Leadership Cayman Seminar Four Delves into Politics and Governance
The Leadership Cayman Class of 2020 took their seats at the highest tables of influence on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. The group met with His Excellency, The Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper; and subsequently with The Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughlin; Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Hon. Franz Manderson; and prominent talk show host, Woody DaCosta, to discuss issues of politics and governance affecting the Cayman Islands.
The meetings were part of the Leadership Cayman 2020 Seminar Four, held under the theme Government of the Cayman Islands. The activities commenced at 2:00 pm with a one-hour tour and discussion session with the Governor, at Government House, followed by three hours of break-out sessions and a panel discussion with the Premier, Deputy Governor and Woody DaCosta, at the Government Administration Building.
During the meeting with the Governor, the Class members gained useful insights into his roles and responsibilities in the Cayman Islands, and benefited from solid advice on some of the things that can make or break a good leader. The group also got a chance to quiz the Governor about his leadership journey, and had their interests piqued, as he light-heartedly shared stories of challenges and triumphs.
Over at the Government Administration Building, the breakout sessions and panel discussion were equally captivating. Issues of interest to the Leadership Cayman group ranged from the economy and population growth, the attendant problems of commuting to work and the related threat to productivity; the cruise port and the pending referendum; the constitution, including legal challenges around the issue of same sex marriage; global financial regulations and current and future impact on the Cayman Islands; climate change and the environment; to Brexit and what this means for the Cayman Islands.
The questions and arguments reflected the diversity within the Panel, with The Hon. Alden McLaughlin astutely carrying his political mantle; The Hon. Franz Manderson was the consummate professional, doing the balancing act of Deputy Governor and Civil Service Head; while Woody DaCosta, true to his passion, was unapologetic about occasionally delving into the controversial.
The major sponsors for Leadership Cayman 2020 are Cox Lumber Limited, RBC Royal Bank (Cayman) Limited and Wheaton Precious Metals.
Leadership Cayman is a flagship programme of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber team, headed by CEO, Wil Pineau, and the Leadership
Cayman team, headed by Chair Roz Griffiths, and Co-chair, Nicholas McLean, owe their gratitude for what was a well-organised event to seminar mentor, Lancelott Barnes, a Leadership Cayman Alumni and Learning and Development Manager at the Civil Service College, Portfolio of the Civil Service, Cayman Islands Government; Antonia Furniss, Leadership Cayman 2020 class member and Greenlight RE employee; and Susan Jones, Leadership Cayman 2020 class member and Dart employee.