Enhancing Corporate Governance and Diversity at Republic Bank

Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited's Board of Directors is becoming more diverse and the Bank's corporate governance initiatives are being strengthened, with the addition of two new female finance professionals.

The 10-member board now features four women, with the inclusion of Simone Brathwaite and Donna Every. They join existing female directors, Jacqueline Quamina, a retired former Executive Director of Republic Bank Trinidad, and experienced corporate lawyer, Debbie Fraser.

While Brathwaite brings a wealth of experience in risk management gained from the life insurance sector from a regional and international perspective, Every comes with a background in finance and business development. She is currently the President of the International Women’s Forum, Barbados Chapter, has served as a facilitator for the World Bank’s Women Innovators Network of the Caribbean (WINC) and was Barbados’ Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

In reference to the new Directors, Chairman Derwin Howell said, “When it comes to corporate governance best practices, efforts to foster greater diversity are at the top of my list. At Republic Bank we are ensuring that there are diverse perspectives, experiences, and viewpoints in our talent pool. It is our belief that a more diverse Board of Directors will lead to better informed decisions. As a result of this, we'll be better able to serve the needs of our client base, as well as eliminate those processes that are too restrictive or that no longer serve our customers' needs."

Managing Director, Anthony Clerk in sharing his sentiments on the appointments said, "We believe that the input of our 4 female directors will be critical to helping us improve our services to entrepreneurs generally and our female business owners specifically. We expect to learn a great deal from them because of their extensive experience working with women to start, grow, and protect their businesses. Their leadership will also help us to root out any perceived gender biases that may exist within any of our processes or within the qualifying criteria for our products and services.

Last year, the Bank’s parent company, Republic Financial Holdings Limited, was named the Best Corporate Governance "Financial Services" Institution in the Caribbean by Ethical Boardroom, a London-based media outlet known for its critically acclaimed analysis of global corporate governance. The award recognizes the Group as an industry leader in the adoption and execution of corporate governance best practices. This aligns with the UN Principles of Responsible Banking to which Republic Bank is a signatory.

Further information about the directors can be found on the Bank’s website.