Robert Tatum has been promoted to Director of the Central Procurement Office (CPO), becoming the first Caymanian appointed to lead the Office. He succeeds Taraq Bashir, who is retiring.
Mr. Tatum joined the CPO as Procurement Manager on 6 May 2019 and was promoted to Deputy Director on 22 January 2024. He holds a Master's Degree in Operations and Supply Chain Management from the University of Liverpool, the MCIPS professional designation from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, and an ILM Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management.
He has also recently completed the International Master’s in Public Procurement Management programme at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, graduating at the top of his class. Mr. Tatum was the first Caymanian to undertake the programme and attended with support from a Caribbean Development Bank scholarship. The course covered the full public procurement cycle, including planning, complaints, sustainable procurement and anti-corruption, while exposing participants to procurement systems used around the world.
Reflecting on the programme, Mr. Tatum said, “One of my key takeaways was that no country has a perfect system and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What is right for the Cayman Islands must be considered in our own context. The experience expanded my thinking beyond rule-making as the main way to achieve compliance and positive outcomes. I would like us to build a system where compliance is the minimum standard, with clear incentives and benefits for going above and beyond.”
As Director, Mr. Tatum intends to advance the professionalisation of procurement across the public service, build on the technology already supporting the function, and strengthen the CPO's capacity to assist entities with pre-procurement planning and post-procurement contract management.
Financial Secretary and Ministry of Finance & Economic Development Chief Officer Kenneth Jefferson said, “Robert's promotion is well deserved and reflects his strong performance, commitment to public service and sustained investment in his professional development. His appointment as the first Caymanian Director of the CPO is an important milestone, and I am confident that he will continue strengthening the public procurement function across Government. I also extend my sincere thanks to Taraq for his leadership, his commitment to developing Caymanian talent and his dedicated service as he prepares to retire.”
Outgoing CPO Director Taraq Bashir said, “It has been a pleasure to watch Robert grow and develop since he joined the CPO in 2019. He has consistently invested in his professional development and applied that learning to strengthen our work. Robert has the knowledge, judgement and commitment to lead the Office, and I am delighted to see him take on this role. I retire confident that the CPO and the wider public procurement function will be in very capable hands.”
Mr. Tatum thanked his family, the CPO team, the Caribbean Development Bank, Mr. Bashir and the Ministry for supporting his development. He added, “Without procurement, Government would not be able to deliver many of its services and obligations to the country. Procurement is the machine that turns public dollars into delivery, and my goal is to ensure that machine is as efficient as possible. I am honoured by the confidence placed in me and proud to take public procurement forward as the first Caymanian Director of the CPO.”