The Honorable Minister Mrs. Fayval Williams of Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology

The Jamaica Section of the Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has recently petitioned to IEEE Inc. to form Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group in Jamaica.  Approval was granted on April 16, 2019 for the formation of the Jamaica Section Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group in Jamaica.

On July 03, 2019, the IEEE Women in Engineering Affinity Group plans to host an Official Launch of the newly formed WIE Affinity Group to be held at the University of Technology, Jamaica, Lecture Theatre 50, Shared Facilities Building 6:00 Pm – 8:00 Pm.

SPEAKERS:

The Hon. Minister Mrs. Fayval Williams- Ministry of Science Energy and Technology.

Dr. Grace McLean - Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Education Youth & information

Mrs. Sharon Coburn-Robinson - Director, Bureau of Gender Affairs - Ministry of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sport.

Dr. Denise Chevannes – National Private Sector Specialist - UN Women Caribbean MCO, Jamaica

Biography:

The Honourable Minister Mrs. Fayval Williams assumed the position of Minister of Science, Energy and Technology on February 14^th, 2019.

Minister Williams is passionate about science and technology and the exponential growth and national development that can be achieved when it forms part of the everyday ethos of a people. She is committed to igniting within Jamaicans a spirit of innovation around technology and an excitement for science that becomes a fundamental element of the workforce.

 She was previously the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. She is the first female to be a minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, and also the first female minister of science, energy and technology.

Mrs. Williams is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) by profession. She has an MBA with concentration in Finance from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA (cum laude) in Economics from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mrs. Williams was the former Executive Director of Kingston Properties Limited.

Prior to Kingston Properties, Mrs. Williams served as Chief Investment Officer of JMMB Limited from March, 2005 to September, 2007 with investment responsibilities spanning the trading department, investment research, and pensions. Also, during the period September 2002 to February 2004, Mrs. Williams consulted with JMMB in the areas of market risk management and investment research where she led that company’s efforts to develop investment research capabilities. Mrs. Williams also served as the Head of the Valuation and Pricing team for JMMB’s public offering.

In 2004, Mrs. Williams consulted with the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in the area of Research and Policy. Prior to returning to Jamaica, Mrs. Williams was Senior Vice President at Putnam Investments, in Boston, a top-10-global mutual fund manager. Her investment work spanned a broad cross-section of industries. She also had portfolio management responsibilities for an equity portfolio product and led Putnam’s efforts to incubate a market neutral hedge fund.

Mrs. William’s investment experience also includes approximately five years as Vice President at Wellington Management Company in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus was on fixed income securities investments. Prior to Wellington, she was a Fixed Income Analyst at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and shared portfolio management responsibilities for a US$3 billion portfolio. She was a member of the team that provided macro-economic and market input for both the strategic and tactical portfolio decisions.

Mrs. Williams also gained experience at the Equitable Real Estate Investment Management in Chicago, Illinois. While there, she performed valuation analysis on commercial real estate properties. She also worked as an Information Systems Analyst for Morgan Stanley an American multinational financial services corporation that provides securities products and services to customers, including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals.