BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The former group president and chief executive officer of the Sagicor Financial Company, Dr Dodridge Miller, will be installed as the seventh chancellor of the University of the West Indies (The UWI) on Saturday.

“This significant event marks an important transition in the leadership of The UWI and will bring together approximately 300 distinguished guests, including regional prime ministers, governors-general, government representatives, university leaders, business executives, and members of civil society,” the university said in a statement.

It said that this year’s ceremony is themed around cricket, reflecting the incoming chancellor’s passion for the sport and the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean.

Miller is expected to serve a seven-year term, succeeding Robert Bermudez who has served as chancellor since 2017.

The installation ceremony, which takes place at the UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, will include the traditional academic and chancellor processions as well as the official declaration by Miller articulating his commitment to the university’s advancement.

Miller, a distinguished graduate of The UWI, has over 30 years of leadership experience in the banking, insurance and financial services sectors, most recently serving as the group president and chief executive officer of Sagicor Financial Company until March 2023.

The UWI said that his commitment to the Caribbean’s progress and education is widely recognised.

Last April, members of the university council accepted the recommendation of the Chancellor’s Search Committee to appoint Dr Miller. As the sole authority that has the power to make decisions related to the leadership of the regional institution, the university council is responsible for appointing the new chancellor.

He holds an MBA from the University of Wales and the Manchester Business School, and an LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law from The UWI, where he also served as a member of the Cave Hill Campus Council.

He has received several prestigious honours in his distinguished career, including the Order of Freedom of Barbados (FB), and from The UWI, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2008 and the award of the title, Professor of Practice in 2019.