26th William G. Demas Memorial Lecture

Tuesday

June

2026

Time

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Time zone

EDT

Location

Nassau, The Bahamas

Learn More

Events

Climate

Financial Services

Infrastructure

Poverty Alleviation

Apr 27, 2026

The most prestigious annual address in CDB’s public programme, the William G. Demas Memorial Lecture honours the thought leadership of the Bank’s second President by bringing one of the world’s foremost voices in international development, policy, or public life to engage the Caribbean directly. This year’s lecture will bring a compelling global perspective to bear on the challenges facing the Caribbean, translating the significance of major international developments into insights that are directly relevant to the Region’s development journey. The speaker for the 26th annual lecture will be announced shortly.

The Demas Lecture consistently draws speakers of the highest international standing and generates significant regional and international attention. It is a prime candidate for live broadcast and full delayed broadcast.

Keynote Speaker- Dr. Nigel Clarke

Mr. Clarke assumed the role of Deputy Managing Director at the IMF on October 31, 2024.

Before joining the IMF, Mr. Clarke served as Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, and a Member of Parliament, since March 2018. Prior to this, he served as Ambassador of Economic Affairs from 2016. During this period, he stewarded his country’s economy to a stronger and more sustainable position. He spearheaded ambitious national reforms, including central bank independence, creation of an independent fiscal commission, as well as other tax policy, public body governance, public procurement, public sector compensation, and public investment management reforms. He also led Jamaica’s economic policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative and well-targeted policy support and completed privatizations and public-private partnerships of major infrastructure assets. Under his stewardship, Jamaica implemented a multi-layered disaster risk financing model, and became the first small country to independently sponsor a catastrophe bond, with World Bank assistance. In 2023, Jamaica successfully completed its first ever international issue of a local currency denominated bond, and in 2024, Jamaica successfully executed its first ever securitization transaction in international capital markets.

In 2022, Mr. Clarke was elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corporation. Prior to his public service career, he was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of the Musson Group, a regional conglomerate, having started his career as an Equity Derivatives Trader at Goldman Sachs in London.

Mr. Clarke holds a PhD in Numerical Analysis from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Master of Science Degree in Applied Statistics, also from Oxford, while he was a Commonwealth Scholar. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of the West Indies where he was a Jamaica Independence Scholar.