As 2009 opens, experienced business professionals will meet future business leaders in The Bahamas for four days of dialogue and professional development. From January 4 to 7, the Caribbean Business Clubs of Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania will host the 7th Annual Caribbean MBA Conference in Nassau. The two globally top-listed business schools will join lead sponsor, FirstCaribbean International Bank, in putting on the event—designed to develop students’ awareness of the employment and investment opportunities available in the region. “We are pleased to partner with the Caribbean business community at two of the world’s finest business schools to bring the MBA Conference to our region,” said Henry Reid, Managing Director, Human Resources and Communications. “FirstCaribbean is especially pleased to support this effort for the fourth year in a row—one way in which we demonstrate our commitment to enriching future leaders in the world of business.” The four-day event will feature a roster of distinguished panelists noted for their contribution to regional business and economies. FirstCaribbean’s Michael Mansoor, Executive Chairman and Sharon Brown, Managing Director for the Bank’s Bahamas Operating Company, will join Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Hon. Hubert Ingraham, on the A-list of presenters. Oliver Jordan, Managing Director, Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and Belize, who is also Chairman of Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., will be featured on the conference’s Entrepreneurs in Tourism panel. Together, they and others will examine some of the region’s hot-button topics, including access to capital, new industries, and emerging opportunities in the Caribbean. FirstCaribbean’s Human Resources unit will also feature prominently at the Conference, sharing its Employer-of-Choice philosophy with the future MBA graduates. The Caribbean MBA Conference (www.caribbeanmbaconference.com), now in its seventh year, is open to prospective and current business students, and MBA graduates. About FirstCaribbean International Bank: FirstCaribbean is a major Caribbean bank offering a full range of market-leading financial services in Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Wealth Management, Credit Cards, Treasury and Capital Markets. Formed in 2002, it is a member of the CIBC Group and is the largest, regionally-listed bank in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, with assets of over US$12 billion and market capitalization of US$3 billion. The Bank has over 3,500 staff; over 100 branches, banking centres, and offices in 17 regional markets, and serves 800,000 active accounts. Every year from 2004 to 2007, FirstCaribbean was named “Best Emerging Market Bank” by Global Finance magazine of New York. Since inception, the bank has also received several industry awards for excellence from, Euromoney Magazine, Latin Finance Magazine, and The Banker magazine. Through the FirstCaribbean International Comtrust Foundation, FirstCaribbean dedicates 1% of its annual prior year profits (pre-tax) to Community Partnership in the countries where it operates. INSIDE GRENADA NEWS