CDB to Host Disscusion on Global Competitiveness for Firms From Small Developing CountriesThe Caribbean Development Bank will host the Eleventh in its series of "A Special CDB Discussion Forum" on the topic "How Firms from Small Developing Countries Become Globally Competitive". The Discussion Forum will be held at the CDB Conference Centre, Wildey, St. Michael on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 beginning at 10:00 a.m. The panellists will be Mr. Gregory Solomon of Grace Kennedy and Company Ltd. of Jamaica, Mr. Satyakama Maharaj of Sacha Cosmetics, Trinidad, and Mr. C. Richard Cozier of Banks Holdings Ltd, Barbados. Mr. Gregory Solomon is the Senior General Manager in charge of Food Trade (International) for the Jamaican firm, Grace, Kennedy & Company Ltd. He has worked with Grace, Kennedy for the past fifteen years in positions varying from Corporate Planning Analyst to International Business Development Manager - Food Trade. He is currently based in the Florida offices of Grace, Kennedy.Mr. Solomon's responsibilities as Senior General Manager include the supervision of Grace Kennedy's International Food Business in 36 countries, through four wholly-owned subsidiaries and 65 third-party distributors. He is also responsible for mergers and acquisitions within the Food Trade Division. Mr. Solomon is also actively involved in civic organisations in Jamaica and Florida.Mr. Satyakama ‘Kama' Maharaj is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sacha Cosmetics in Trinidad and Tobago. Sacha Cosmetics is the manufacturer of the leading brand of cosmetics in the region and was the official cosmetics brand of the 1999 Miss Universe Pageant, the 2000? Miss USA Pageant and the 2001 Miss USA Pageant. Mr. C. Richard Cozier is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banks Holdings Limited (BHL), one of Barbados' largest manufacturing firms. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados and has worked in several key managerial positions within the BHL group of companies, attaining the position of Managing Director and CEO in 1999. A keen advocate of strategic expansion, Mr. Cozier has helped to establish many joint ventures. In early 2005 he successfully negotiated the terms of a strategic alliance between BHL and Banks DIH of Guyana, which resulted in the expansion of the markets available to Barbados' Banks Beer.In addition to his functions as BHL CEO, Mr. Cozier is also past president of the Caribbean Breweries Association, which represents the interests of all regional breweries. He served for two terms as president of the Barbados Manufacturers Association and presided over the expansion of the Association's highly successful "100% Bajan" campaign. He is a current member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas and the International Society of Beverage Technologists.