Team BVI Members, Part I

The launch of 'Team BVI' was announced more than a month ago. The readers of my blog already know 3 members of Team BVI - Humphry A. Leue, Hon Dr. Kedrick Pickering and
Mark Chapman. Since the Team BVI has commenced to perform its functions, there were several arrangements where Team BVI members played very important role. I mentioned the seminar for London-based executives in the mutual fund industries and the meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council. Today I would like to tell more details on the other members of Team BVI. In this connection I would like to thank the BVI International Finance Centre who kindly provided the list of all Team BVI members.

Mrs. Lorna Smith, another outstanding personality representing BVI government in the Team BVI, is the Executive Director of the BVI International Affairs Secretariat. Her focus area is International & Public Affairs. In April 2004 she was appointed Director Designate of the BVI Government’s London Office and took very active role in representing the interests of the BVI in London and Europe, popularizing BVI, it’s culture and services. BVI London office actively worked on a number of areas including Media Relations, Marketing and Brand, and relationship with Her Majesty's Government.

Mrs. Smith has found time to familiarize the House of Lords and the House of Commons with the BVI and successfully promoted BVI territory, which earlier was quite little known in London. As a Director of the BVI London office she suggested an idea to create "Friends of the BVI" group in parliamentary circles in London, and this idea was sucesfully implemented. She also actively worked with British Virgin Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group, registered in the UK in late 2004 when Mrs. Lorna Smith was Interim Director of the BVI London office.

At that time of her being in this post she also contacted with many prominent persons who later contributed much to the popularization of the British Virgin Islands. Among them there is such person as Sir Richard Branson, known for his support in promoting BVI.

Mrs. Smith also organized roadshows and other marketing activities aimed to popularisation of BVI financial services all over the globe. We should thank BVI London Office headed by Lorna Smith for launching a website providing one of the most comprehensive and regularly published BVI news.

After one year of very active work at the post of the director of BVI London Office she was followed by Ms Hadassah Ward and then by Ms Dawn Smith this summer. Lorna Smith returned to BVI and continued to work actively on BVI international relations as Executive Director of the BVI International Affairs Unit and BVI International Finance Centre.

Brian Obvi,
Offshore Analyst

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