Directors
Mr. Peter Melhado is the Chairman (appointed July 2019) of Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited. Mr. Melhado holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business, with a major in Finance.
Mr. Melhado currently serves as Board Chairman of Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited, CGM Gallagher Group, West Indies Home Contractors, Social Commerce Inc (Puerto Rico), American International School of Kingston, Industrial Chemical Company and Red Stripe and as a Director on the Boards of Sagicor Bank Jamaica, Sagicor Investments Jamaica, British Caribbean Insurance Company and Advantage Communications.
He is currently President & CEO of ICD Group Limited. He is a former Vice President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and former CEO of Manufacturers Group until its merger with PanCaribbean in 2004. During his time with that company, he was responsible for the growth and development of Manufacturers, leading to the merger with Sigma to create Manufacturers Sigma Merchant Bank, then one of the leading financial and asset management companies in Jamaica.
Bruce R.V. James, OD, BSc., MBAMr James has over 15 years of experience in banking and has held many senior positions at Citibank N.A. Jamaica Branch including Vice President in charge of Corporate Banking and Relationship Management. His expertise includes Risk Management and Analysis, marketing of Credit products, Relationship Management and Leadership.
Bruce is the President and co-founder of the MVP Track and Field Club and Manager of the Wolmer’s Boys’ School Track Team. Bruce is a professional track and field analyst across various media, including television and radio. He is also an international motivational speaker.
Peter is a graduate of Cornwall College and a graduate of the University of West Indies from which he holds a BSc. (Management Studies). Peter is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants. He is a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Jamaica in charge of the firm’s Montego Bay office. He has had significant experience in public accounting in tourism and hospitality, banking, government, among other industries. He is a director and audit committee member of a number of companies, four of which are listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1988.
Mr. Christopher Zacca is the President & CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited and a Director of several Sagicor entities. He is an astute businessman with a wealth of business and management experience in both the public and private sectors, spanning over three decades.
He is highly respected in the private sector where he has held senior management positions at Desnoes and Geddes, ATL Group, Air Jamaica Ltd. and served as President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica.
His track record in public sector service is equally impressive, having served as special advisor to the Prime Minister from 2009 to 2011. He is a former Chairman of the Development Bank of Jamaica and the National Health Fund. Mr Zacca was previously the Chairman of the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative in Jamaica which was established in March 2021 as a mechanism to support the government’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Mr. Zacca holds an M.B.A. from the University of Florida and a B.Sc. in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ms. Joanna Banks is the Executive Vice President – Strategy & Business Development at Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited, a financial services company listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. She holds an undergraduate degree in Systems Engineering from The University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is also the holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Prior to joining Sagicor, Ms. Banks worked at Pan Jamaica Group Limited, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Pan Caribbean Financial Services Limited. As such, she has over ten years of senior management experience in roles focused on corporate finance, investor relations, pension fund management, real estate and strategy.
Ms. Banks is a director of Alliance Financial Services Limited, Agostini’s Limited and Outsourcing Management Limited.
In her present role, Mrs. Harrison holds a pivotal position within the organization where she reports directly to the COO. Her primary mandate is to enhance AFSL’s operations by fostering a culture of robust risk management and regulatory compliance.
With an extensive tenure spanning more than two decades in the realm of financial services, Mrs. Harrison has consistently demonstrated her proficiency in effecting operational improvements. Her approach is characterized by a collaborative ethos, where she leads her teams in embracing change and optimizing processes to achieve operational excellence.
In his role as Branch Manager, he assumes responsibility for overseeing the retail operations within the branch across various business lines while simultaneously acting as team lead for numerous special projects and initiatives at AFSL.
Jason’s expertise to the dynamic landscape of the financial services industry spans seven years and has been notably centered around payments, analytics, and money services. With a particular emphasis on consumer goods in the realms of prepaid and issuing models, his involvement in retail operations has significantly broadened the scope of his payment-related work. He has been pivotal in the creation of new consumer goods and activities, all of which are underpinned by robust value propositions for both AFSL’s stakeholders and consumers alike.
Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance and Economics from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Finance at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean.
Sheldon has been working in the Information Technology sector from the ground up, with humble beginnings in data entry since 1999. Over the years he has developed an interest in the area of System Administration. Later, his interest elevated to specialiSation in this field which he couples with his love for engaging with staff and suppliers to ensure their expectations are exceeded.
Sheldon joined Alliance Investment Management/Alliance Financial Services in 2018 as System Administrator and was subsequently appointed Manager – System Administration in 2021; he serves both Alliance Financial Services and Sagicor Group IT.
With over 25 years of experience in Operations and Treasury, Omar’s role of CEO entails overseeing the operations of Alliance’s Cambio, Remittance and Bill Payment facility. He is also a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), and a Certified Financial Modelling Specialist, with an honors degree in Banking and Finance from the University of the West Indies.
Omar is currently a trustee for the Pan Caribbean Pension Fund, a director of Sagicor Select Funds Limited, a member of the CFA Society of Jamaica and serves on the board for the children’s charitable organisation, Chain of Hope Jamaica. He also the former Treasurer for Sagicor Bank Jamaica where he served a pivotal role in leading the Treasury Team to significant growth and profitability.
As COO, Ro-Yen assumes a pivotal role in the daily oversight of the Cambio, Remittance, and Bill Payments divisions. She plays a key part in devising long-term strategies aimed at propelling business growth and development in close collaboration with the CEO, Omar Brown.
With over 15 years of experience in the fields of Foreign Exchange Trading, Cash Management & Logistics, Leadership, and Operations, she is renowned for her unwavering commitment to innovative solutions that enhance organizational performance.
Ro-Yen’s commitment extends to fostering growth and development, both for herself and her team, with a profound emphasis on innovative disruption. Her passion for advancing the industry and her exceptional leadership skills make her an invaluable asset to the company.
Beverley Edwards is an innovative and driven accounting professional with over 18 years of experience and has worked in both private and public sector organizations. Over the years, she has developed the expertise of identifying solutions that protect companies’ assets and increase working capital.
She was pivotal in the communication of her team at the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) where she simplified technical knowledge from professional groups to make these more accessible and lessened the gap between IFRS and other local requirements.
Beverley is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Karl Williams’ leadership spans over 25 years in the management disciplines of Marketing & Sales, Learning & Development, and Human Resources. In his current role as Executive Vice President – Shared Services, Karl has direct responsibility for Group Human Resources, Group Procurement, Facilities and Records Management, Group Security Operations, Group Marketing, Group Legal, Corporate Trust & Corporate Secretarial, Group Client Support & Experience.
Karl is the Immediate Past President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ), and serves as Director at the Jamaica Institute of Financial Services (JIFS), e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited and the Universal Service Fund (USF).
Sharma joined Sagicor on June 1, 2021, as Vice President – General Counsel providing strategic leadership to Sagicor’s Legal and Corporate Trust team. She was appointed Company Secretary of Sagicor and its subsidiaries on February 1, 2023. She gives direction and general advice on legal, governance and corporate secretarial matters and guides Sagicor’s legal strategy as well as the ongoing development and monitoring of the governance framework. She is responsible for ensuring effective oversight and management of legal risk.
She has 18 years’ experience in regional commercial law, financial services, intellectual property, data protection, technology vendor contracts, litigation and mergers and acquisitions. Sharma holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D) in Law from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand (obtained on a Commonwealth Scholarship), a Master’s Degree in Corporate and Commercial Law (LL.M) (obtained on a Carreras Scholarship) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B) with First Class Honours from the University of the West Indies.
She is a graduate of Harvard’s ManageMentor executive leadership program. She currently co-chairs the Jamaica Bankers Association’s Public Policy and Legislative Committee, and is a Member of the Private Sector Organisation’s Corporate Governance Committee and the Jamaica Bar Association.
Daidre Sloley-McKay is a strong marketing strategist with a proven track record of transforming financial brands to drive affinity, revenue, profit, and market share for almost two decades.
In her most recent role as marketing manager for Sagicor Bank Jamaica (SBJ), Daidre developed and launched the Women in Business Series, which successfully positioned SBJ as the Bank of Choice for female-led SMEs. She also led SBJ’s disruption of the mortgage landscape with an innovative Cut Your Mortgage Wait in Half the Time campaign, which resulted in exponential growth in the Bank’s mortgage portfolio.
When Alliance Financial Services Limited joined Sagicor Group Jamaica in 2022, Daidre was instrumental in repositioning the business so that it could reengage and attract clients and exceed its targets.
Before joining the Sagicor family in January 2017, this accomplished leader and winning team builder held over 15 years of experience in several key management positions spanning sales and marketing. product development, and client experience in the financial industry with companies such as EduCom Co-operative Credit Union and included in this, she also managed the Sales and Corporate Promotions marketing portfolio at Capital & Credit Financial Group (now JMMB).
With a strong sense of national pride and commitment to community service, Daidre is involved in several outreach initiatives, particularly those dedicated to youth development. In 2023 she led Sagicor’s marketing team in the successful execution of the 25th anniversary staging of the Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run, which raised a record 91.8 million dollars for the University Hospital of the West Indies Paediatric Unit and the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
Daidre is married with two children, and enjoys travelling, reading, spending time in nature with her family, and gardening. She is solutions-oriented and firmly believes in the saying “Intention is nothing without action.”
Certifications:
Communications, Organizational Research, Digital Marketing and Brand Leadership. BSC (Cum Laude) Human Resource Management
