Robert Mathavious – Chief Executive Officer of the BVI FSC and Important Driving Force of Financial Services Industry in the British Virgin Islands

In the previous blog I provided more detailed information about Honourable Dr Orlando Smith – the acting Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands and the leader of the BVI Constitutional Negotiation Team which has successfully finished the constitutional talks a month ago. I also mentioned that he will be one of the speakers on the BVI IFC-organized seminar for Dubai's business and financial community. Another key person to talk on the seminar will be Robert Mathavious, who is in the position of the BVI regulator and CEO of the BVI Financial Services Commission. If you have read my previous posts, you could have noticed that Mr. Robert Mathavious is mentioned in many posts telling about the success of BVI offshore industry, new developments in this sphere, and the work of BVI Financial Services Comission.
Now I would like to devote separate post to brief information about Robert Mathavious – one of the most enthusiastic and business-minded developers of BVI offshore industry.

Mr. Robert Mathavious was appointed as the first Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Commission in 2002, upon its establishment. Before this, he worked 25 years in the public service with the Government of the British Virgin Islands. His professional qualifications include: Masters of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science (Economics).

Maybe exactly MBA education, together with his personal qualities, as well as the fact that the most part of his worklife he has spent within BVI government, has made him the person we see now – business-minded and highly enthusiastic driving force for BVI offshore industry. He is one of the key persons that comes to mind when we remember re-organization of BVI offshore industry that was made in early 2000. Even when offshore industry all over the world experienced very hard pressure, Robert Mathavious was optimistic and believed in the future of BVI financial services industry. “How we live in the future therefore depends on how much effort we make today to take on the odds in the globalized economy; the future can be bright if we continue to work together to our mutual advantage,” he said.

Even at the time when offshore industry future was quite vague, he believed that BVI could remain on the top of reputable offshore jurisdictions through close collaboration between the BVI government, industry practitioners and the FSC, by applying the international standards in the regulation and supervising spheres, and having zero tolerance to anything not compatible with being a well respected and well regulated jurisdiction. I think that many corporate agents remember his quote when emphasizing that corporate agents should not let BVI down by associations with dubious business "You should know who you're going to bed with … if not, you run the risk that they're not fit and proper people."

Today as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the BVI Financial Services Comission, Mr. Robert Mathavious is responsible for the administration and operation of the Financial Services Commission. His duties and responsibilities include the regulation of the BVI's financial industry, the development of new service and products enhancing the attractiveness of the BVI as a centre for legitimate cross border financial services.

Brian Obvi,
Offshore Analyst

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