NASSAU, Bahamas – The Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) celebrated the 11th anniversary of its Industry Excellence Awards programme on November 11, at a gala dinner held at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort.

During the event, the recipients for the 2011 Mentor of the Year, Professional of the Year, Achiever of the Year, and Student of the Year were announced.

Also recognized at the awards ceremony were the recipients of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Executive of the Year Award, and the Development and Promotion Award.

The 2011 award recipients are:

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Hugh G Sands, CMG
• Executive of the Year: Reece D Chipman, Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants
• Development & Promotion Award: Higgs & Johnson Law Firm
• Mentor of the Year: Dorothy Hilton, SG Hambros Bank & Trust
• Professional of the Year: Kenrick L Brathwaite, Commonwealth Bank Ltd
• Achiever of the Year: Alec F Rolle, BSI Overseas (Bahamas) Ltd
• Student of the Year: Mandelia K Morris, College of The Bahamas Graduate

BFSB introduced its Industry Excellence Awards Programme in 2001, in collaboration with the FSI Professional Industry Associations to recognize excellence in performance amongst industry practitioners.

This year, the Association of International Banks & Trust Companies in The Bahamas (AIBT) again joined forces with BFSB to enhance the profile of the annual Financial Services Industry Excellence Award for the Achiever of the Year. In addition to the recognition and awards presented in this category by BFSB, Achiever of the Year Alec Rolle received the AIBT Professional Education Prize.

The prize for the Student of the Year award was a $5,000 investment account and again was co-sponsored by Societe Generale Private Banking, CFAL, and Colina. The programme itself is an initiative introduced by BFSB in 2002 in collaboration with The College of The Bahamas.

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: Attorney General John Delaney presents the Executive of the Year award to Reece D Chipman. Also pictured is Wendy Warren, BFSB’s CEO & Executive Director.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Attorney General John Delaney presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to Hugh G Sands. Also pictured is Wendy Warren, BFSB’s CEO & Executive Director.

DEVELOPMENT & PROMOTION AWARD: Attorney General John Delaney presents the Development & Promotion Award to Heather Thompson, Partner of Higgs & Johnson. Pictured left to right are Oscar N Johnson Jr, Higgs & Johnson Partner; Heather Thompson; John Delaney; Wendy Warren, CEO & Executive Director; and Earl Cash, Partner, Higgs & Johnson.