London/Barbados, 12 February 2014
ICSA relaunches Barbados branch to support corporate secretaries in the Caribbean
On 5 February 2014, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) held a reception at the offices of Tricor Caribbean Limited to celebrate the relaunch of its Barbados branch. ICSA, the chartered membership and qualifying body for professionals working in governance, risk and compliance, including corporate secretaries, seeks to encourage the adoption globally of good governance practices. The relaunch of its Barbados branch highlights the importance of the work that its members and students are doing in this area in the Caribbean region.
Chartered secretaries undertake increasingly vital work in ensuring that organisations act responsibly and with integrity. Governance is being recognised more and more for the key role that it can play, not just in the corporate world where it can ensure that businesses deliver and ultimately help grow economies, but also in the not-for-profit and private sectors. SMEs, schools, hospitals, charities, state-owned businesses and organisations, family-run businesses, big or small, all need good governance. This means that there are significant opportunities for governance professionals and ICSA is committed to supporting the profession in Barbados and the Caribbean region as a whole.
“The expanding responsibilities of the corporate secretary mean that the role is now more vital than ever,” said David Venus FCIS, President of ICSA for the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories (UKRIAT). “Good governance is not simply a question of complying with a set of rules. It is about how you develop a framework to enable your business or organisation to do things better, create value and be sustainable in the long term. Our members are highly qualified professionals able to advise on how such a framework might be best implemented.”
Over thirty members and other interested parties were in attendance at the relaunch event, which was followed by a 5-hour CPD programme presented by David Venus and Simon Osborne FCIS, Chief Executive of ICSA’s UKRIAT division. The CPD programme was attended by representatives from local government, professional services firms, law firms, the banking sector, regional conglomerates and charitable trusts to name a few, which demonstrates the wide reach of the profession.
“I was delighted by the turnout and encouraged by the participation of local members in Barbados,” said Simon Osborne. “The Caribbean is an area of increasing focus for ICSA and we are committed to supporting our members in Barbados and elsewhere in the Caribbean. I took the opportunity of my visit to meet with Cave Hill School of Business of the University of the West Indies to discuss potential collaboration in professional education. Governance professionals need to be highly qualified individuals with the skills and knowledge to uphold the high standards that ICSA advocates.”
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Media contact:
MariaBrookes
mbrookes@icsa.org.uk
+44 (0)20 7612 7062
+44 (0)7890 649 143
Notes to Editors:
1. The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) is the membership and qualifying body for professionals working in governance, risk and compliance, including company secretaries. Our members work in all sectors and at every level of seniority. With over 100 years of experience and a presence in 72 countries, we champion high governance standards by providing qualifications, training, high-quality guidance and support (including technical resources, publications and software), and through our work with regulators and policy makers. Website: www.icsa.org.uk
2. The Executive of ICSA Barbados Chartered Secretaries is:
Connie Smith - Chairman
Ikins Clarke - Deputy Chairman
David Bostic - Treasurer
Valerie Williams - Secretary
