Meet The Speakers

Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley is a proud Virgin Islander with ancestral ties going back to the period of enslavement. He did his entire formal primary and secondary education in the BVI save one year in St. Thomas, USVI. He taught for one year at Enis Adams primary school after graduating from then BVI High School in 1996. He received his BA in English from Clark Atlanta University in 2001 and his MA in literary studies in 2003. He was then awarded with a Commonwealth Scholarship, which allowed him to pursue his doctorate of philosophy from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, which he was awarded with in 2016. Dr. Wheatley returned to the BVI from London in 2006 and began teaching at HLSCC in 2007 as a lecturer in English composition and literature. He has a strong record of community involvement of which he is proud. This includes his work as a member of the Lion’s club, his years of social and political commentary on the radio, his activity as an activist. In addition, he has a broad range of interests, including poetry, music, history, and sports.In 2011 Dr. Wheatley had his first foray into electoral politics, running unsuccessfully with the People’s Patriotic Alliance.

Lorna Smith, OBE, a prominent figure in the British Virgin Islands, is elected as a Member of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands as a Territorial At-Large Representative and appointed the Deputy Premier. She serves as the Minister of Financial Services, Labour and Trade. With over 30 years of experience at the highest levels of public service, she has been instrumental in the BVI's rise from relative obscurity to its present position as a top-flight tourist destination and premier centre for global finance. In addition to her public service roles, Lorna is the Founder and President of LGS & Associates, which provides strategic advice to governments and global organizations on business and financial services initiatives. As a thought leader with a deep network in the public, private, and non-profit worlds, Lorna offers her clients critical insight into the challenges and opportunities facing organisations that seek to operate in the BVI and across the Caribbean. Lorna previously served on several financial institution boards and is a regular speaker and writer on digital offshore banking, trust and estate practices, best business practices, and global financial services. Lorna was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen for her contribution to Public Service in the British Virgin Islands. She is a four-time Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International, most recently serving as Assistant Governor for all Rotary Clubs in the BVI. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Defender Award from BVI Finance.

Mr Kenneth Baker was appointed the second Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Commission in February 2021. As the Managing Director/CEO, he is responsible for the administration and operation of the Financial Services Commission. His responsibilities include regulating the BVI’s financial industry; the development of new service and product offerings aimed at developing and enhancing the attractiveness of the BVI as a situs for legitimate cross border financial services; and liaising with Government and private sector stakeholders in pursuance of this objective. Mr Baker’s track record spans 37 years in the banking and financial services sector. He joined the Financial Services Department in June 2000 as the Inspector of Banks and Trust Companies after a private-sector career in banking. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director, Regulation in April 2005 and jointly held the position Director, Banking, Insolvency and Fiduciary Services Division.

Mr. Glenford has over twenty years of experience within the regulatory environment, having first worked as an assistant Registrar of Mutual Funds for the Financial Services Department and later with the Financial Services Commission from 2002. He is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and is a trained Financial Examiner in relation to the IMF/FATF Methodology of Assessing Compliance with the FATF 40 Recommendations plus 9 Special Recommendations. Glenford has a Master of Laws (Distinction) in Law and Finance, 2005 as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration (Economics and International Business), 1997.

Ayana Glasgow is a BVI regulated trust and corporate services provider. Ayana has accumulated over twenty-five years’ experience in the BVI financial services industry, with an emphasis on regulatory matters and expertise in the administration of trust and corporate vehicles. Ayana began her career as a regulator with the BVI Financial Services Commission, having served as its Deputy Director - Banking & Fiduciary Services at the time of her departure. Prior to joining Aleman, Ayana held compliance and private wealth roles with a Jersey based legal and fiduciary services group. Ayana holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University and a Master of Business Administration Global Management from the University of Phoenix. She is a Fellow of the International Compliance Association, a member of the Association for Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists and a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Ayana has served as a member of several government statutory boards and other regulatory committees and is currently a member of the Company Law Review Advisory Committee.

Dr. Ricardo Wheatley presently serves as the Government of the Virgin Islands’ (BVI) Asia-Pacific Representative and Director of the BVI’s Representative Office in Hong Kong (2019 - present). Prior to his diplomatic posting Dr. Wheatley served as a University Lecturer in the area of International Politics and Development Studies in South Korea (Ajou University), the United States, (Clark Atlanta University), Bangladesh (North South University), and the United Kingdom. He holds a PhD in International Politics (Clark Atlanta University), MA in Political Science (Clark Atlanta University), MSC in Public Administration & Economy (Leiden University), and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Shan Greer is an international arbitrator and mediator associated with Arbitra International in London. Taking the helm as Chief Executive Officer at the BVI International Arbitration Centre in January 2023, she brings over two decades of unparalleled expertise to the forefront of the industry. With a specialized focus on construction law, Shan Greer is celebrated for her pragmatic and commercially astute approach, consistently guiding clients through a myriad of transactions and disputes. Her extensive track record spans diverse jurisdictions in the Caribbean, Europe, and North America, showcasing her versatility and proficiency in handling intricate legal matters. Educated at Kings College London with a Master's degree in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, Shan Greer holds dual qualifications as a barrister and solicitor in England, alongside admissions to practice in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and Belize. Regularly sought after as an arbitrator, adjudicator, and mediator, Shan Greer's expertise extends to ad hoc, institutional, international, and domestic arbitrations, bridging civil and common law jurisdictions with her insightful perspective and unwavering commitment to equitable resolution.

Elise Donovan is the chief executive officer of BVI Finance and brings to the role wide-ranging work experience in Asia, North America, the Caribbean and Africa. Elise has played a major role in expanding and deepening the BVI’s financial services footprint in cities around the world, specifically in the Asia Pacific region, through strategic relationship building, conducting forums and seminars on the BVI’s financial services business, including at major financial institutions. She previously served as Director and Asia Pacific Representative at BVI House Asia, EU/UK Representative and Director of the BVI London Office, and at BVI International Affairs Secretariat, the BVI Financial Services Commission and the BVI International Finance Centre (now BVI Finance), and a member in the BVI’s Tax Information Exchange Agreement Negotiating Team with countries such as China, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, and the Nordic countries. She has authored numerous articles on the role of the BVI as a leading international finance centre. Elise also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Carleton University in Ottawa and Columbia University in New York.

David is the Founder and President of the Portcullis Group. He has been described by the Singapore Academy of Law as “the Guru of Asian Family Offices". Portcullis is one of the largest independent trust, fund and family office service providers in Asia. With a rich history of servicing clients for over 35 years, it has a wide range of professional expertise in running successful wealth management companies. Its international network in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Labuan, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, the BVI, New Zealand, Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Cayman Islands and Seychelles gives it the ability to provide comprehensive services across multiple jurisdictions. Portcullis Investment Office Limited holds Type 4 (Advising on Securities) & Type 9 (Fund Management) licences issued by the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong; and Portcullis Investment Office Private Limited holds a Capital Markets Services Licence for Accredited & Institutional Investors issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. David is also President of Portcullis Group’s subsidiaries: Baxian Bank Ltd (the first homegrown digital full bank in Malaysia); Baxian Trust (Labuan) Limited and SSTC Ltd (one of the oldest independent trust companies in Labuan), all of which are regulated by the Labuan Financial Services Authority. David Chong and his family also owns Fusang Corp, the first fully-regulated platform in Asia providing end-to-end infrastructure to support Digital Securities. Fusang Exchange Ltd, a subsidiary of Fusang Corp, is licensed in Labuan, Malaysia as a Securities Exchange under Part IX, Section 134 of the Labuan Financial Services and Securities Act 2010 (LFSSA). Fusang Exchange is the first fully-operational stock exchange in Asia that allows companies to go public through a digital IPO accessible by both retail and sophisticated investors globally, supporting the trading of both digital securities and cryptocurrencies.

Mr. Baptiste manages the delivery of services offered from the Commission's office as the Asia Pacific liaison for the jurisdiction's regulatory and registry sectors. He champions the Commission's undertaking to bolster and strengthen deeper relations in the Asia market. Mr. Shane Baptiste offers more than 14 years of Financial Services experience and has previously held various positions within the Commission as a Senior Enforcement officer.