Cayman Finance has hired three new employees in recent months, strengthening its capacity to serve members, clients, and the broader Cayman Islands community.
Commenting on the growth, CEO Steve McIntosh said, “The new hires represent an important step towards realising our vision of a financial industry that is thriving and supporting the community to its full potential”.
Noting that the new team members are all Caymanian, he added, “A lot of work has gone into not only choosing the very best local talent available but also ensuring that the Cayman Finance team reflects the community we serve”.
CPA Rayshawn Connor joins as an Associate Director for the Funds & Capital Markets sectors, where he supports strategic initiatives to promote the Cayman Islands. Rayshawn previously served as a Manager in KPMG's audit practice in Cayman.
Attorney Scott Burley joins as an Associate supporting the Insurance, Reinsurance, Trusts, Banking, FinTech, and Virtual Assets sectors, contributing to sector engagement and business development initiatives. He brings a blend of legal and managerial experience across the legal, financial, and hospitality sectors, with previous roles including Appleby, Walkers, Boddens and Cayman Law.
University of Tampa and UCCI graduate Kayshena Powell joins as an Associate for Finance and Operations, supporting the organisation's finance, operations, and HR functions. Originally from Savannah, Kayshena initially joined Cayman Finance as an intern to gain insight into the financial services industry. Following her exceptional performance, she has become the first intern to join the team in a full-time role.
These appointments follow a period of significant growth for Cayman Finance as membership has risen from 46 members in 2015 to 175 today under the leadership of current CEO Steve McIntosh and his predecessor Jude Scott. The new hires take the team to a total of 12, 10 of whom are Caymanian.
The expansion has been made possible by the significant increase in membership as well as increased funding from the Cayman Islands Government to bolster international promotion of the financial services industry and deepen community engagement, particularly through the LEAD and Graduate Training Programmes, which help young Caymanians build careers in the sector.
In addition to the new hires, Caymanian CPAs Danielle Hennings and Samantha Widmer were recently promoted to Director. Congratulating Samantha and Danielle on their promotions, Steve McIntosh, comments: “Samantha and Danielle have distinguished themselves as outstanding professionals committed to the vision of our industry and community thriving together. While Samantha has held hundreds of meetings and events to promote our funds industry in every corner of the world. Danielle has overseen several game-changing new initiatives to enhance the opportunities for our people in the financial industry. The team could not be more proud of them.”
Conor O’Dea, Chairman of Cayman Finance, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Rayshawn, Scott, and Kayshena to our team. Each brings valuable skills and experience that will strengthen the service we provide to our members and the wider community. As our membership has grown, Cayman Finance is increasing its capacity and expertise to promote the jurisdiction effectively. Beyond business development, our focus is on community engagement, from the LEAD and Graduate Training Programmes to our broader outreach. A prosperous financial industry and a thriving community go hand in hand. Strengthening that relationship remains at the heart of everything we do."