The Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) Graduate Awards Ceremony took place on November 28, 2024 at the UWI Regional Headquarters under the theme “Celebrating Excellence”. The ceremony is held each year to recognize and award those students who receive a distinction in their programmes as well as the top performers in each Graduate Programme.
In addition, student groups who performed best in the Final Field Project/Paper received awards and commendation for their hard work. These projects, conducted in partnership with private sector organizations, addressed real-world business challenges under the guidance of faculty and industry experts.
Regional manufacturing and distribution company SEPROD, one of the companies that came on board to give students an opportunity to complete their final projects SEPROD, presented special awards to three groups that made significant contributions to the improvement of process and operations at the company. These were the “top MBA and MSc projects” and the “most impactful Seprod Project that demonstrated the highest quality of analysis, professionalism, and approach to deliverables”.
The high point of the evening’s awards was the presentation of the Executive Director’s Award for Most Outstanding Academic Achievement which was presented to Major Coleen Weise, Legal Officer at the Jamaica Defence Force. Major Weise who completed the MSc National Security and Strategic Studies programme made history as this is the first time that a student of that programme has won the coveted “Executive Director’s award.
The Guest Speaker for the evening was, Mr Christopher Zacca, President and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica. In a very spirited presentation which was well received by all in attendance, Mr Zacca urged the graduates to use their skills in service to Jamaica in meaningful ways.
“The same excellence that drove you to be the best in class, must be the same push that drives you to serve this country in a meaningful way. The next phase of growth has to be led by you. It requires all of us to shape the broader economic ecosystem in ways that benefit our key stakeholders — Jamaicans,” he said.
“I charge you to embrace leadership — not as a title, but as a responsibility. Leadership is not about being in charge; it’s about making a difference. It’s about making decisions that matter, even when those decisions are difficult,” Zacca told the group.
“As top performers, you are uniquely positioned to answer this higher calling. You have the analytical tools, the strategic insight, and the ambition to drive innovation not just within your organisations but across industries and the nation. You graduated at a time when unemployment is at a historic low, but economic growth remains a challenge. The next phase of Jamaica’s development will depend on your ability to reshape the workforce and lead transformative change” he advised.
The event was attended by awardees and their guests, faculty of MSBM, as well as representatives from the wider University of the West Indies, Mona. Special greetings were delivered by the Deputy Principal, Dr Tomlin Paul as well as Dr Heather Ricketts, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.