Mr. Kevin Hunte, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, Business Development and Commerce; Ms. Kaye-Anne Greenidge, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Barbados; Ms. Sangene Watkins-Diagne, Director of the Business Compliance Division; Ms. Anne Reid, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Private Sector Association; other strategic partners and valued sponsors, in particular our host this morning and Gold Sponsor, CIBC Caribbean; Directors of BIBA; Members of our Global Business Week Steering Committee; members of the media; and distinguished guests, good morning, and welcome to the official launch of Global Business Week 2026.

It is my privilege to address you for the first time as President of BIBA, the Association for Global Business, and to do so at the launch of a week that has been part of the national calendar since 2009.

For a second year, Global Business Week will be held under the theme “Resilience: Adapting, Transforming, Thriving.” We have retained it deliberately. The pressures that gave rise to the theme, among them changing international tax requirements, geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change, have not eased. The question before us is no longer only how we withstand them, but how we position Barbados to thrive.

This year also carries a wider significance. In November, Barbados marks 60 years of Independence. For much of that journey, the global business sector has been part of the national story, as a source of foreign exchange, of tax revenue and of skilled careers for Barbadians. Global Business Week exists so that this contribution is understood well beyond our own membership. It is our opportunity to meet Barbadians where they are and to explain plainly what this sector does, why it matters and how they can get involved.

We begin, as we always do, with reflection. Our Commencement Service will take place on Sunday, October 18 at Abundant Life Assembly. It is a reminder that business must always serve people and community.

We remain focused on the next generation. The Secondary Schools Symposium will be held on the morning of Tuesday, October 20 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. On Wednesday, October 21, the Careers Showcase, sponsored by the Financial Services Commission, moves for the first time to the Barbados Community College. That move allows us to reach a wider group of students, including those on technical and vocational paths, and to show them that there is a place for their skills in this sector.

On the evening of Tuesday, October 20, we will host the Public Discussion Forum, sponsored by Caribbean Jobs, under the title “Smarter, Faster, Gone? The Human Side of the AI Revolution.” Artificial intelligence is already changing how work is done, and Barbadians are entitled to a frank conversation about what that means for their jobs and their skills. Our panel brings perspectives from banking, the creative industries, human capital and data privacy. The Forum will be streamed live online and broadcast live on BEAT 104.1, so that anyone with a phone or a radio can follow the discussion.

Our Conference will take place on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23, and returns to the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle Resort. This year, the Conference carries the theme “Business Beyond Borders: Driving Ideas, Innovation and Impact.”

Speakers will join us online and in person from Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Dubai, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and more. Over the two days, sessions will examine:

• the Global Minimum Tax and the changing international tax landscape;
• preparing for Barbados’ next FATF evaluation;
• artificial intelligence, from governance to a practical roadmap for business leaders;
• the future of Barbados’ capital markets; and
• building risk-intelligent, climate-resilient organisations.

These discussions are not abstract. They speak directly to a priority that I set out on taking office in July: assisting with business facilitation. As beneficial ownership transparency and the global minimum tax are adopted across other jurisdictions, we move closer to a levelling of the playing field. It is therefore imperative that Barbados combines a strong and effective regulatory framework with being an easy and efficient place to do business. A jurisdiction that is both efficient and well regulated is precisely what serious international investors look for.

Barbados remains a trusted jurisdiction for global business. Our treaty network, our stability and our skilled workforce keep us competitive. Spain’s decision this year to remove Barbados from its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions shows what sustained engagement can achieve, and it opens the door to closer commercial ties with both Spain and Latin America. Our task is to maintain that confidence.

The week closes on Saturday, October 24 with our community outreach activity, because a week that begins with giving thanks should end with giving back.

So, as I close, I ask each of you to get involved. Register for the Conference. Follow the Public Discussion Forum. Mentor a student at the Careers Showcase. Share your expertise. And to our colleagues in the media, thank you in advance for helping us to take these conversations to the public.

I must also recognise our main sponsors. We thank our perennial Diamond Sponsor, Invest Barbados, which continues to champion this island as the best place to work, live and invest; our Platinum Sponsor, the Business Compliance Division; our Gold Sponsors, CIBC Caribbean and the Central Bank of Barbados; and our Silver Sponsors, American International Insurance Managers, Bank of Nova Scotia, Clarke Gittens Farmer, EY, KPMG, Lex Caribbean, Trident Corporate Services and Vistra (Barbados); as well as our event sponsors across the Week. We are deeply grateful. I also thank the Steering Committee and Event Committee members, and the BIBA Secretariat, for the work already done.

Let us make Global Business Week 2026 a week that strengthens partnerships, informs the public, and demonstrates the enduring value of global business to Barbados.

Thank you.

Joanna M. Austin, President of BIBA