Senator the Honorable Michael Halkitis currently serves as Minister of Economic Affairs for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Leader of Government Business in the Senate. In this role, he is responsible for key areas including the promotion of financial services, international trade, small business development, consumer protection, and initiatives to improve the ease of doing business in The Bahamas.

Minister Halkitis also serves in a ministerial role within the Ministry of Finance, where he provides strategic guidance and oversight of the Government’s macroeconomic and fiscal framework, including the preparation and management of the Annual Budget, revenue and tax policy initiatives, and broader economic policy development.

Born in Nassau, The Bahamas, Minister Halkitis attended St. Augustine’s College and began his tertiary education at the College of The Bahamas, now the University of The Bahamas. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in 1995.

He was first elected to the Parliament of The Bahamas in 2002 and has since played a key role in advancing national economic policy and strengthening the country’s financial services sector.

Minister Halkitis also serves as Chairman of both the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Inter-American Committee for Sustainable Development (CIDS) of the Organization of American States (OAS), where he works alongside regional partners to advance sustainable development priorities across the Caribbean and the wider hemisphere.

Through his work in government and regional institutions, Minister Halkitis continues to contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening economic resilience, promoting sustainable growth, and advancing development opportunities for The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean region.

Mr. Best is the 7th President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Region’s sole indigenous multilateral development finance institution based in Barbados. A highly professional and diverse leader, Mr. Best was a Senior Infrastructure and Development Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados, seconded from his role as Director, Projects Department at CDB. With over 30 years of experience as a Civil Engineer, Project Management Professional, and Development Banker, he is known for his ability to foster strong working relationships and leading teams to success.

Under his leadership, the CDB Projects Department was able to transform the lives of approximately 1.6mn Caribbean people in the areas of education, access to resilient infrastructure and expansion of inclusive opportunities to women and girls. He not only spearheaded the Bank’s collaboration outreach to other regional IFIs but also led the development of the Bank’s first Sustainable Financing Framework and created the window to mobilise private capital for regional development. Mr. Best graduated from the University of Durham with a Master of Business Administration and holds a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine). He is widely recognised back as a regional authority in the ideation and delivery of resilient inclusive development solutions that meet the transformational needs of the Caribbean. His leadership, professionalism, and understanding of the value of collaborative relationships have been key to his success.