A new Commonwealth Family Office Network (CFON) was formally launched today at the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) in Antigua and Barbuda, creating a platform to connect long-term private capital and expertise with investment opportunities across Commonwealth markets.
The initiative was launched by CYNREN and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and the Cayman Islands Government.
Leading the Cayman Islands delegation, the Hon. Johany “Jay” Ebanks, MP, JP, Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure, joined the launch and called for stronger connections between investors, governments and businesses to advance credible projects and support lasting economic development.
The Forum is being held alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, bringing together government leaders, financial institutions and businesses to strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation.
CFON is designed to bring family offices into closer contact with governments, businesses and other investors, opening new avenues for collaboration across the Commonwealth. Beyond their investment capacity, family offices offer specialist knowledge, international relationships and a long-term perspective that can support entrepreneurship, infrastructure, emerging industries and sustainable development.
The initiative builds upon discussions held at Mansion House in London during the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit in April 2026, where participants explored how private capital and expertise could be more effectively connected with economic opportunities across Commonwealth countries and territories.
For Minister Ebanks, the establishment of the Network marks an important milestone, with its longer-term value resting on the strength of the relationships developed and the opportunities advanced.
“Our shared ambition must now be to move beyond dialogue, build trusted partnerships and mobilise investment that delivers lasting benefits for our economies and communities.”
Tony Cowell, Co-CEO and Founding Partner of CYNREN, highlighted CFON's potential to bring greater purpose and coordination to relationships between family offices, governments and enterprises.
“The Commonwealth Family Office Network is designed to make connections between private capital and investment opportunities more purposeful. By bringing family offices, governments and businesses together, we can identify credible opportunities, share expertise and build the trusted relationships needed to move promising projects forward.”
Chris Duggan, Senior Vice President and Head of RBC Caribbean Banking, emphasised that access to capital must be supported by financial expertise, sound governance and commercially viable proposals.
“Connecting investors with opportunities is an important first step. Turning those connections into sustainable investment requires strong partnerships, sound project preparation and the right financial expertise. The Network creates an opportunity to bring these elements together and strengthen engagement between private capital and businesses across the Commonwealth.”
The Network provides a new avenue for developing these relationships, while recognising that individual investment opportunities must still be carefully prepared, assessed and advanced by the parties involved.
In a subsequent Special Intervention entitled “From Commonwealth Partnership to Lasting Prosperity”, Minister Ebanks outlined the practical priorities needed to translate Commonwealth engagement into meaningful economic results, particularly for Caribbean economies.
His address centred on three priorities: preparing credible, investment-ready projects; placing resilience at the centre of development; and strengthening connections between finance and enterprise.
The Minister emphasised that attracting responsible investment begins with sound preparation. Clear proposals, transparent processes, credible partners and realistic assessments of risk are essential to building investor confidence and ensuring that projects serve the public interest.
For Caribbean communities, resilience must be reflected in the infrastructure and essential services that sustain everyday life. Reliable energy, secure housing, stronger food systems, dependable supply chains and roads capable of withstanding severe weather are fundamental to protecting livelihoods, supporting businesses and strengthening economic stability.
Equally important is improving access to appropriate financing, technical expertise and commercial networks. Closer cooperation between financial institutions, private investors and enterprises can help entrepreneurs expand their businesses, reach new markets and create employment.
These priorities, the Minister underscored, must translate into practical benefits for communities rather than remain ambitions expressed at international gatherings.
The Cayman Islands' role as CWEIC's Caribbean Regional Hub provides a means of supporting that work. Through the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure (PLAHI), which leads the Government's CWEIC partnership, the Hub connects Caribbean governments and businesses with Commonwealth institutions, investors and expertise. CFON complements this regional engagement by opening further connections with family offices and long-term private capital.
Looking beyond the Forum, Minister Ebanks encouraged Caribbean governments to bring forward credible development opportunities, invited investors to contribute expertise alongside capital, and urged Commonwealth partners to identify clear next steps and maintain engagement.
The Cayman Islands Government will continue facilitating relevant introductions and targeted follow-up through the Caribbean Hub, working with regional stakeholders and prospective partners to identify opportunities capable of progressing towards viable investments.
For Minister Ebanks, the measure of success will be the businesses that grow, jobs created, infrastructure strengthened and opportunities available to future generations. His concluding message captured the purpose of the Cayman Islands' participation and the responsibility shared by Commonwealth partners:
“Let us leave Antigua and Barbuda with more than promising conversations. Let us leave with partnerships that have a purpose, opportunities that are ready to advance and a determination to deliver results.”