A Closing Ceremony was held February 1, 2024 for an 'Access Control Workshop' for Airport Authority employees, conducted jointly by the  Organization of American States/Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (OAS/CICTE) and US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) National Aviation Security (AVSEC), in the Airport Authority Training Room, Lynden Pindling International Airport. 

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Coakley-Wells to the position of Director of Legal & Government Affairs.

He replaces Nicole Watkins, Director, Legal, Regulatory and Carrier Services, who has decided to leave the business after eight years of service.

Mr. Coakley-Wells is an expert and thought-leader on financial regulation, risk, compliance, and taxation policy, and joins BTC from the Government of Belize where he was Commissioner and Consultant Advisor at the Financial Services Commission in the Ministry of Finance.

Prior to that, he was Special Policy Advisor for Legal and Regulatory Affairs for the Government of The Bahamas, and Deputy Executive Director of the Securities Commission.

Mr. Coakley-Wells also has extensive experience in the private sector, having previously held senior leadership positions at several prominent financial institutions and legal firms.

“We take this opportunity to thank Nicole for her contributions over the years. Her expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on our company, and we are grateful for her stewardship of the Legal and Regulatory function during her tenure,” said Sameer Bhatti, Chief Executive Officer, BTC.

“We also extend a warm welcome to Stephen as the newest member of our senior leadership team, and we wish him continued success in his new role. He brings a wealth of experience to the table, and we look forward to further enhancing our Legal & Government Affairs function.”

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited (BTC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Coakley-Wells to the position of Director of Legal & Government Affairs. He replaces Nicole Watkins, Director, Legal, Regulatory and Carrier Services, who has decided to leave the business after eight years of service. Mr. Coakley-Wells is an expert and thought-leader on financial regulation, risk, compliance, and taxation policy, and joins BTC from the Government of Belize where he was Commissioner and Consultant Advisor at the Financial Services Commission in the Ministry of Finance. Prior to that, he was Special Policy Advisor for Legal and Regulatory Affairs for the Government of The Bahamas, and Deputy Executive Director of the Securities Commission. Mr. Coakley-Wells also has extensive experience in the private sector, having previously held senior leadership positions at several prominent financial institutions and legal firms. “We take this opportunity to thank Nicole for her contributions over the years. Her expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have left an indelible mark on our company, and we are grateful for her stewardship of the Legal and Regulatory function during her tenure,” said Sameer Bhatti, Chief Executive Officer, BTC. “We also extend a warm welcome to Stephen as the newest member of our senior leadership team, and we wish him continued success in his new role. He brings a wealth of experience to the table, and we look forward to further enhancing our Legal & Government Affairs function.”

The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation (BMC) announced the appointment of financial services veteran Mr. Robert C. Cox as its Managing Director effective January 22, 2024.

BMC’s Executive Chairperson Ms. Barbara Cartwright commenting on Mr. Cox’s appointment said, “The Board of Directors is happy to have Robert join the team. He built an extensive career in the financial services industry, primarily retail and commercial banking, working throughout The Bahamas and the Caribbean region. His experience is a welcome addition to BMC as we further streamline our financial and operational performance to better assist Bahamians with home ownership.”

Mr. Cox has over thirty-five years of experience in financial services with primary focus in the banking industry. During this time, he amassed a myriad of transferable skills in the disciplines of Credit Risk, Client Credit Management, Collections, Business Development and Management Information Systems. He weathered the effects of the dynamic financial landscape during the last twenty years including a global recession, major hurricane landfalls within The Bahamas, commercial banking rationalization leaving many unbanked, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds an Associate Degree in Computer Programming, a Bachelor’s in Management Information Systems and a Master’s in International Business.

Cox said, “I hope to significantly impact the future of BMC by effectively and efficiently carrying out mandates and initiatives to notably reduce expenses, improve the processing time and quality of credit underwriting, increase new loan disbursements, improve customer service and more importantly, reduce the number of non-performing loans.”

About The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation

The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation was established by an Act of Parliament of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas on August 19, 1983. The Corporation commenced operations on October 31, 1983, and is wholly owned by the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Corporation has amongst its functions the granting of mortgage loans to assist persons with the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of their residential premises. The Corporation also provides financing for the purchase of land and the construction of housing units and similar projects, particularly those initiated by the Government.

The Corporation is headquartered in the Ruth Millar Administrative Complex on East Hill Street and has over sixty employees. The Corporation’s mortgage book totals over $215M represented by over 2,500 active mortgage loans.

The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation (BMC) announced the appointment of financial services veteran Mr. Robert C. Cox as its Managing Director effective January 22, 2024. BMC’s Executive Chairperson Ms. Barbara Cartwright commenting on Mr. Cox’s appointment said, “The Board of Directors is happy to have Robert join the team. He built an extensive career in the financial services industry, primarily retail and commercial banking, working throughout The Bahamas and the Caribbean region. His experience is a welcome addition to BMC as we further streamline our financial and operational performance to better assist Bahamians with home ownership.” Mr. Cox has over thirty-five years of experience in financial services with primary focus in the banking industry. During this time, he amassed a myriad of transferable skills in the disciplines of Credit Risk, Client Credit Management, Collections, Business Development and Management Information Systems. He weathered the effects of the dynamic financial landscape during the last twenty years including a global recession, major hurricane landfalls within The Bahamas, commercial banking rationalization leaving many unbanked, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds an Associate Degree in Computer Programming, a Bachelor’s in Management Information Systems and a Master’s in International Business. Cox said, “I hope to significantly impact the future of BMC by effectively and efficiently carrying out mandates and initiatives to notably reduce expenses, improve the processing time and quality of credit underwriting, increase new loan disbursements, improve customer service and more importantly, reduce the number of non-performing loans.” About The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation was established by an Act of Parliament of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas on August 19, 1983. The Corporation commenced operations on October 31, 1983, and is wholly owned by the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Corporation has amongst its functions the granting of mortgage loans to assist persons with the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of their residential premises. The Corporation also provides financing for the purchase of land and the construction of housing units and similar projects, particularly those initiated by the Government. The Corporation is headquartered in the Ruth Millar Administrative Complex on East Hill Street and has over sixty employees. The Corporation’s mortgage book totals over $215M represented by over 2,500 active mortgage loans.

The Standards Council governing the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality participated in a one-day Board Retreat on Thursday, 25 January, 2024 at Margaritaville Beach Resort, Nassau. The event was held under the theme, 'SEE in 2024 - Strategize. Execute, Elevate.'

The purpose of the retreat was to set the way forward for 2024 through training and various discussions.

The Standards Council governing the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality participated in a one-day Board Retreat on Thursday, 25 January, 2024 at Margaritaville Beach Resort, Nassau. The event was held under the theme, 'SEE in 2024 - Strategize. Execute, Elevate.' The purpose of the retreat was to set the way forward for 2024 through training and various discussions.