Following the impending retirement of Sir K. Dwight Venner on November 30, 2015, the Monetary Council finally met two weekends ago and appointed Mr. Timothy Antoine, a Grenadian national, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
Mr. Timothy Antoine is the holder of a BSc degree in Economics with Management from the University of the West Indies and a MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics. He comes with senior managerial experience, having served as Grenada’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance for fourteen (14) years. He also has significant regulatory experience as a member of the ECCB Board for twelve (12) years and as Chairman of the Grenada Authority for the Regulation of Financial Institutions for the past seven (7) years. Mr Antoine is also the Chairman of the Technical Core Committee on Insurance for the ECCU.
The appointment of Mr Antoine followed a process that included identification of suitable candidates by a Search Committee led by Sir Errol Allen, interviewing of these candidates and the submission of recommendations of the Search Committee to the Monetary Council.
The Monetary Council, the highest decision making body of the ECCB, interviewed two top ranked candidates before making its decision. The Council now expresses its appreciation of the Search Committee headed by Sir Errol Allen, who is a native of St. Vincent and the Grenadines having served as Deputy Governor of the ECCB from 1974-2005, for its service; thanks to all the candidates who applied for the post and were considered.
In welcoming Mr. Antoine, Mr. Victor Banks, Chief Minister of Anguilla and Chairman of the Monetary Council, noted that “Mr. Antoine is an outstanding Caribbean professional with a clear vision for the ECCB and demonstrated commitment to the development of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.”
Mr. Antoine who will officially assume office on 1 February, 2016, has served as Director on several regional boards including the Caribbean Development Bank and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. He also served as Advisor to the Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the World Bank Group from 2005-2007.
The newly appointed ECCB governor in his first public address acknowledged the former governor of the ECCB Sir K. Dwight Vennor as one of several persons who has influenced his development, amidst the overwhelming support he has received and continues to receive from across the region.
Speaking at a press conference in Grenada, he told how he has benefitted significantly from the leadership of Sir Dwight whilst as a Financial Secretary and member of the ECCB Board, thanking him for his contribution to his personal and professional development, meantime recognizing Sir Dwight’s contributions not only in his stint as Governor of the bank, but towards the advancement of the region.
“I have benefited from the leadership of Sir Dwight,” Antoine said. “I have in a manner of speaking sat at his feet as a Financial Secretary, as a member of the board and I’ve learned much from him,” he continued, adding how he is, “deeply touched by the outpouring of support, I have received from Grenadians home and abroad, all walks of life and from colleagues within the Caribbean and outside.”
The St. Kitts Prime Minister and Grenada’s Prime Minister are record offering congratulations to the new Governor.
Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpgJ9ozC-ls Antoine speaks about his beginning…
