Grenadian appointed Eastern Caribbean Bank governor

A Grenadian civil servant has been appointed as governor of the Eastern Caribbean Bank (ECCB).

Timothy Antoine, a national of Grenada, succeeds Sir Dwight Venner, who retired on Nov. 30, 2015.

Antoine, who was a permanent secretary in Grenada’s Ministry of Finance, was appointed to the post by the Eastern Caribbean Monetary Council.

He is the holder of a BSC degree in Economics with Management from the University of the West Indies and an MSC in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.

Antoine was one of two candidates shortlisted for the position in December 2015. The other candidate was Dr Hyginus Leon of St Lucia, a senior official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Monetary Council, the highest ranking decision making body of the ECCB, interviewed the two top ranked candidates before making its decision.

In welcoming Antoine, Victor Banks, chief minister of Anguilla and chairman of the Monetary Council, noted that “Mr. Antoine is an outstanding Caribbean professional with a clear vision for the ECCB and demonstrated commitment to the development of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU).”

Antoine also has significant regulatory experience as a member of the ECCB for 12 years and as chairman of the Grenada Authority for the Regulation of Financial Institutions for the past seven years. He is also the chairman of the Technical Core Committee on Insurance for the ECCU.

He will assume office on Feb. 1, 2016.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell extended his congratulations to Antoine on his appointment.