A “Fireside Chat” between Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke and Dean Emeritus of the Stern School of Business at New York University (NYU), Peter Blair Henry, will form part of the programme for The Destination Experience Visionaries Summit, during the event’s Masters’ of Industry Reception on Friday, April 5, 2019 in Kingston.

With both similarities and contrasts in their career paths it is expected to be a compelling dialogue, a Destination Experience release stated — especially on the heels of the finance minister’s roundly praised budget presentation.

The Masters’ of Industry Reception will this year celebrate the achievements of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s Hall of Fame based on a partnership between the organisations.

According to The Destination Experience Co-Founder and Curator, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton, “This is the second time we are doing this event, following an inaugural staging that featured music industry legend Chris Blackwell and Douglas Orane, former chairman and CEO, Grace Kennedy Group Ltd.”

The Masters’ of Industry Reception will also serve to celebrate the PSOJ Hall of Fame and Douglas Orane and PSOJ President Howard Mitchell will serve as co-chairs for the events.

Clarke and Henry have much in common – beginning with the fact that they are both Jamaicans and Rhodes Scholars, and each are among the youngest people to hold their respective positions; Clarke as finance minister and Henry as dean of the NYU Stern School (he relinquished the post in December 2017, but is still actively involved at NYU).

Both gentlemen are often lauded for their academic achievements and their ascent in the business world. Clarke is the former chief operating officer of the Musson Group and Blair currently sits on the board of two Fortune 500s with CitiGroup and Nike; he also served on the board of General Electric up to 2017.

The discussion, the organisers say, will be driven partly by Henry’s book, Turnaround: Thirdworld Strategies for First World Growth (2013) and his observations of Jamaica’s economic position over the last few decades, including the most recent Government transition and the island’s current place as the economic leader of the region.

In the book, Henry argues that the secret to success for emerging economies (and, by extension, to the developed world) is discipline, specifically a sustained commitment to a pragmatic growth strategy.

The Fireside Chat is expected to examine the pros and cons of authoritarian and liberal Governments vis-a-vis economic growth/development; sustaining economic research in an environment conditioned to focus on policy; the national budget as a tool for stimulating economic activity and other topics.

“As a diaspora member, I’ve been observing Jamaica’s growth and development over the last few years with delight and a keen eye,” Blair Henry said. “I think all Jamaicans should be proud of the work done by successive Governments to ensure increased discipline in fiscal policy and I applaud Minister Clarke’s consistent acknowledgement of this and I’m certain one of the most critical developments that has helped guide this positive direction was the creation of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC).

“I don’t think Jamaica’s growth story is being told often enough at a global scale and am encouraged by the efforts of the Visionaries’ Summit as a valuable contributor to the island’s continued growth.”

The Destination Experience Visionaries Summit is a platform created to offer to decision-makers from around the world an opportunity to connect with their peers in untapped markets in a bid to drive economic transformation and growth in the Caribbean.