits on the Boards of Jamaica Producers Group, Portland JSX, Whiteshield Partners of Public Policy and Strategy, several family-owned companies, and the Advisory Board of IESE Graduate Business School.

She is a global leader in trade and development and the former Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (2006-2013), as well as the former President of JAMPRO (1995-2006).

In 2016 she headed the UN Secretary General's High-Level Panel on Women's Economic Empowerment and between 2018-2020 she was Special Advisor to the Executive Director of UN Women.

Patricia has also been a member of the UK House of Lords All Parliamentary Group and a member of the Eminent Persons Group.

Doug Fraser is the Caribbean Development Bank's Head of Procurement and manages the Procurement Policy Unit within the Bank's Projects Department based in Barbados.

Doug holds an MBA in Procurement and Strategy and is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).  

He has more than 22 years of experience as an international procurement specialist and has worked on a wide variety of procurement assignments across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas for a range of multi-lateral and bi-lateral financing institutions, foundations, NGOs and private sector clients.  

He has previously been based in long term roles in Cambodia, Japan, the Philippines, the UK and Vietnam.

Ms. Darlin Gaitan is the Ports Commissioner of the Belize Port Authority. The Ports Commissioner is the CEO of the Port Authority and is responsible for regulating ports, shipping, and auxiliary maritime services.

With 15 years of experience at the Belize Port Authority, she started as a Vessel Traffic Services Officer, then moved to Port State Control, where she would eventually head the Technical Department.

Ms. Gaitan is a career officer promoted to CEO in 2023 and is the second woman to hold the post. Ports Commissioner Gaitan has a master’s degree in Maritime Management from Memorial University of Newfoundland and has trained extensively in maritime affairs, port management, and project management.