Rotarians Told To Always Strive To Do Better.

A number of presentations were made at the meetings and the guest speaker was Simone E Martin, MBA FICA Deputy Director – Fiduciary Services of the Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.

According to a press release, Ms Martin spoke on the topic, “21^st Century Prerequisites of a Successful Financial Services Industry,” highlighting the need for the industry to educate the population on the role and impact of the BVI Financial industry.

The release said she also stressed the need to have pride in the BVI’s accomplishments.  “We need to be cautious of the media as they are not always our friends and can erode the reputation of a small jurisdiction,” she told the gathering.

She added: “Key stakeholders need to believe that mediocrity does not have a place in the BVI Financial Services industry. One should always strive to be better.”

Ms. Martin noted that the Global Financial Crisis has given a clear indication that there is need to be proactive rather than being reactionary to events. There needs to be a re-evaluation of business strategies and more dialogue between key stakeholders, she said.

“The evolution of financial services over the last two decades has been far-reaching. We need to maintain a certain level of transparency as criminals are growing more sophisticated.  It is therefore necessary that we be fully aware of their activities so that we do not lose credibility while trying to protect our clients’ privacy,” she remarked.

Ms Martin reemphasized the need for the strengthening of partnerships with all stakeholders; a continued high level of performance and forging the way forward for others.

The presentations were followed by a brief question and answer period.

The Rotary Club Sunrise of Road Town was chartered on March 31, 2009 with 23 members and has grown to 34 members. The Club meets on Tuesdays at 7a.m. at Maria’s By the Sea Hotel.

President Ken Guiste may be contacted on telephone number +1 284 541 3041.