Biography of EDB Board
Dr. Thackwray Driver
Dr Driver is currently the CEO of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago. He has held previous appointments at Ministry of Agriculture Land and Marine Resources from 1998-2003 as both the Programme Director and Senior Project Implementation Officer. He has also worked as an Independent consultant from 1996-98 for various international development agencies in the Caribbean, Africa and United Kingdom.
He graduated with a PhD in History after having gained a MA in Area Studies (Africa) from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and a BA (Hons) in Geography with specific reference to Asia and Africa from the School of Oriental and African Studies all from the University of London.
Dr. Patrick Kent Watson
Patrick K Watson holds a Master’s and a Doctoral degree in Mathematical Economics and Econometrics from the Université de Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Accounting as a principal subject from the University of Leeds.
Patrick Watson became Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social & Economic Studies of the University of the West Indies in 2003 where he now serves as University Director and Professor of Applied Economics. He also served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 1995 to 2003.
Professor Watson has published widely in the area of theoretical and applied econometrics, with emphasis on the Caribbean Economy. He currently serves on the Economic Development Board of Trinidad & Tobago and he has also served on various other Public Sector Boards and Committees, including the North-West Regional Health Authority (Chairman), the Regulated Industries Commission of Trinidad & Tobago (Deputy Chairman) and the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago. He also served as a member of the Parliament of Trinidad & Tobago (Senate) from June 2010 to June 2011.
Ian R. De Souza
Mr. De Souza is a Certified Management Accountant with a BSc Degree in Economics, Graduate Diploma in Management and an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School, Advanced Management Program.
He has a banking background that spans over thirty (30) years, including managerial posts at Bank of Montreal, Toronto, Citibank Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank (DR) S.A. He is currently the General Manager, Corporate and Investment Banking at Republic Bank Limited.
Mr. Peter Mitchell
Mr. Peter Mitchell is a Senior Planning Officer in the Ministry of Planning and the Economy and has been in the public Service since August 1993. Mr Mitchell has acted in senior public service positions in various Government Ministries mostly in the area of Policy Planning and General Administration. He possesses a BSc Degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy both from the University of the West Indies.
Currently, Mr. Mitchell is the Ministry Representative on the Economic Development Board and he also sits on a number of Inter-Ministerial Committees and Technical Committees related to economic policy and once served on the Board of Directors of the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPOST). Mr Mitchell has also represented the Government at regional and international conferences, in addition to serving as a Country Liaison Officer at the Fifth Summit of the America’s and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
He is currently a member of the Management Council of the Information and Communication Technology Society of Trinidad and Tobago (2009-2012 term) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Economics Association (2011-2013 term)
Mr. Kazim Boodoo
Kazim Boodoo is an Executive Director of Lifetime Roofing Ltd, with specific responsibility as Manager – Sales and Marketing since 1991 and more recently as General Manager. He also currently holds the portfolio of Operations Manager, Biostratigraphic Associates (Trinidad). He previously worked as Managing Director (1996-1997) of Danosa Metal Roofing in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Appointed as a Board Member in December 2011, he brings to the EDB more than 10 years demonstrated leadership skills and extensive expertise in project management, development of successful business strategies, innovation and integrating new technologies in the strategic plans for emerging and existing organizations in the non-energy sector. His business acumen is complimented with his peoples’ skills, mentoring and coaching abilities honed during his years as a teacher.
Mr. Boodoo graduated from the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1982 with a B.Sc. in Geology and in 1989 completed his Diploma in Education, (Dip. Ed.) from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.
He is a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association and Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association.
Ms. Gail Sooknarine Ragoo, B.Sc. (Biological Sciences), EBMA (UWI)
Ms. Sooknarine Ragoo holds the current position of Operations Manager of VENTURE Credit Union Co-operative Society Limited since June 2004. Ms Ragoo has acted in the position of General Manager of VENTURE Credit Union at various times during her tenure. She possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Cell and Developmental Biology, from The University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA. She also holds an Executive Master’s Degree (Distinction) in Business Management from The University of the West Indies through the Institute of Business (now Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business).
Ms. Sooknarine Ragoo has held various positions in the Harricrete/Cariflex Group of Companies. She was the Marketing Manager at Harricrete. At Cariflex she worked in the area of Quality Assurance and customer service. She was responsible for taking the organization to the point of becoming ISO 9001. Her experience involves overall Operations Management both in the service and manufacturing sector as well as product development, marketing, branding and imaging. She was also involved in biochemical research early in her career.
Other professional development qualifications include Leadership Communication through Rapport Leadership International. Ms. Ragoo is noted for inspired leadership and advisor for the various teams under her management.
Dr Rikhi Permanand
EXPERIENCE
Dr Rikhi Permanand is currently the interim Executive Director of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and has a wide range of international business experiences, ranging from R&D, new Business Development and change management. These were primarily developed during his twenty year career with Unilever Plc. He has lived and worked in the UK, Kenya, Venezuela and China and has travelled the world extensively on various business assignments. He has been back to his native Trinidad and Tobago for the last eight years and has worked primarily with companies seeking to identify new opportunities to develop their businesses for sustainable growth.
EDUCATION
BSc Hons University of Wales Chemistry
PhD University of Wales Physical Chemistry (Microwave Spectroscopic Studies of Molecular Species in the Gas Phase)
HOBBIES
Sports in general but with a particular passion for golf, cricket, rugby and football (English Premier League)
