Leadership Cayman Selects Class of 2020

Preparations for the start of the next Leadership Cayman programme has moved into high gear, as the Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Alumni’s Application Review Panel, has now finalised the list of 25 persons who will make up the 2020 Leadership Cayman cohort.

The information sessions and application process generated a high level of interest among business managers, civil servants and other professionals. Those selected to be part of the 2020 Class have all expressed delight at being accepted into the programme and are waiting with eager expectations for the commencement of their Leadership Cayman journey. Leadership Cayman 2020 will start with an orientation dinner on October 9, followed by the opening retreat, which will be held over two days, on October 18 and 19.

“Leadership Cayman continues to be one of the premier programmes of the Chamber and the top-tier model for leadership development in the Cayman Islands. I want to extend my personal congratulations to the twenty-five candidates who have earned what continues to be an enviable place in this year’s Leadership Cayman class. As usual, I have high expectations for the quality of the information and interaction this year’s programme will generate. I hope all class members will come away from the programme with the same sense of satisfaction my class members and I had when we graduated from the first class, and to which all subsequent cohorts have testified,” says CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Wil Pineau.

Leadership Cayman engages participants in a process that allows then to connect, grow and inspire. The curriculum is designed to immerse the group of leaders into an intensive and interactive course that helps them develop new leadership skills and improve existing ones. It will also help them gain a better understanding of the Cayman Islands community and the ways in which they can contribute to society.

Class members will participate in eleven seminars, which will explore issues that are critical to economic and social advancements in the Cayman Islands, including the quality of life of the people. The seminars will focus on government, education, criminal justice, media, culture and heritage, tourism, immigration and workforce development, human services and health care, infrastructure and the environment, financial services, and the Sister Islands perspective, which will examine the unique ways in which Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are impacted. The seminars will be facilitated by experts in the fields, including government officials and local business leaders who help shape important policy decisions, as well as by international experts.

Through small group interactions dubbed break-out sessions, the class members will get a chance to learn from these experts, ask important questions of them and make suggestions or recommendations for improving policies and procedures. Class members will also be required to give back to the community during the programme year, by working on a project which benefits a local charity.

About Leadership Cayman
Leadership Cayman was launched by the Chamber of Commerce in 2009. The first class graduated in 2010. To date, 240 persons have graduated from the programme. Acceptance into Leadership Cayman is competitive, as there is usually a high level of interest in the programme. At the same time, the programme embraces a model which limits each class size to between 24 and 26 members, to maximise interaction among class members and between class members and seminar facilitators.

To be accepted into the programme, persons must meet the following criteria:
• Be at least 25 years of age by January 1 of the programme year;
• Be in a middle management position or higher at their current place of employment;
• Have lived in the Cayman Islands for a minimum of 12 months.