Compete Caribbean, a private sector development programme based in Barbados, has assisted 2 000 businesses and helped to create more than 12 000 new jobs in the region.
The programme’s former executive director Dr Sylvia Dohnert reported this recently as she handed over the leadership reins to new executive director Kayla Grant.
She spoke as Grant shared that “the integration of climate action into our private sector development work, initiated through Compete Caribbean, will be a central focus of my leadership”.
Dohnert, a national of Venezuela, and Belize national, Grant spoke in a joint interview shared by Compete Caribbean which is financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Government of Canada.
Reflected on her 12-year tenure as executive director, Dohnert, who is a private sector specialist at the IDB, said: “This has been quite the journey, and it’s been very exciting for me over these past 12 years to lead first the first phase of Compete Caribbean and then the second one, where, with a team of fantastic consultants with excellent counterparts, first from 15 and then from 13 countries, we’ve helped over 2 000 businesses in the Caribbean, helped to create over 12 000 new jobs, many of them for women.
“And in the case of the businesses, supported many, many, many women owned businesses and a work in all kinds of sectors, traditional sectors, new and oncoming sectors to infuse innovation and growth and point the region towards where the new waves of growth could be coming from.
“And I am also super excited to see how the team that has been working in the programme has evolved and grown professionally over the lifetime of the programme, with an example being Kayla.”
Grant is a specialist in the IDB’s competitiveness, technology and innovation division of the Inter American Development Bank. Her journey with Compete Caribbean began as a consultant in 2013, where she managed the programme’s knowledge portfolio.
Grant said she was “deeply honoured to be taking on the role of executive director”.
In a separate message to the Compete Caribbean community, the new executive director said she was “committed to working tirelessly to bring fresh approaches to position our team to support you in successfully navigating the evolving challenges
and opportunities facing the Caribbean region”.
“The integration of climate action into our private sector development work, initiated through Compete Caribbean, will be a central focus of my leadership,” she shared.
“We will work with governments and businesses to identify climate adaptation and mitigation opportunities, to invest in knowledge and scientific research that guide innovative policy design and technology transfer opportunities, to support the development of growthoriented business models that incorporate green technologies, and help create enabling environments for inclusive, climate-smart economic growth.”
Grant also said that the programme “will continue to prioritise innovative programming that creates opportunities for all segments of society, particularly women entrepreneurs and businesses in underserved communities and that promotes privatesector led economic growth that contributes to social inclusion and job growth throughout the region”.
She added: “Effective development work requires partnership and collaboration. My approach to leadership emphasizes building consensus around shared goals and priorities.
“I am committed to strengthening existing partnerships while building new collaborative relationships that enhance our collective capacity to drive positive change. This includes deepening our engagement with government partners, private sector leaders, local and international donor organisations, academic institutions, and civil society organisations throughout the region.
“As we embark on this next chapter together, I am excited about the possibilities ahead. Our role at Compete Caribbean is to help unlock our region’s potential through innovative programming, strategic partnerships, and unwavering commitment to excellence.”
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