Who should be in the hall of fame?

Every year, the TT Chamber inducts two corporate leaders into its Business Hall of Fame. The new inductees join the ranks of a rare and select grouping of individuals who have had the honour to be identified as deserving of recipients of this conferment for a lifetime of achievement in the sphere of business in TT.

How are these individuals selected? The chamber each year invites the public process to nominate trailblazing business men and women (living or posthumous) who may join the ranks of the 36 other inductees. We have once again opened our period of nomination and invite all members of the public, corporate entities and non-governmental organisations to be a part of this process.

The chamber introduced the Business Hall of Fame in 2005, with its first inductee being chamber founder Joseph Leon Agostini in a private ceremony at our headquarters. The ceremony soon outgrew its modest beginnings and evolved into an official award programme.

As the event grew in prestige, a decision was taken to introduce new categories and rebrand the event in its tenth year to be called the Champions of Business Awards. Today, with categories of entrepreneurship, business technology, Internationally Known...T&T Owned Company of Year and the Business Hall of Fame, “the Hall” retains pride of place as the prestigious finale of the programme. Since 2019, the chamber has been pleased to partner with Guardian Life of the Caribbean as the category sponsor of the hall of fame.

The Business Hall of Fame now inducts two business leaders at its annual awards event, one of whom may be posthumous. To qualify for nomination, the individual must be a TT citizen and have made a significant impact as a business leader over the duration and span of their career and be recognised as an exemplary role model for future and emerging business leaders. Consideration is given to such accomplishments as starting and building a business or leading an established business to significantly greater achievements. He/she must also have worked to improve the community, environment or engaged in other corporate social responsibility initiatives, demonstrated commitment to building and improving the national landscape and have gained industry recognition for achievements as an industry pioneer and/or leader.

Nominations are reviewed by an internal management team to ensure that they are properly completed and then forwarded to the selection committee to review and prepare a shortlist before making their two selections. This year, the inductees will be revealed on the night of the awards programme.

The theme, Redesign & Reimagine, has been selected for this year's Champions of Business Awards to be held on November 20. The theme is an acknowledgement of the impact of the covid19 pandemic which is forcing companies to re-strategise for survival. The awards too, has taken its own pivot as it will, for the first time, be broadcast live via television and also livestreamed. We are confident that this medium will be able to reach a new, expanded audience and provide added exposure to our nominees, award recipients and corporate partners.

The chamber is once again asking the public to nominate businesses/businesspeople who have undertaken the journey and are deserving of being named a champion of business in any of our four categories. Neither nominees nor the persons nominating them need to be members of the chamber. To see all award categories and criteria, follow these easy steps:

Go to www.chamber.org.tt

Click on Champions of Business

Select the relevant category

Read the criteria and complete the requisite fields

Submit!

Nominations close at midnight, September 14, 2020.

(Content courtesy the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce)