Marie McKenzie has now taken on the new role of vice-president of global destinations services and sourcing for global cruise shipping line Carnival Corporation.

McKenzie has worked for Carnival for some 19 years, most recently in the role of vice-president of global financial planning and analysis. She started her career with Carnival Corporation in 1996, and has held a number of roles of increasing responsibility.

Her new role will include leading a team of brand experts to manage processes and relationships with tour operators and port services officials around the globe, according to a press release from the cruise shipping company.

She will also work on delivering the best possible tour excursion and port experiences for the nearly 11 million customers who sail every year on the company’s 100 ships visiting hundreds of ports across the globe, the release said.

“We are excited to have Marie take on this new role, and with her proven track record in her past 19 years at Carnival, we know she will lead this team to great success,” said Alan Buckelew, chief operations officer for Carnival Corporation.

McKenzie will report to Josh Leibowitz, chief strategy officer for Carnival Corporation.

Prior to Carnival, McKenzie started her career with Arthur Andersen LLP in Washington, DC, in 1992.

Originally from Jamaica, McKenzie is a graduate of Howard University in the USA where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in accounting. She also attended Florida International University where she earned a Master’s degree in international business.

McKenzie also serves on the board of directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida and Honey Shine Inc.

McKay heads AMCHAM

Ron McKay, chief executive officer of America Direct Services (ADS) Global, is the new president of the American Chamber of Commerce, having been inaugurated earlier this month. He takes over from former president, Jamaica Flour Mills’ CEO Derrick Nembhard

The American Chambers of Commerce (AMCHAMs) outside of the US are non-profit, independent associations formed by US business people and nationals who do business with the US.

Former AMCHAM presidents in recent years include Stewart Motors’ Diana Stewart, former Jamaican Ambassador to the United States, Paymaster’s Audrey Marks, CitiBank’s Peter Moses and Jamaica Broilers’ Robert Levy.

Prior to taking on the AMCHAMJamaica leadership McKay was a member of the board of directors, and chairman of AMCHAM’s trade and investment committee. In 2012 he represented AMCHAM at the annual conference of the US Chamber of Commerce held in Washington DC.

With decades of sales and marketing experience, McKay heads ADS Global, a B2B teleservices company with a contact centre based in Montego Bay. The company is connected to the Nova Group, a telecom provider which McKay started in 1997. Prior to that McKay worked for the World Telecom Group, starting there in 1992 and rising to the level of divisional vice-president. Prior to entering telecommunications, McKay started his career in the real estate industry.

McKay received his Bachelor of Science in marketing and business administration from the College of Commerce and Finance at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA.

McDonnough gets set to leave the CDF

Lorne McDonnough, chief executive officer of the Caricom Development Fund (CDF), has indicated that he will be moving on when his contract ends later this year, according to a CDF news release.

Jamaican-born McDonnough has headed the Barbados-based CDF since November 2008 and referred to his tenure as a distinct “honour and privilege,” the release said.

“As the CDF comes to the end of the first funding cycle, there is an emerging consensus that the institution has played an important role and must be sustained. Today, the CDF has Country Assistance Programmes (CAPs) in eight beneficiary member states with total development assistance commitments of EC$126.9 million or US$47.0 million,” he said.

“These continue to be difficult times for the region but the work must continue and goals set must be achieved,” he said.

Prior to his CDF appointment he served as undersecretary for trade in Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and as Jamaica’s chief trade negotiator at the official level from 2005 to 2008. From 1999 to 2005 he served as Jamaica’s high commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, as non-resident ambassador to Suriname and as permanent representative to the Association of Caribbean States.

Before that, McDonnough was appointed by President Gaviria, the then Secretary General of the Organisation of American States, as executive secretary of the Inter-American Council for Economic and Social Affairs. In 2011 the Government of Jamaica awarded him the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in recognition of his distinguished contribution to regional and hemispheric affairs.

McDonnough has an extensive education from US universities, including an MA from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston, USA, a Postgraduate Diploma in executive management from Georgetown University in Washington DC, a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University in New York and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pace University, also in New York. He has also completed graduate courses from George Washington University in Washington DC and the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.