The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona Campus is pleased to announce the appointment of the new members of the Campus Council, effective August 1, 2024.
The new appointees are:
- Mr. Dennis Cohen - Chairman (New Appointment)
- Mr. Parris Lyew-Ayee – Member (Re-appointment)
- Mr. Dennis Chung - Member (Re-appointment)
- Mrs. Gabrielle Banbury-Kelly – Member (New Appointment)
- Dr. Claudette White - Member (New Appointment)
These appointments reflect The UWI Mona’s ongoing commitment to excellence in leadership and governance, ensuring the continued success of the institution.
UWI’s commitment to academic excellence
The Campus Council is the highest governing body of the Campus with power to manage all matters not provided otherwise by the University’s Charter of Statutes. The Terms of Reference, membership and Responsibilities of Campus Council are outlined in Statutes 19, 21 and 23.
These appointments underscore the University’s dedication to fostering leadership that aligns with its strategic goals and mission. Together, these members of the Campus Council will continue to uphold the university’s commitment to academic excellence, research innovation, and community engagement with a view to advancing The UWI Mona mission to be an excellent university rooted in the Caribbean.
Mr. Dennis Cohen Appointed Chairman of the Campus Council
As the new Chairman of the Campus Council, Mr. Cohen, succeeds Dr. Earl Jarrett, whose tenure as Chairman was marked by significant contributions to the advancement of the Mona Campus.
Mr. Cohen’s extensive background in finance and corporate governance will be instrumental in guiding the council through its next phase of development. He is a chartered accountant and distinguished business executive with over three decades of experience in the financial sector including roles as Group Chief Financial Officer & Deputy CEO of NCB Financial Group Limited, CEO of NCB Capital Markets, and Vice President of Citibank N.A. Jamaica. He was appointed Chairman of the Operation Restructuring Transformation and Growth (RTG) for UWI Mona Campus, a key initiative geared towards reforming the administrative processes on the campus.
His most recent role in the financial sector was as at NCB Financial Group where he provided leadership and oversight over the Group’s financial planning & reporting, investor relations, and several key business segments. He joined National Commercial Bank in 2004 and served in several other key roles and also chaired the board of directors of Advantage General Insurance Limited, NCB Insurance Agency and Fund Managers Ltd, NCB (Cayman) Limited, NCB Capital Markets (Cayman) Limited and NCB Trust Company (Cayman).
He also served as Director of NCB Financial Group, National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, NCB Capital Markets Limited, Guardian Holdings Limited, Guardian Life of the Caribbean, Guardian Life (Jamaica) Limited, Guardian Asset Management & Investment Services Limited, Guardian General Insurance Limited (Trinidad), Clarien Bank Limited (Bermuda), Stratus Alternative Funds SCC (2021) and TFOB (2021) Ltd.
He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining Citibank, where he served in several roles including Country Treasurer.
Mr. Cohen brings with him a wealth of experience in financial management and strategic leadership.
NEW AND RETURNING COUNCIL MEMBERS
In addition to Mr. Cohen’s appointment, the Campus Council is proud to welcome the following new and returning members, each of whom brings valuable expertise to their respective fields:
Mr. Parris Lyew-Ayee (Engineering) – Re-appointment
Mr. Lyew-Ayee, a respected figure in the engineering community, has been re-appointed to the Campus Council. He holds a BSc (Special) Honours degree in Geology from The University of the West Indies, and a Master of Engineering degree in Mineral Engineering Management from The Pennsylvania State University.
He is the former Executive Director of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, where he worked as a senior manager since its inception in 1976 and was the CEO from 1993 until his retirement in 2018. He has published many articles locally and internationally on a wide range of topics related to the bauxite and alumina industry and been engaged as a consultant by various countries.
A member of the Board of Directors of Caribbean Cement Company from 1991, Mr. Lyew-Ayee has been the Board Chairman since 2007. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Jamaica National Group of Companies since 2003 (including its subsidiary organizations Jamaica National Foundation and Jamaica National Small Business Loans Ltd., at both of which he serves as the Chairman). Since 2003, at the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies, he has served on the Mona Campus Council, the Strategy and Policy Committee, the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Finance Sub-committee of the F&GPC, the Audit Committee, the Grounds and Buildings Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute.
Mr. Dennis Chung (Accounting) – Re-appointment
Dennis Chung, a seasoned accountant, and financial strategist, has been re-appointed to the Council.
Mr. Chung is an accomplished finance and management professional with over three decades of experience in both the private and public sectors. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from The University of the West Indies. Mr. Chung is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California, USA.
Mr. Chung currently serves as the General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), a role he has held since November 2022. Before this appointment at the JFF, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Ventures Services Limited (November 2019 - October 2022). He also held the role of Chief Financial Officer at Supreme Ventures Limited (February 2018 - November 2019).
Mr. Chung was the Chief Executive Officer of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), (April 2013 - January 2018) where he played a critical role in advocating for private sector interests and contributing to national economic policies. His public sector experience includes his tenure at Air Jamaica Limited, where he was Head of Legacy Operations and a key member of the Divestment Team (2007 to 2018).
Throughout his career, Mr. Chung has also held significant roles in various financial institutions, including Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited, Restaurants of Jamaica, and National Meats & Food Distributors. He also ran his own consultancy, D C Consulting Limited, between 1995 and 2000, where he provided financial and strategic advice to a range of clients.
His financial acumen and experience will continue to benefit the university’s fiscal management and planning.
Mrs. Gabrielle Banbury-Kelly (New - Marketing, Communications, and Strategic Management)
Gabrielle M. Banbury-Kelly is an accomplished marketing and communications professional who brings her strategic insight to the Council.
Mrs. Banbury-Kelly is a seasoned strategy and transformation expert with a distinguished career that spans over two decades. Currently an Independent Consultant, Gabrielle leverages her extensive experience in driving strategic initiatives, business transformation, and digital innovation across various industries. Her consultancy work is focused on providing thought leadership, strategic planning, and execution support to organizations, enabling them to achieve their objectives through stakeholder collaboration and advanced analytics.
From 2016 to 2023, Mrs. Banbury-Kelly served as the General Manager of Strategy and Transformation at National Commercial Bank Jamaica Ltd (NCB). In this executive leadership role, she was instrumental in driving structural transformation across the bank, fostering improved collaboration, and leading the development of enterprise-wide strategies. Gabrielle's leadership in establishing the Group Transformation Office was pivotal in building the architecture that drives visibility, transparency, and accountability in executing the bank’s strategic priorities.
Mrs. Banbury-Kelly’s role will be pivotal in enhancing the university’s brand and outreach efforts.
Dr. Claudette White (New - Human Resources)
Claudette White, a veteran in human resources management, will provide valuable guidance on HR policies and practices, ensuring that the university continues to attract and retain top talent.
Dr. White is a retired human resource executive with experience in a broad spectrum of creative, hands-on and results-oriented HR strategies and programmes to create people and performance focused organizations. She has a proven track record in working cross-culturally and across industries. She has done extensive tertiary and executive development training in human resource development in Jamaica, United States and India.
Academically, she has combined this experience with current scholarship in the field of Organizational Behaviour. Her academic interests are transformational leadership, leadership coaching for high performance, strategic human resource management, and career development. Post retirement, Claudette White consults on HR projects, as requested.