Downie appointed Bankers Association president

RBC managing director Richard Downie is the new president of the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT).

Downie was formally installed as president during a handover ceremony at the First Citizens Corporate Centre, Port of Spain on Tuesday.

He succeeds First Citizens Group CEO Karen Darbasie and will serve as BATT president for the next two years. Darbasie was appointed on August 15, 2019.

A statement from BATT on Thursday said Downie brings more than 25 years of banking expertise to his new position.

In his inaugural speech on Tuesday, he said the priority areas that BATT will focus on during his tenure include modernising the payment system, easing the ability to do business through a legislative agenda and stakeholder framework, digital transformation and customer education

While these areas are not new, Downie promised to continue building on work which BATT had started in these areas.

Addressing the association’s members and committee chairs virtually on Tuesday, Downie said through collective collaboration and co-operation, the banks were able to remain resilient during this very challenging time posed by the covid19 pandemic. He said banks were able to re-engineer their services, help their customers, support their staff and improve delivery channels using new and improved digital technology.

BATT executive director Kelly Bute-Seaton expressed confidence that the association will remain attuned to the current environment, which calls for sensitive and sensible responses. She said BATT’s members will continue to seek new ways to deliver on customer and stakeholder expectations and will continue to serve in solidarity, collaboration, agility and with care.

BATT, was formed in 1997. The eight member banks are Citibank (TT) Ltd, First Caribbean International Bank (TT) Ltd, First Citizens Bank Ltd, JMMB Bank (TT) Ltd, Republic Bank Ltd, Scotiabank TT Ltd, RBC Royal Bank (TT) Ltd and ANSA Bank.