Our History

A Proud Yet Humbling Journey

Founded in 2003 as Centre for Corporate Governance and Competitive Strategy by Vindel Kerr during his return to Jamaica from the University of Manchester, Manchester Business School, England, where he had only recently successfully completed the taught components of a Doctorate in Business Administration. He would then proceed to conducting research and completed dissertation. Dr. Kerr has since earned his doctorate and not a global consultant, advisor and keynote speaker on corporate governance.

Inaugural Vision Statement:

“To be respected and recognized as the Caribbean’s premier provider of corporate learning and management consulting services by 2015”.

We are proud to report that this was achieved with six years of our establishment.

Key Milestones:

  • Trained its first Board of Directors (Bureau of Standards, Jamaica) on March 29, 2003, Knutsford Court Hotel Kingston
  • 2003, Trained its first cohort of Strategic Planning Learners on October 29, Medallion Hall Hotel (27 Participants of which 22 were heads of companies)
  • 2004, Incorporated as GovStrat Limited
  • 2004, Inaugural International Consulting Assignment – Strategic Planning at National Insurance Board, The Turks and Caicos Islands
  • 2004, London, presented paper at the 5th International Conference and Corporate Governance, hosted by the World Council for Corporate Governance.
  • 2004, Hosted Conference jointly with Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) in hosting Dr. Medha Mehra as Keynote Speaker to Jamaica.
  • 2005, Co-hosted, Co-chaired and Conceptulised. Conference Theme: Taking Corporate Governance Beyond the Boardroom, GovStrat Limited in Association with Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF), Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica, October 25 http://newspaperarchive.com/jm/kingston/kingston/kingston-gleaner/2005/10-02/page-31
  • 2005, Chaired and Hosted. Launch of Jamaica Chapter of the World Council for Corporate Governance, Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica, October 24, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20051028/social/social5.html
  • Hosted Conference & Book Launch: Examining the Qualities of the Next Prime Minister: Improving Corporate and Political Governance in Jamaica., Knutsford Court Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica, April 4, 2005. Book: Effective Corporate Governance: An Emerging Market (Caribbean) Perspective of Governing Corporations in a Disparate World. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20051028/social/social5.html
  • Within six months of it’s launched, in Kingston Jamaica, to an audience of 400 persons and another one million listeners on live radio, over 2000 copies were sold and many procured by leading world Universities for their rare books’ collection.
  • 2006, First international training assignment. Institute of Social Security (15 Government Ministers, Directors and CEOs of 15 Social Security Boards from across the Caribbean), Republic of Dominica.
  • 2006, Inaugural Managing Corporate Reputation, Image and Identity Workshops – house capacity in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and repeated in 2008 to similar support
  • 2006, introduced Enterprise Risk Management Training to the Caribbean
  • 2006, Inaugural South American Assignment – Suriname
  • 2006-2016: Pioneered the introduction of the following course/services in the Caribbean:
    • Corporate Reputation Management, 2006
    • Enterprise Risk Management, 2006
    • Strategic and Crisis Communication Management
    • Strategic Performance Management, 2008
    • Management Development for Middle Managers, Supervisors and Rising Stars, 2008
    • Executive Leadership Development, 2008
    • International Agri-business Consulting, 2010
    • Taking and Writing Effective Minutes and Reports, 2012
    • Learning and Development for Corporate Secretaries and Their Teams, 2012
    • Chairmen Exclusive: Governance for the Governance, 2011
    • Credit Administration, Analysis and Implementation, 2013
    • Writing Winning Business Plans and Consulting Proposals, 2014
    • Masterclass in Corporate Governance Excellence, 2014
    • Corporate Governance for Management Officers, 2014
    • Accredited Minute Taking Professional (AMTP) Designation, 2014
    • Professionally Accredited Corporate Secretary Designation, 2014
    • Professionally Accredited Director Designation, 2016
    • Public Policy Development and Implementation, 20162006-2009, Caribbean-wide and African missions
  • 2012, launched our Courses for Corporate Secretaries and Their Teams
  • 2014, launched our Professionally Accredited Courses for Governance Professionals
  • 2016, launched our Recruitment Services for Governance

GovStrat Inaugural Board Training Session, Bureau of Standard Jamaica, March 29, 2013.

To-date, GovStrat has served over 750 clients in learning and development, consulting, advisory, recruitment and speaking engagements. In training, we have provided learning and development interventions for more than 8,000 members of Boards of Directors, C-Suite Executives (CEOs, CFOs, Chief Risk Officers, Chief Internal Officers, COO, inter alia) Senior Civil Servants and Government Ministers in 24 Countries spanning the Caribbean, South America and Southern Africa. GovSttrat is poised to unveil at least two other firsts, that will once again, address critical practice gaps in corporate governance and to the benefit of both the private and public sectors.

GOING GLOBAL

Vision 2025

By 2025, GovStrat Limited® will have achieved continental presence in Africa and Asia, serving Governments, listed Companies, privately-held firms and Non-Profit Organizations.

Learn more about our satisfied clients here