Speakers

Dr Stephen Brien is chair of the UK Social Security Advisory Committee – a statutory body that oversees UK government social security regulations. He was an Expert Advisor at the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from 2010 to 2013. Stephen was Senior Advisor to the Saudi Minister for Economy and Planning, in which capacity he advised on fiscal, regulatory and industrial reform. He has also advised many governments in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia, Malawi and Central African Republic. Stephen’s early career was as a management consultant at Oliver Wyman, where he served clients in consumer-facing industries including Financial Services (Annuities, Insurance and Consumer Credit), Telco, and Leisure.

Dr. Duane E. Sands, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, was born in Nassau to Basil and Roberta Sands.  He was educated at St. Anne’s High School in Nassau, Cheshire Academy in Connecticut and Tufts University in Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry.

After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland in 1986 and completing his residency in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Wayne State University in Michigan in 1994.  Dr. Sands returned home and began serving the Bahamian people as a consultant surgeon at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

He has served as Director of Accident and Emergency at PMH, and then as the Hospital’s Chief of Surgery.  He also practices at Doctors Hospital and the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Institute of the Bahamas Ltd. Dr. Sands has maintained a public surgical service in Grand Bahama for the last decade providing Dialysis access and other surgical interventions at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Sands served as a former Chairman of the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation and a former Chairman of the Bahamas Medical Council and Director of the Central Bank of the Bahamas.  He previously served as Director of the Public Hospitals Authority and now serves them as a Consultant.  Dr. Sands also served as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Member of the Board of Directors of Doctor’s Hospital and Director of Physicians Alliance Ltd.

Dr. Sands has served in Parliament as the FNM Senator from February 2011 – May 2012.  He was Elected Deputy Chairman of the Free National Movement in July 2012 – November 2014. He was appointed Senator on May 23, 2016 to again serve our country in the Upper Chamber. Dr. Sands was elected as the MP for the Elizabeth constituency in May 2017. He was appointed to the Cabinet as the Minister of Health. He served until May 2020. On February 25, 2022 Dr. Sands was elected national party chairman.

He is still actively engaged in the public and private practice of Surgery and is married to Laurika Alexis Flowers-Sands. Dr. Sands is the father of seven children: Adrienne, Brandon, Nicholas, and Mila, Amadeus, Laurin and Elijah. An Anglican, Dr. Sands worships at Christ Church Cathedral.

Anthony Ferguson is the President of CFAL, one of the leading investment firms in The Bahamas with more than B$2.0 billion in Assets Under Management. He is a Director of multiple companies including, Colina Holdings Bahamas Ltd., AF Holdings Ltd. and St. Matthew Capital Ltd. to name a few. Mr. Ferguson is also a Director of Carbon Management Limited and leads the country’s efforts in monetizing its blue carbon assets. Mr. Ferguson is a leading authority on matters of economic and national significance, appearing frequently as a guest on local talk shows and at industry events and conferences.

Before establishing CFAL, Mr. Ferguson was the President of International Portfolio Analytics, an international investment firm based in The Bahamas, which held assets under management in excess of B$600 million. Over the last 35 years, he has held key positions at a number of internationally-based financial institutions with Bahamian offices.

In additional to his professional experience, he has served as President of CFA Society The Bahamas and was President and Director of the Bahamian Association of Investment Management Research (now the CFA Institute). Mr. Ferguson holds a BBA from Acadia University and is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Business Executive Program and successfully completed the Chartered Financial Analyst program. He currently serves as The Bahamian Ambassador to New Zealand and was chosen as the 2022 Person of the Year by The Jones Communication network.

Wells Howe is the Principal of Beneath The Waves, overseeing the development of the group’s blue carbon conservation work around the world. Howe directs the planning and implementation of the organization’s global climate solutions programs, whereby he plays a key role in forging public-private partnerships with sovereigns and governments, and building meaningful alliances with philanthropic institutions and corporations interested in sustainability. Through this work, Howe has briefed multiple world leaders and members of US Congress about the importance of blue carbon and nature-based solutions. Howe regularly engages with government officials and NGOs at international conferences and is committed to implementing community-led solutions. An entrepreneur at his core, Howe has assimilated cross-sector experience, ranging from top-tier financial institutions to startups in the renewable energy space, and brings to the table a wealth of knowledge building new-to-market ecosystems services and carbon finance optimization tools. Howe holds a Bachelor’s in Economics with a minor in Environmental Studies, and a Master’s in Environmental Science and Policy from Northeastern University. He is a member of The Explorer’s Club and sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of Colossal.

Mrs. Rochelle Newbold has been working in the environmental field for more than 22 years. She has worked in both public and private sectors of The Bahamas and the United States managing environmental matters. She has also managed United Nations regionally funded projects and was the first Chair of the Bahamas Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grant program. Mrs.Newbold recently served as the first appointed Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Projection, which is the first legislative environmental department in The Bahamas. Mrs. Newbold holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University in Coastal Environmental Management and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Marine Biology. She is a Charted Scientist and a Member of Charted Institute of Water & Environmental Management, United Kingdom. She has represented and negotiated for The Bahamas at numerous international and regional environmental conferences and has authored and contributed to various national environmental legislations, environmental awareness handbooks and regional and national plans, programs and policies. Mrs. Newbold recently led the technical team at COP25, COP26, COP27 and has been appointed to the Office of the Prime Minister as the first Climate Change Tzar for The Bahamas and Special Advisor on Climate Change and Environmental Matters to the Prime Minister. Mrs. Newbold also contributed to the development of the first blue carbon credit initiative with the drafting of the Climate Change and Carbon Markets initiatives Bill (2022).

Pamela Ferguson joined CFAL in November 1998, and has assumed numerous roles in the investment department culminating in her current position as Vice President of Investments. In this capacity, she oversees the company’s investment management functions including discretionary portfolio management, CFAL’s mutual funds and portfolio analysis. The Investments division provides securities settlements, local and international securities execution and trading, securities research, portfolio management and prime brokerage services. Mrs. Ferguson also serves as a member of CFAL’s Investment Committee, which is comprised of a team of investment professionals responsible for making key investment strategy and policy decisions.

Mrs. Ferguson began her career in the financial services industry at a leading offshore bank, where she garnered the fundamentals in securities administration and execution. Following her stint at the bank, Mrs. Ferguson moved to CFAL where she has been since. Mrs. Ferguson earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration at the College of the Bahamas (currently the University of The Bahamas) and a Bachelor of Business Administration, with Honours, and a concentration in finance, from Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada in June 1996. She earned her Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2006. In July 2010, Mrs. Ferguson also participated in an Executive Education course titled Investment Management Workshop at Harvard University and in conjunction with the CFA Institute. Her professional affiliations include memberships in the CFA Society The Bahamas and the CFA Institute. 

Lashell P. White, CFA joined CFAL in October 2018 as an Investment Manager. As a member of the CFAL Investments team, Lashell oversees the management of discretionary and advisory portfolios. In her role, Lashell reviews clients’ stated investment profiles and constructs and manages suitable investment portfolios that will meet their short and long-term goals and objectives. She also serves as a member of CFAL’s Investment Committee.

Lashell has over 14 years of experience in the financial services industry and holds a BBA in Economics and Finance from the University of the Bahamas. She received her Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2009 and has previously served on the board of the CFA Society of The Bahamas of which she remains an active member.

Jeanelle Francis is the Private Wealth Manager at CFAL. She has been with CFAL since 2010. During her time with the company, she was the team lead for a large public equity offering in 2012. She oversees and guides the department with the day-to-day trading execution and wealth management services to a varied client base, including high-net-worth individuals, professional services practitioners, Trusts and Companies. In her role, she also serves as a member of the CFAL Investment Committee. Jeanelle was born in Trinidad & Tobago and has enjoyed a childhood both there and in The Bahamas. She began her tertiary studies at the College of The Bahamas and completed her university education in Atlanta, GA.

She is passionate about education and holds a BBA in Finance from Georgia State University. With more than 20 years in the financial services industry, her qualifications include Chartered Financial Analyst, Trust Estate Practitioner and Project Management Professional. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, reading and volunteering as a Catechist with her home parish. Jeanelle lives in The Bahamas with her husband, Darren, and they have four children, James, David, Amelia and Amyah.

A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries since 2001, Mr. Bosland graduated with distinction from the University of Waterloo (Ontario) with a joint honours degree in Actuarial Science/Economics. Mr. Bosland also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School. Prior to joining Colina, he was the Assistant Vice President in the Actuarial department of a Caribbean-based Insurer. Mr. Bosland currently serves on the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority and is the Chair of The Bahamas Insurance Association’s National Health Insurance Committee.