The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Lisa Cummins to the post of Executive Director of The UWI Consulting Company (UWIC) effective March 1, 2016.

UWIC, which is chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, is The University’s business unit that provides international and regional advisory services. In welcoming Ms Cummins to the regional team, Vice-Chancellor Beckles said, “This is a defining moment in our Caribbean development. Here at The UWI, we have been investing in our own capacity to help navigate and define our regional development trajectory though strong intellectual leadership. In this vein, The University has taken the decision to recruit a leader for our consultancy company who has a strong background in Caribbean regional development, trade, international relations, public policy, private sector development and well established ties to the University community.”

Ms Cummins has served as a diplomat and as Executive Director of the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries. During her 10-year diplomatic career, she worked at the Headquarters of the Barbados Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade as well as in the Barbados Embassy in Washington D.C.  She also served as Trade Adviser for the Commonwealth Secretariat to the Government of Uganda and the wider East African region, as Uganda’s lead technical adviser on trade in services. In that capacity, she was a member of the negotiating team for services in the East African Community trade talks with Europe and the EAC Common Market and has worked on projects in East and Southern Africa for several development partners including the World Bank, UNCTAD, the European Union and Trade Mark East Africa. She also serves on multiple boards regionally and internationally, in Barbados and across the region. Ms Cummins is the current Chairman of the Inter-American Development Bank’s Civil Society Consultative Committee and President Elect of the Rotary Club of Barbados.

Vice-Chancellor Beckles further contextualised the appointment: “The University will play a leading role in charting a path for our region on to our next development phase. We need to have someone who understands both the regional landscape and has an international outlook to lead our advisory services company. She brings a strong mix of skills, experience, qualifications, relationships and networks that will allow us to blend industry and market experience with the knowledge, skills and experience of University professionals in service of our Caribbean community. Later this year, we will announce others who will be joining us in the areas of strategy, advisory services, and policy and enterprise development.”

About UWI Consulting

UWI Consulting Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The University of the West Indies (UWI), is registered in Jamaica and Saint Lucia and has a satellite office in Barbados. Our mission is to contribute to the unlocking of the development potential of the people and institutions of the Caribbean by providing professional advice and capacity building services. We are committed to providing world-class services that support governments, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups, in developing and implementing policies and strategies that positively impact the development of the Region. UWI Consulting was created in 2007 as an initiative of the Vice Chancellor of the UWI, Professor E. Nigel Harris. Since 2008, we  have been offering research and professional services that promote creative and innovative practices in a wide range of areas such as health, education, sustainable development, environmental management, institutional reform, business process re-engineering, small island development states (SIDS), technology  governance, trade policy formulation and economic growth. We provide these services through the implementation of programmes and projects in the public and private sectors, including on the behalf of international organizations.  As a gateway to specialized expertise across four major international campuses, UWI Consulting is the first port of call for all those seeking to find the highest calibre of expertise and advice. 

www.uwiconsulting.com