Mr. Ian R. De Souza has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
His appointment, which takes effect on January 10th, comes three weeks ahead of the departure of CEO Mr. Gabriel J. Faria who has successfully led the organisation for the last five years.
The Chamber is the largest and oldest business group in the country and serves a membership of over 600 organisations. In 2020, in response to the fluid business environment, the Chamber leadership undertook a strategy refresh aimed at optimising value for its 600 members and strengthening engagement with key stakeholders.
Mr. De Souza’s extensive experience in the financial services and deep knowledge of regional and international markets is expected to bolster efforts to drive private sector growth and improve T&T’s business competitiveness.
A career banker with over 35 years in the industry, Mr. De Souza is the former Principal Advisor at Advice Financial Co. Ltd (AFC), an independent consultancy providing financial services to corporate clients. Prior to this, he served in several senior positions with the Republic Bank Group in Risk Management, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Finance & Merchant Banking services across the Caribbean.
Specialising in corporate finance, debt management and corporate turnarounds, and with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, Mr. De Souza was Project Lead in Republic Bank’s acquisition of Scotiabank’s operations in Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the British Virgin Islands.
In 2017, Mr. De Souza was appointed Executive Director and CEO of the Cave Hill School of Business and Management of the University of the West Indies. He was also appointed Professor of Practice, Banking and Finance, in the Department of Management Studies – positions he held until he entered into private practice at AFC.
An alumnus of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme, Mr. De Souza is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor and also certified in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination. He is a member of the American Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors Association and an Associate Member of the American Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. In these roles he has continued to contribute to enhanced transparency and responsible reporting in the financial services sector. Ian De Souza is a respected Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management and an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.
There will be a customary transitionary period up to the departure of Mr. Faria on January 31st to facilitate a seamless transfer of leadership.