IInstitute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean installs new President

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean (ICAC), said it successfully concluded the 42nd Annual Caribbean Conference, at which a new President was installed.

The conference, held at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay from June 17–20, 2025, had as its theme “Business Reimagined… Embracing Transformation”.

The ICAC said in a release that this flagship annual event was held outside the Caribbean for the first time in its history.

Held over four days, the gathering attracted more than 300 delegates from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks & Caicos Islands representing corporate, private, and public entities across various industries and sectors.

Delegates are said to have engaged in a robust agenda, that featured both technical deep-dives and forward-thinking sessions delivered by experts from Canada, the UK, and the USA, under the guidance of conference host and Jamaican media personality Dr Terri-Karelle Johnson.

In a symbolic move marking continuity and renewal at the President’s Gala Dinner on

Thursday, June, 19, 2025, outgoing ICAC President, Andrea St. Rose concluded her 2023-2025 term, and passed the gavel to Sixto Coy, Managing Partner of HLB Mair Russell of Jamaica, who assumes leadership as President for the 2025–2027 term. The new ICAC executive includes: Gowon Bowe – Vice President & Director for the Bahamas; Michael Lutchman – Secretary & Director for Suriname; Harryram Parmesar – Treasurer & Director for Guyana; David Simpson – ICAC CEO; and Andrea St Rose – Immediate Past President/Ex-Officio & Director for the Eastern Caribbean.

The conference programme contained key technical sessions, including:

• IFAC CEO Lee White’s keynote, “The Future of the Accountancy Profession,” outlining global trends and the evolving role of accountants.

• A World Bank-led discussion on “The Role of the Regional Accountancy Profession in

Addressing 21st Century Public Sector Challenges” with Joseph Mubiru Kizito.

• A dynamic panel moderated by Stathis Gould of IFAC on “Navigating the Energy Transition and Climate Resilience in the Caribbean,” featuring Ruth Forbes and Roger

Blackman.

•Breakout streams facilitated by senior accounting and finance professionals covering

IFRS updates, IPSAS and LCE audit standards, technology adoption, risk and compliance frameworks, and regional anti-money laundering trends.

During the conference, in partnership with IFAC, ICAC launched a major new report, ‘Navigating the Energy Transition in the Caribbean: The Accountancy Profession Enabling

Climate Resilience, emphasizing accountants’ roles in climate finance, decarbonization, and resilient economic governance’.

Guyana will host the 43rd Annual Caribbean Conference of Accountants in 2026.