The President and staff of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. William Warren Smith, the Bank’s fifth President, who died on January 30, 2026.

A distinguished Caribbean citizen, development practitioner and proud son of Jamaica, Dr. Smith led the Caribbean Development Bank from May 1, 2011 to April 30, 2021, following his election in October 2010 and re‑election for a second term in 2015. During his decade at the helm, he guided the institution and its Borrowing Member Countries through an era marked by profound global and regional shocks, including two major global crises that heavily impacted the Caribbean.

Under Dr. Smith’s stewardship, CDB strengthened its role as a trusted partner for the region, mobilising resources to support sustainable growth, resilience building and social and economic transformations across its member countries. His leadership placed renewed emphasis on climate resilience, disaster risk management and innovative development financing, working with partners to design instruments that helped Caribbean states respond to and recover from natural hazards and external shocks.

Dr. Smith also championed good governance, sound economic management and strong regional institutions as foundations for inclusive development. Colleagues across the Bank remember him as a thoughtful, principled leader whose decisions were always anchored in his deep commitment to the people of the Caribbean.

In recognition of his outstanding service, Dr. Smith received numerous honours, including Jamaica’s Order of Distinction (Commander Class), conferred on the country’s 54th anniversary of Independence.

Mr. Daniel M. Best, President of the Caribbean Development Bank, paid tribute to his predecessor, stating “Dr. Smith was a mentor and a guide to me at many critical junctures during my career. He devoted his life's work to the proposition that Caribbean people deserve strong, modern institutions that are fully on their side. When he assumed office as President of CDB in 2011, he guided the institution through some of its most challenging moments with steadiness, resolve, and an unwavering belief in what the Bank could and should represent for the region. He demanded excellence from those around him because he believed deeply in our collective responsibility to serve the Caribbean with integrity, rigour, and purpose. His legacy lives on in the institution he helped strengthen, the people he shaped, and the development path he helped chart for our region.

On behalf of the Board of Governors, the Board of Directors, Management and staff of CDB, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife and family, his friends and former colleagues. The Caribbean has lost a giant of the development movement. However, the work he began is now ours to carry forward as we strengthen the institution he helped shape and advance the Caribbean future he believed in so deeply.”

The Caribbean Development Bank will, in the coming days, work with Dr. Smith’s family to share further information on arrangements to celebrate and honour his life and contribution. A condolence book will be available for signing at the Bank’s Wildey Headquarters from 10:00am Monday February 2, 2026.

CDB extends heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his passing, and joins the wider Caribbean community in giving thanks for his exemplary leadership and a lifetime devoted to advancing the region’s development.