IAJ Business Conference

The Hon. Matthew Samuda, MP, currently serves as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation. He is assigned portfolio responsibilities for Water, Environment, Climate Change, and the Blue & Green Economies. Minister Samuda is the Member of Parliament for Northeast St. Ann.

Minister Samuda’s political experience includes:

1. President of Campion College Student Council 2002
2. Service to the National Student Council interim management committee 2001
3. Vice President of G2K, 2011 – 2014
4. Served on the board of Directors for Agriculture Investment Corporation in 2011
5. Member of various JLP bodies and committees, inclusive of:

• • Standing Committee
  • Central Executive
  • Public Relations Committee

Minister Samuda was honoured with the privilege of serving Jamaica through his appointment to the Cabinet of Jamaica, which is the executive arm of the state. This had followed his appointment to the Upper House as a Senator.

Over the years, he has been consistent in abiding by the principle of environmental preservation and protection. In 2016, he led the tabling of a private members’ motion in the Jamaican Parliament which resulted in the ban on single-use plastic and “Styrofoam” in 2019.

In March 2015, Minister Samuda was afforded the opportunity to occupy the prestigious post of President of Generation 2000; he served with a clear commitment to being a voice for the younger generation while making a positive difference both on the JLP, and most importantly Jamaica.

Previously, Minister Samuda oversaw the JLP’s, G2K’s & the Most Hon. Andrew Holness’ social media marketing efforts.

With his background in marketing and entertainment, Minister Samuda has worked in some of the most dynamic environments in the Jamaican landscape:

1. Red Stripe
2. Advertising & Marketing Jamaica Ltd
3. Wray & Nephew
4. Facey Commodity
5. Seprod Group

Minister Samuda resides in Kingston, Jamaica, and attended Campion College and the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Sanya Goffe is a Partner in the law firm Hart Muirhead Fatta in Jamaica. With over two
decades of experience, she advises on pensions, corporate, capital markets, and intellectual
property law. She is widely recognised for her expertise in regulatory compliance, corporate
reorganisations, and risk management, particularly in relation to large-scale pension schemes
and financial institutions. Her practice also spans high-profile corporate transactions and
capital markets matters, where she brings a practical, solutions-oriented approach to complex
legal and governance challenges.

As President of the Pension Industry Association of Jamaica, Sanya has been at the forefront
of national advocacy for pension reform and financial inclusion, championing the expansion
of retirement security and stronger governance systems. She also brings a Caribbean
perspective to global discussions through her role on the Advisory Board of the World
Pension Summit.

Sanya is a Director of NCB Financial Group Limited and Jamaica Producers Group Limited,
where she chairs the Corporate Governance Committees of both organisations. She is also a
director of the National Insurance Fund, the investment advisory board for Jamaica’s
National Insurance Scheme.

Her contributions have earned her national and international recognition, including the Tony
Thurman Award for Best Published Article in the International Pensions Lawyer (2024), the
Jamaica Gleaner Distinguished Award for Law (2022), and the IPEBLA Libby Slater Award
for outstanding leadership in pensions law in Jamaica (2017). In 2020 she was selected as an
Eisenhower Fellow, joining a global network of leaders driving social and economic change.
She is also ranked in Chambers Global as a leading lawyer in General Business Law and is
an IWF Leadership Fellow for 2026.

Outside of her professional and board commitments, Sanya and her husband Gavin
established the Adult Learning Centres of Jamaica, a non-profit focused on improving
literacy and numeracy for underserved adults. Family is central to her life: she is a wife and
mother of two boys, whose energy and curiosity inspire her daily. She loves to read and
travel, seeing both as ways to expand her horizons, connect with new cultures and recharge.

Steven Whittingham is the Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

Steven is also the Chief Executive Officer of GraceKennedy Financial Group Limited with overall responsibility for the multinational financial group.

Steven’s career with the GraceKennedy Group began over a decade ago. He is currently a member of the GraceKennedy Executive Committee and has held several senior leadership positions in the past including Chief Investment Officer and Head of Digital Transformation for the GraceKennedy Group, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, GKFG; President, First Global Financial Services; and Managing Director, GK Capital Management. He has been instrumental in driving GK’s growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions, and greenfield start-ups, consistently delivering strong performance across portfolios.

Steven is the Chairman of Campion College and various GraceKennedy subsidiaries. He is currently a director of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and has held directorships on multiple private and public sector boards including the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Ltd. (NROCC), the Jamaica Promotions Corporation Ltd. (JAMPRO) and HEART Trust NTA.

Steven began his career at BlackRock in New York, focusing on institutional fixed income asset management. He also worked with Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Group in London. Steven has significant M&A and Private Equity experience, acquiring and operating multiple enterprises.

Steven holds a dual degree from the University of Pennsylvania, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the College of Arts and Sciences. He received his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 2008 where he was awarded the Morgan Stanley Fellowship. Steven is married with four children.