IAJ Business Conference

Courtney Campbell is President and Chief Executive Officer of VM Group Limited and VM Financial Group Limited, whose operations extend from Jamaica to other Caribbean territories and major financial districts in North America and Europe.

Courtney joined VM in April 2016 and immediately went about igniting a transformation of the organisation, including its digital strategy, product and service offerings, brand identity and business structure, resulting in unprecedented growth and expansion. He has leveraged the organisation’s cultural beliefs and core values to kindle the VM Team’s passion for uplifting Jamaicans. Courtney is a passionate advocate for greater inclusion and financial well-being, which is the founding purpose of VM.

Before joining VM Group, Courtney had already established an enviable record of success in several senior executive roles including that of CEO of GraceKennedy Financial Group. He also spent over 23 years with the National Commercial Bank, serving in various leadership positions, including Head of the Retail Banking Division and other roles instrumental to the bank’s success.

He holds a BSc in Management Studies from The University of the West Indies, and an MBA in Finance (Distinction) jointly awarded by the University of Wales & Manchester Business School. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London.

Courtney is a director of VM Group Limited as well as VM Financial Group Limited and all its subsidiaries, as well as the associate company British Caribbean Insurance Company.

Courtney is a Corporate Champion for the UWI STAT, Mona Campus and serves on the Governor-General Jamaica Trust and the Investment Committee of the Council of World Missions. He is a former Chairman of the National Education Trust (NET).

In September 2023, Courtney received the Outstanding Business Leader Award, from the Mona School of Business & Management (MSBM) for his “relentless contributions to nation building”. In the same month, he received the Governor General’s Medal of Honour for his excellent support of the office of the Governor General’s service to the people of Jamaica. In March 2024, Courtney was named as recipient of the prestigious American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) International Achievement Award for his accomplishments in business and his service to humanity. He was, in August 2024, conferred with the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD) for sterling service to the field of Financial Operations. In October 2024, Courtney was conferred with the Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree from the University of the West Indies, Mona for his work as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Courtney is married to Pauline and they have two sons.

The Hon. Matthew Samuda, MP, currently serves as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation. He is assigned portfolio responsibilities for Water, Environment, Climate Change, and the Blue & Green Economies. Minister Samuda is the Member of Parliament for Northeast St. Ann.

Minister Samuda’s political experience includes:

1. 1. President of Campion College Student Council 2002

1. 1. Service to the National Student Council interim management committee 2001

1. 1. Vice President of G2K, 2011 – 2014

1. 1. Served on the board of Directors for Agriculture Investment Corporation in 2011

1. 1. Member of various JLP bodies and committees, inclusive of:

• • • • Standing Committee
    • • Central Executive
    • • Public Relations Committee

Minister Samuda was honoured with the privilege of serving Jamaica through his appointment to the Cabinet of Jamaica, which is the executive arm of the state. This had followed his appointment to the Upper House as a Senator.

Over the years, he has been consistent in abiding by the principle of environmental preservation and protection. In 2016, he led the tabling of a private members’ motion in the Jamaican Parliament which resulted in the ban on single-use plastic and “Styrofoam” in 2019.

In March 2015, Minister Samuda was afforded the opportunity to occupy the prestigious post of President of Generation 2000; he served with a clear commitment to being a voice for the younger generation while making a positive difference both on the JLP, and most importantly Jamaica.

Previously, Minister Samuda oversaw the JLP’s, G2K’s & the Most Hon. Andrew Holness’ social media marketing efforts.

With his background in marketing and entertainment, Minister Samuda has worked in some of the most dynamic environments in the Jamaican landscape:

1. 1. Red Stripe

1. 1. Advertising & Marketing Jamaica Ltd

1. 1. Wray & Nephew

1. 1. Facey Commodity

1. 1. Seprod Group

Minister Samuda resides in Kingston, Jamaica, and attended Campion College and the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Steven Whittingham is the Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

Steven is also the Chief Executive Officer of GraceKennedy Financial Group Limited with overall responsibility for the multinational financial group.

Steven’s career with the GraceKennedy Group began over a decade ago. He is currently a member of the GraceKennedy Executive Committee and has held several senior leadership positions in the past including Chief Investment Officer and Head of Digital Transformation for the GraceKennedy Group, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, GKFG; President, First Global Financial Services; and Managing Director, GK Capital Management. He has been instrumental in driving GK’s growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions, and greenfield start-ups, consistently delivering strong performance across portfolios.

Steven is the Chairman of Campion College and various GraceKennedy subsidiaries. He is currently a director of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and has held directorships on multiple private and public sector boards including the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Ltd. (NROCC), the Jamaica Promotions Corporation Ltd. (JAMPRO) and HEART Trust NTA.

Steven began his career at BlackRock in New York, focusing on institutional fixed income asset management. He also worked with Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Group in London. Steven has significant M&A and Private Equity experience, acquiring and operating multiple enterprises.

Steven holds a dual degree from the University of Pennsylvania, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences. He received his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 2008 where he was awarded the Morgan Stanley Fellowship. Steven is married with four children.

Sanya Goffe is a Partner in the law firm Hart Muirhead Fatta in Jamaica. With over two
decades of experience, she advises on pensions, corporate, capital markets, and intellectual
property law. She is widely recognised for her expertise in regulatory compliance, corporate
reorganisations, and risk management, particularly in relation to large-scale pension schemes
and financial institutions. Her practice also spans high-profile corporate transactions and
capital markets matters, where she brings a practical, solutions-oriented approach to complex
legal and governance challenges.

As President of the Pension Industry Association of Jamaica, Sanya has been at the forefront
of national advocacy for pension reform and financial inclusion, championing the expansion
of retirement security and stronger governance systems. She also brings a Caribbean
perspective to global discussions through her role on the Advisory Board of the World
Pension Summit.

Sanya is a Director of NCB Financial Group Limited and Jamaica Producers Group Limited,
where she chairs the Corporate Governance Committees of both organisations. She is also a
director of the National Insurance Fund, the investment advisory board for Jamaica’s
National Insurance Scheme.

Her contributions have earned her national and international recognition, including the Tony
Thurman Award for Best Published Article in the International Pensions Lawyer (2024), the
Jamaica Gleaner Distinguished Award for Law (2022), and the IPEBLA Libby Slater Award
for outstanding leadership in pensions law in Jamaica (2017). In 2020 she was selected as an
Eisenhower Fellow, joining a global network of leaders driving social and economic change.
She is also ranked in Chambers Global as a leading lawyer in General Business Law and is
an IWF Leadership Fellow for 2026.

Outside of her professional and board commitments, Sanya and her husband Gavin
established the Adult Learning Centres of Jamaica, a non-profit focused on improving
literacy and numeracy for underserved adults. Family is central to her life: she is a wife and
mother of two boys, whose energy and curiosity inspire her daily. She loves to read and
travel, seeing both as ways to expand her horizons, connect with new cultures and recharge.