What are your earliest memories of Kingston?

That would be inside the halls of Spanish Court Hotel with six to eight Novus Tech client meetings per day. I’m humbled by the resilience and business savvy of the entrepreneurs and corporate executives; and was very fortunate and blessed to be greeted warmly by the city’s business community in those inaugural days.

What’s the most memorable dining experience that you have had in Kingston?

This is a difficult one as there are too many to narrow down. There are your everyday staple meals at Scotchie’s, healthy choices at Earl’s, evening jaunts to the classy Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel; date nights at 689 by Brian Lumley or weekend fish tuck-ins at the Cove. And, lest I forget, the world-famous street food — pan chicken hits the spot every time.

What would you do if you were mayor of Kingston for a day?

I would influence and accelerate efforts in the transportation sector, which would see the implementation of a cable car network. Kingston is a beautiful city — let’s make transportation not only efficient but scenic. There is also a need for further development, specifically the continued regeneration of downtown. Historical Kingston is a gem. I envision large-scale international real estate funding for the area.

What would be your recommendations to a first-time visitor to Kingston?

Spend time to see the entirety of Kingston — from downtown to uptown. Head out of town to the country on weekends, which is the standard routine of the Kingstonians.

What’s your beverage of choice?

The Caribbean has great beverages. Fruta and Busta are close to my heart as Trinidad childhood brands.

Share the title of the last book you read.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

What was the last bit of music you listened to that you enjoyed?

Apart from my European influence of EDM, dancehall and soca are in my blood; can’t go a day without them.

What cologne are you spritzing?

1 Million by Paco Rabanne.

The region is renowned for its unshakeable entrepreneurial spirit, but can too many businessmen spoil the proverbial broth?

My take on this is quite the opposite. There is never a limit to the number of opportunities you can pursue or problems to solve. As the world evolves, new needs are created every day, all needs are competed for and the ecosystem balances itself off. Competition helps businessmen to be more honest. This only leads to greater value for customers.

In what ways can the region better utilise the advantages of renewable energy?

Renewable energy demand is definitely on the rise in the Caribbean — especially solar. It’s currently the vogue subject. I think the Government through tax incentives and financiers through structured capital deals are critical to tapping the huge potential of solar and its applicability to the domestic market. We should also promote a reuse policy that will allow us to recycle and recover waste energy.

As many utility companies come out of the shadows of state management and ownership, how will they have to shape-shift to meet the needs of the 21st century Caribbean?

There is the generalisation that all state companies move slow. To shape-shift to support the 21st century Caribbean means speedy decisions based on real-time insights. I think it simply boils down to getting the right leadership in place. Even the ruling Jamaican government has shown the value of private sector leadership within the state.

How will the Caribbean have to evolve in order to attract more international business and investment?

Three of the biggest factors for international investors are efficiency of business administrative systems, ranging from registering of business to clearing on port; political stability, they want to know the ruling government will apply rational judgement; and, of course, crime is a big indicator as this may threaten all business assets — from people to property.

Is the perennial ‘oil and gas’ refrain really the answer to the region’s economic woes?

Net importers of oil and gas should definitely structure their economy to refrain from use of oil and gas for direct use as the margin on the end product called electricity has an average to poor return. Whether you are a net importer or net exporter like the Caribbean anomalies Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, you should be using oil and gas for processing products with high financial return aka downstream industries.

What are your thoughts on social media being the next frontier of customer service?

Social media must be viewed as an enabler to good customer services; the feedback loop is simply more efficient. Being a strong advocate and investor in social media technology I will tell you that great customer service will always depend on a human element. In my mind great people could never be removed from a business that aims to deliver exceptional customer service value.

Share some places in your travel black book.

Florence, Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, London, New York City, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

What do you consider your best and worst traits?

My best traits are that I’m calm and composed but they can also be my worst. When I should be ecstatic and thrilled, I’m still calm and composed.

What was your last major splurge?

I do not splurge.

What is your philosophy?

I have a few that I live by: ‘Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard’, ‘Think big or do not think at all’ and ‘Giving back is the only way to progress’.