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John Byles is an Executive Deputy Chairman with over 30 years of experience in the tourism sector and 15 years in Banking and Finance. He is a managing partner of Chukka Caribbean Adventures and has played a key role in the group’s expansion. John holds several board positions and is highly respected in the tourism industry. He is the Chairman of the COVID-19 Resilient Corridor and serves on the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. His leadership skills and commitment to sustainable tourism have made him a sought-after leader in the Caribbean tourism sector.
Jacqueline Sutherland is the founder and CEO of Software Dynamics, a Jamaican software development company that builds customized solutions for businesses. With a degree in Computer Science and experience working in the United States, Sutherland returned to Jamaica to start her own business. Through Software Dynamics, she provides job opportunities and supports community initiatives. Sutherland’s dedication to promoting a culture of innovation and technology in Jamaica earned her the Prime Minister’s National Award for Science and Technology in 2018.
Born into a Jamaican family that goes back many generations, Paula Kerr-Jarrett, the daughter of Christopher Bovell, Attorney-at-Law and Michelle started her early education in Jamaica and completed high school in the UK. She continued her education there, going on to read Law and Politics at the University of London, where she gained both her BA and LLM degrees. Paula moved back to Jamaica in 1990, and was called to the Jamaican Bar thereafter.
Over the following years, as she re-assimilated into the Jamaican culture, she had many experiences which allowed her to recognize and appreciate the tremendous assets that Jamaica had to offer, particularly in the people. Her primary passion has since then, been to help develop and establish Jamaica and its environs into one of the most highly sought-after locations to visit, live and work.
In order to realize this goal, she cultivated a role as a “social entrepreneur”, connecting various individuals; charities; business and government organizations in order to create a synergy of ideas, always where possible, aiming to advance the prospects of Jamaicans from all levels of society. This role involved her in numerous projects, involving religious, charitable and educational organizations, and eventually led to her become a candidate in the national elections. It was in this forum that she was able to fully understand the economic, social and educational disparity that often exists in developing countries. This led her to establish “Hanover Hope”, a non-profit foundation focusing on raising awareness and funds to provide scholarships (based on meritocracy as opposed to political affiliation) for many young people across the island.
Over the years, her role has evolved to be both in the capacity of fundraising as well as heightening the awareness of various sections of the local and international community to the needs of the underserved in Jamaica. Her goal, if it could be put in a nutshell, would be “fair opportunity for all”. This is because she has a strong belief that your past should not determine your future, nor should your address or social background predetermine your potential prospects: “Everyone deserves a first, second and third chance.”
This belief has challenged her to study extensively in the area of philanthropy as well as to attend and participate in many seminars that highlight the importance of education and self-development for sustainable success. The importance of self-awareness and cultivation of confidence in your abilities, she believes, is an essential ingredient for every person who aspires to experience a dynamic and exciting future. She continues to highlight wherever possible, her strong conviction that the businesses and professional community, through their participation, can help to unleash a culture of leadership in our Nations. This support and involvement she insists, should encompass, not just areas of traditional precepts of literacy but the sharing and facilitating of meaningful “real life”opportunities where possible. This, along with practical experiences, mentoring and guidance, ultimately leading to the restoring of character ethics on a broad scale.
Paula has been a Director of the Barnett group of companies for over 30 years, where she has had direct oversight of company investments and the business development strategy of the Barnett group, in particular the Barnett Tech Park as well as other developmental aspects of the business. She has also been involved in start-ups that have successfully gone public, and enjoys the dynamism of working with a team to position new companies for growth.
She served as a Director on several government boards which involved specific oversight of trade; economic development and education.
From a philanthropic perspective, Paula continues to make herself available to assist with projects that focus on “community”. She was a founding member of the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship (Caribbean) Board and still serves as a Director. She is involved in several other charitable organizations, being a board member of the “We Care for Cornwall Regional”; Ambassador for the UWI (Western Campus) and a member of the Economic Growth Council. She was recently appointed Ambassador of Investment and Philanthropy by the government of Jamaica.
Paula recently remarried and her husband, Danny Wegman shares her passion for the people and communities in Jamaica. They receive enormous fulfillment in assisting those around them to thrive, whether this is by using their resources where possible, or by simply a word of encouragement and hope to anyone they may encounter along the way. Paula has two children, Joshua and Rebecca, who share in this passion for people and life.
Janet Therese Silvera is a multi-award-winning journalist who has made an indelible contribution to Jamaica’s tourist industry in the last 37 years. Her first job was with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in 1985, where she proved she was invaluable to the organization after only six months when she created history by being named ‘Hostess of the Year’. Within two years her charisma and ability to tackle problems resulted in her promotion to airport supervisor with responsibility for some 25 staff. She grew within the job and qualified herself in various advanced courses in tourism-related subjects in Europe and the USA. She studied French at Foyer Guy Houist in Rennes, France, and was the official marketing officer in the JTB’s overseas relations department who dealt with French travel agents and tour operators. Janet Silvera held the position of marketing officer at the Jamaica Tourist Board before complaining of “exhausting her stay” and finally making the decision to change her pace. In 1993 she resigned after 10 years with that institution and joined the Gleaner Company Limited. Within months The Gleaner saw her potential as a writer after she penned her first published article ‘It’s ok to have two men’. This witty and provocative piece brought her a lot of attention, creating the catalyst for her role in media. Janet Silvera honed her skills in Journalism and has become an integral part of The Gleaner team. She was appointed coordinator of the exciting and innovative bi-monthly tourism trade publication Hospitality Jamaica, 15 years ago, in addition to being appointed senior Gleaner writer of the newspaper. In the last 25 years she has focused her attention on tourism and its benefits to the region. As if this were not enough, Janet Silvera is one of the only certified event managers in Jamaica, having completed her certification at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Janet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communications at CARIMAC – University of the West Indies, Mona, Western Jamaica Campus, with First Class Honours. She is president of the Western Jamaica Media Association (WJMA), Immediate Past President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a former director of the Press Association of Jamaica and has served as a director of the Kiwanis Club of Providence. She served as chairman of the Caribbean’s largest early childhood institution, the Montego Bay Infant School for six years, leaving that school financially viable for the first time in 30 years. Janet made history in June 2012 when she became the first Jamaican to be honoured with the Marcia Vickery-Wallace award for Travel Journalism by the Jamaica Tourist Board. She again made history in February 2023, when she copped two national awards from the Press Association of Jamaica ‘News Journalist of the Year’ and ‘Best News Coverage’ for her articles on the Night of Terror – the Kevin Smith story. She earned a similar PAJ award in 2009, for the thought-provoking piece ‘Dad Raped Us’ and again in 2014 for her investigative pieces on the ‘Mario Deane’ death. In 2006 she was the American Express/Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) awardee for Excellence in Tourism Reporting. A philanthropist who sacrifices daily, her most important achievements to date has been the birth of ‘MoBay City Run’, a 10K/5K run and walk, which she founded in 2014 to raise funds for struggling tertiary level students in western Jamaica. The annual event has donated over $23.5 million to UWI, UTECH, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College and MoBay Comm. College students in the last seven years.
She was integrally involved with the UWI Western Jamaica Campus, having founded the Ambassadorial Corps. Silvera founded ‘Sarah’s Children’ in 2018, an organization which aims to protect abused children and the elderly. Sarah’s Children was named in honour of her late mom, Sarah Darling-Findlay. The many acknowledgements of her outstanding service both locally and internationally, are a testament to the achievements of this giant of a woman. Janet Silvera has indeed proven that she is more than equal to the task and will continue to bring this world, a unique creativity coupled with an apparently unlimited ability to achieve her goals.
