Presented to individuals of Caribbean-Canadian heritage, who have attained success in their field of endeavours.

Raymond M. Williams

Raymond M. Williams

Ray Williams is committed to community engagement, in particular in the area of diversity and inclusion efforts. He serves on leadership boards for various organizations, including 100Strong Foundation.

He is an outspoken champion of workplace diversity and is a Past & Founding President (2000) and continuing member of The Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP) the pre-eminent professional trade organization for minorities in the financial services industry. He has been actively involved at all levels since its inception in 1997, and in that capacity acts as a mentor to a number of individuals.

From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Williams was an advisor to the federal government as part of an External Advisory Group (EAG) on Embracing Change, a program designed to reconcile the evident disparities of visible minorities within the federal public service and federally-regulated industries, advising specifically though not exclusively, the President of the Public Service Commission (PSC), the President of the Publics Service Human Resource Management Canada (PSHRMAC), and the Clerk of the Privy Council ( at the time Alex Himmelfarb).

Between 2005 and 2008, Mr. Williams was instrumental in engaging the National Bank’s participation in The BankSETA International Development Program, which each year brought to Canada up to 16 senior South African banking executives from previously disadvantaged groups. The six-week development program (part of the South African Financial Services Charter) combined academic learning with on-site workplace days at leading Canadian financial institutions including National Bank Financial.

A firm believer in inspiring change within his community, Mr. Williams volunteers in various capacities as a mentor and has sat on the Board of numerous organizations, including the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research (CANFAR 2007-2012). Mr. Williams was also Co-Chair of CANFAR’s Investment Committee and was an Advisory Board Member. He was also member of the Pension Investment Committee of the United Way of Greater Toronto (2008 -2013).

Mr. Williams is a Co-Founder & Chair of the Black Opportunity Fund, established in 2020 and designed to be the largest fund in Canada addressing anti-black racism through social & economic empowerment.

He is also a member of Centennial College’s Financial Services Program Advisory Committee and has been a past Guest Lecturer at both Centennial and McMaster University, De Groote School of Business. He also sat on the Pension Investment Management Committee (PIMC) of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Canada.

He is currently an Executive-in-Residence (EiR) at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, sits on the George Brown College Foundation (GBCF) as Board & Investment Committee Member & is a Board Member and Audit Committee member of the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP), one of Canada’s top think-tanks as well as Canadian Ditchley.

He has been the recipient of various awards from Community, including the Planet Africa Award for Professional Excellence in Dec 2012. In October of 2013 Mr. Williams was nominated by the Canadian Diversity Business Council (CDBC) as part of the second cohort of 50 individuals deemed Board ready. In June 2021 He was nominated as a Champion of Change by Women in Capital markets (WCM). In 2018 Mr. Williams was awarded The Ontario Black History’s Society (OBHS) Rev Addie Aylestock Award –“Paving the way for others to follow” as the organisation celebrated its 40th year In 2019 he was presented with the President’s Award at the Annual Harry Jerome Awards.

Mr. Kevin Hibbert

Mr. Kevin Hibbert

Kevin was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario Canada and grew up in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community. Upon graduating high school, Kevin attended the University of Toronto where he graduated with high distinction, receiving an honours degree in Business and then went on to pursue his chartered accountancy designation.

In 2015, Kevin, then 38 years old at the time, was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Sprott Inc., making him the youngest CFO of a publicly traded asset management firm in Canada. Today, Sprott has grown to become one of the largest alternative investment management firms in the world, managing over $30 billion in gold, precious metals and energy transition assets on behalf of 250,000 retail and institutional clients around the world. Kevin’s role has expanded even further since 2015. Today, Kevin serves as Senior Managing Partner, CFO and Co-head, Enterprise Shared Services. In this expanded role, Kevin co-lead’s Sprott's Enterprise Shared Services Group with specific responsibility for external financial reporting, investment operations, tax, treasury, financial planning and analysis, investor relations and corporate communications, information technology, office facilities and administration. In addition to his duties at Sprott, Mr. Hibbert serves as a board member of UHN Foundation, one of the largest hospital foundations in North America and previously served as Vice-chairman and treasurer of Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services.

In 2019, Kevin was elected by his peers as a Fellow of CPA Ontario. Less than 5% of accountants in North America carry the distinguished designation of ‘Fellow’, making it the highest honour an accountant can achieve from a professional accountancy body in North America.

In 2022, Kevin was recognized by Report on Business Magazine and the Globe & Mail as one of Canada's 50 Best Executives.

Kevin lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife of 22 years, Ann-Marie Hibbert and their 16 year old son, Caleb Hibbert.

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted is the Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health at WorldFish, a One CGIAR entity. She was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize for her ground-breaking research, critical insights, and landmark innovations in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems. She also received the 2021 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award for research innovation. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and Vice Chair of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021: Action Track 4 - Advance Equitable Livelihoods, and also a Food Systems Champion.

Dr. Thilsted studied at the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine in Trinidad where she earned a BSc. in Tropical Agriculture in 1971. She began both her career and her life’s theme of making strides within and for a developing society as the first and only female agricultural officer in the Tobago Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries. Two years later, she returned to Trinidad and took on her first research-centred job at The UWI’s Faculty of Natural Sciences.

She holds a PhD from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark and holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

She has taught and researched at the University of Dar es Salaam and the Sokoine University in Tanzania as an FAO Associate Expert; and then as the Associate Head.

Several of her projects have been funded by organizations such as USAID, the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Thilsted was closely involved in the organization of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, guiding the Summit's work related to building sustainable and equitable food systems. She is also involved with the Global Action Network in mobilizing activities for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025).

Walter Chin

Walter Chin

Walter Chin was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica to a Chinese family, and grew up there and in Canada. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from Ryerson University in photographic arts, Chin moved to Paris, where as professional fashion photographer, he worked mainly for French Elle, before relocating to New York in 1990.

Chin’s work has been published in many magazines, including Allure, several international Vogues, Glamour, GQ, Interview, and Vanity Fair. He has also photographed advertising campaigns for designers such as Chanel, Valentino, Tommy Hilfigar, Missoni, Gap and Lancome. In addition, Neiman Marcus has selected him for many seasons to photograph their annual Art of Fashion Campaign.

Chin was listed as one of the most important people in current photography by a panel of curators, dealers, editors, and industry insiders for American Photo Magazine. His inclusion on the list cited his modernism, use of color and graphic form, and tight image cropping. The way in which his sitters appear to be constantly in motion, draws parallels with Richard Avedon and Martin Munkacsi. The first collection of his photographic work published is Work in Progress it was noted to be influential. He also published a second book, which was equally noteworthy: After Shoot.

One of Chin’s best known images, of a nude Gisele Bundchen on horseback, was published in Vanity Fair and subsequently featured in an exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery in London.

Camille Wardrop- Alleyne

Camille Wardrop- Alleyne

Camille Wardrop Alleyne (born Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, October 12, 1966) is an American aerospace engineer, space scientist, internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, educational leader, and science ambassador. In the highly technical fields of science and engineering where women are in the minority, she is one of the most-recognized women in aerospace engineering and one of the few women of color to serve in a senior technical management positions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She is the Associate Program Scientist for the international Space Station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Kevin Fenton

Dr. Kevin Fenton

Kevin has worked in a variety of public health roles across government and academia in the UK and internationally.

He became London’s PHE Regional Director of Public Health and NHS in April 2020. He is the statutory public health advisor to the Mayor of London. He provides leadership across London for health, prevention of ill health, health protection and reduction of health inequalities.

In November 2020, Kevin was named by Powerlist as the second most influential black person in Britain for his work leading the fight against coronavirus and his public health leadership on tackling inequalities.

In Spring 2020, he oversaw the national PHE review of disparities in risks and outcomes of COVID-19 which included an epidemiological investigation, rapid review of the published literature, and an extensive stakeholder engagement with BAME communities, professionals, faith and system leaders. The review led to seven key recommendations which have shaped a more equitable COVID-19 pandemic response, nationally and locally.

Prior to starting as London’s Regional Director he held a joint position as Strategic Director of Place and Wellbeing and Director of Public Health at London Borough of Southwark, and Senior Advisor, Public Health England. In this role he led the council’s planning, regeneration, community engagement and public health portfolios driving inclusive regeneration, digital public health, asset-based community development and promoting health in all policies - working in partnership with NHS.

Professor Fenton was previously PHE’s National Director for Health and Wellbeing leading national prevention programmes including screening for cancer, NHS Health Checks, obesity, mental health, e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction, HIV, sexual and reproductive health. He also established and led PHE's Health Equity programme focused on addressing the social determinants of health and promoting place-based approaches to health improvement.

Between 2005-2012, Professor Fenton was the Director of the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He also served as chief of CDC’s National Syphilis Elimination Effort and has worked in research, epidemiology, and the prevention of HIV and other STDs since 1995. Previously he was the director of the HIV and STI Department at the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency.

Mrs. Pamela Coke-Hamilton

Mrs. Pamela Coke-Hamilton

Pamela Coke-Hamilton has served as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre since 1 October 2020. She joined ITC from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she was Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton has a breadth of experience and expertise in trade-related capacity-building and sustainable development. She served with the Jamaican Government, the Caribbean Forum in trade negotiations, and multilateral institutions, including the Organization of American States and InterAmerican Development Bank. She previously served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, strengthening the private sector and micro, small and medium enterprises through investment promotion.

She has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable economies such as the small island developing States and least developed countries. Ms. Coke-Hamilton has worked extensively with the private sector across African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and academia to build trade-related institutional strength within member States. She also established the Women Empowered through Export (WeXport) platform to address the disadvantages that women-owned firms experience in accessing markets.

Ms. Coke-Hamilton holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, DC, and a BSc in International Relations and Economics from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Mrs. Wendy Beckles

Mrs. Wendy Beckles

Wendy attended Queen’s College in Barbados and is a graduate of Harvard University and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She holds the Certified General Accounting designation (CGA), Chartered Professional Accounting designation (CPA) and Certified Healthcare Administrator designation. With a professional career which spans North America, Europe and the Caribbean, Wendy has held executive roles in healthcare, oil and gas, audit, financial services and international business. As President and CEO of Shepherd Village, one of the largest Seniors’ communities in Southern Ontario, Wendy provides innovative executive leadership to her team of 500 as they serve 900 seniors across an integrated healthcare campus. Wendy’s early implementation of COVID-19 pandemic preparedness protocols, successfully positioned Shepherd Village to avoid active outbreaks during wave one. She was recognized in June 2020 by the Scarborough-Agincourt community for her exemplary leadership of frontline workers and the most vulnerable in the community during the pandemic. Wendy was subsequently invited to serve on Ontario’s Provincial Recovery and Planning Table to advise the Ministry of Health on implementation and oversight of COVID protocols throughout the pandemic. In response to increased gun violence in Toronto, Wendy co-founded The Canadian Multicultural LEAD Organization for Mentoring & Training. And in 2011, Wendy was recognized by the Toronto Police Service for her positive contributions to the community and dedication to youth. Wendy was recognized by Planet Africa in 2012 for her contribution to the Crossover Mentorship Program and for impacting the lives of youth and others in leadership. In 2019, Wendy was recognized with the Harry Jerome Award for Leadership by the Black Business & Professional Association. More recently, in March 2020, Wendy was selected as one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women. This award recognizes Wendy’s personal support and involvement in the advancement of black women and girls, in addition to her demonstrated leadership, role modelling and volunteer activities. In December 2020, Wendy was recognized as a WXN Top100 “Canada’s Most Powerful Women” for her excellence in leadership and inspiring the advancement of the next generation of female leaders. Wendy recognizes that authentic leadership is consistently being your best self. That whether you are enjoying success or working through challenges, life is about creating value for others, not just for yourself. Wendy and her husband Mark have three adult children William, Ashley and Warren. Wendy’s family provides her unwavering encouragement to be her best self.

Dr. Gervan Fearon

Dr. Gervan Fearon

Dr. Gervan Fearon is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Brock University. Brock is located in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, and known for its excellence in student experience, experiential and co-operative education, and community engagement, as well as leading Scholars, Researchers and research institutes such as the Cold Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOCI) and the newly established Validation, Prototype and Manufacturing Initiative.
Since Dr. Fearon joined Brock in August 2017, the University has advanced its enrolment and national stature, and established broad partnership arrangements, including Canadian Caribbean Institute with the University of the West Indies.
Previously, he served at Brandon University as President and Vice-Chancellor, and prior as Provost and Vice-President Academic. Dr. Fearon also served as Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University; as Associate Dean at York University; and as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington.
He also served in the Ontario Government as a senior analyst at Treasury Board Division, Ministry of Finance, and as an executive assistant to the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. His community service includes serving as the President of Tropicana Community Services and a member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation Board, Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council and TELUS Community Board. He currently serves on several boards, including chairing the Budget and Audit Committee of the Council of Ontario Universities.
Dr. Fearon received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, and other degrees at the University of Guelph. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) designation and an Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D). He is the recipient of several awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. His academic research has been published in a number of journals, including as a chapter in the 2012 book, Jamaican in the Canadian Experience: A Multiculturalized Presence.
Dr. Fearon was born in Birmingham, UK, with Jamaican parents who emphasized on university education for their four children. This motivated them to come to Canada, which was instrumental in fulfilling the family’s dreams. Dr. Fearon and his life partner, Dr. Kathy Moscou, have a blended family with five children who inspire them every day. Kathy’s leisure is art, and he plays the saxophone. As a cancer survivor, he values every day as an opportunity to contribute to the betterment of others and society.

Shastri Ramnath

Shastri Ramnath

Shastri Ramnath is a Professional Geoscientist with 20 years of global experience within the exploration and mining industry. She started her career at Falconbridge in Winnipeg in 1999 and then moved to Sudbury to join FNX Mining in 2002. She was a key member of the exploration and resource group at FNX and part of the team that discovered the Victoria Deposit.

In 2010, Shastri joined Bridgeport Ventures Inc. as President and CEO where she raised over 17 million in the capital markets before merging the company with Premier Royalty. In 2012, she co-founded and co-owns Orix Geoscience Inc., a consulting firm that partners with exploration and mining companies to provide front end geological support. The success of Orix in its inaugural three years resulted in Shastri being nominated for the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada and was one of three finalists for the Momentum Award.

More recently, Shastri co-founded Exiro Minerals, a junior exploration company focused on project generation that combines technology with traditional exploration methodologies.  Shastri received a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Manitoba, a M.Sc. in Exploration Geology from Rhodes University (South Africa), and an Executive MBA from Athabasca University.

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