Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth in a Post-Pandemic World: The Island Scenario

Chantal Dagnaud is a lawyer in European public law and a consulting engineer in international affairs. She specializes in international project management, public-private co-financing, European grants, and lobbying.

Kaye-Anne Brathwaite holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting, as well as a Master of Science in Business and Financial Economics. An Economist by training, she worked as a Senior Economist in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs until 2007. Desirous of learning all aspects of Business and Finance, she then entered the world of banking and credit.

During her twelve year stint in banking, the former executive banker managed an extensive portfolio, providing financial and investment solutions to players in a wide range of industries.

In September 2019, Kaye assumed the role of CEO of Invest Barbados, the national investment promotion agency.

Kaye has a love for teaching and this aspect of her life began in 1995. She is currently a certified online lecturer/ facilitator with the Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies. She believes that knowledge should be shared and the greatest satisfaction one can have, is knowing that the knowledge imparted has charted the course of success for the recipient.

Alexandra Almeida is a Senior Officer responsible for public sector operations in the Caribbean and Latin America at the European Investment Bank’s headquarters in Luxembourg. The EIB is the bank of the European Union, owned by the 27 EU Member States. As the world's largest multilateral lender, it has become the EU Climate Bank, aligning all of its activities with the objectives outlined in the Paris agreement. Among other things, the EIB has committed to support €1 trillion of investments in climate action and environmental sustainability in the next
decade.

Having previously worked on macroeconomic research in a unit of rating agency Standard & Poor’s in New York City and London and in corporate banking in Portugal, financing EIB projects was a natural progression for Alexandra. Before her present role, Alexandra worked as Senior Officer for operations in Central and South Eastern Europe, Senior Transaction Manager in EIB’s Project Finance/PPPs Department and was the Head of EIB’s Representation in Portugal.

Her proudest achievements include financing initiatives to accelerate the green transition, improve mobility, modernise schools and support access to finance to Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. She also contributes to a pioneering work programme to increase access to finance for women-owned, women-led and women-supporting enterprises.

She graduated in Economics in 1997 from the Faculty of Economics of Porto and holds a Post-Graduation in Finance from the Faculty of Economics of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, which she complemented with executive programs from Harvard and INSEAD. Portuguese is her native language but she speaks fluently English, French and Spanish and has good knowledge of Italian.

Vanessa Toré was born and raised in Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean. She is the Director of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao. She was also the acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Development until May 2014. She has held both positions since respectively July and August of 2011. In June 2015 she assumed a new challenge by becoming a Policy Advisor to the Minister of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning. From November 1994 till June 2011 she worked at the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (17 years). She was the manager of the Investment, Trade Promotion and Business Services department where she designed and implemented various programs and services for entrepreneurs, SME’s, Investors and Exporters. She holds an MBA degree and has followed training in Management, International trade and Investment promotion in Geneva, Netherlands, USA and Canada. She participated in various trade related committees internationally and recently she served a two year term on the board of the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA). She speaks Papiamentu (mother language), Dutch, English and Spanish fluently and communicates at an intermediate level in Brazilian Portuguese. In her spare time she dedicates time voluntarily to Culture where she is active in the Jazz Scene of Curaçao promoting local Jazz musicians internationally.