Governance
The Board of Bahamas First Holdings is accountable to shareholders for the performance of the Group. It directs and monitors the business and affairs of the Group on behalf of shareholders and is responsible for the Group’s overall corporate governance. The directors of the Board are committed to conducting business in an ethical, fair and transparent manner in accordance with high standards of corporate governance.
Group Executive Team
Alison J. Treco, Executive Chair
Andrae Thompson, Group Chief Financial Officer
G. Kelly Banks, Group Chief Information Officer
Emmanuel O. Komolafe, Group Chief Risk Officer
Board of Directors
Alison J. Treco, Executive Chair
Ms. Treco is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She joined KPMG UK in 1980 and in 1984 transferred to KPMG’s office in The Bahamas. After 24 years with KPMG, Ms. Treco became a director and shareholder of FT Consultants Ltd., which provides accounting, advisory and restructuring services to local and international clients. Ms. Treco has served as a Director of Bahamas First Holdings Limited since 2012 and was appointed Chair of the Board, effective May 25, 2018. She was appointed Executive Chair, effective August 1, 2023.
Michele Fields, Director
Mrs. Fields is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She started her career with KPMG UK in 1978 before transferring to the Bahamas office in 1982. She joined the management team of Global Life Assurance Bahamas Ltd. (now Colina Insurance Limited) in 1994. Mrs. Fields has over 30 years of insurance experience. She joined the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas in 2009, becoming Superintendent in 2012, and served until her retirement in 2023. Mrs. Fields was appointed as a Director of Bahamas First Holdings in May 2024.
Linda Goss, Director
Ms. Goss is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society. She has 40 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry and was Senior Vice President & Chief Actuary at Economical Mutual Insurance Company before her retirement in 2021. Ms. Goss is the principal owner of Linda Goss Consulting. Ms. Goss was first elected as a Director of Bahamas First Holdings Limited in March 2014 and was re-elected as a Director in August 2021 after a short absence.
Kenwood Kerr, Director
Mr. Kerr is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is the Founder, President and CEO of Providence Advisors Ltd. (“Providence”), a Bahamian financial services company. Prior to launching Providence, he worked with SG Hambros, Colina Financial Advisors (CFAL), Fidelity Bank & Trust and Coutts. He has been involved in providing investment management and corporate advisory services for more than 30 years and continues to serve on various other company Boards. Mr. Kerr was elected to the Bahamas First Holdings Limited Board in April 2019.
Liam McFarlane, Director
Mr. McFarlane is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuary Society and serves as Chief Risk and Actuarial Officer at Definity Insurance Company (“Definity”). Prior to working with Definity, Mr. McFarlane was a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP in Toronto, where he led the Canadian actuarial practice. Mr. McFarlane was elected to the Board of Bahamas First Holdings Limited in November 2020.
Dr. Samir Mikhael, Director
Dr. Mikhael is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. A retired Ophthalmic Surgeon, Dr. Mikhael holds several medical posts both in The Bahamas and internationally. He is a former Chair of the Medical Staff at Doctors Hospital, serving from 2003 to 2018. Currently, he is the Managing Director of the parent holding company for Lowe’s Wholesale, JBR Building Supplies and Tops Lumber. He was elected to the Board of Bahamas First Holdings Limited in July 2015. Prior to this, he served on the NUA Board, beginning in 2004.
Dawn Patton, Director
Mrs. Patton is a member of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants. She was a partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) until her retirement in 2016. She worked with PWC for 30 years, primarily in The Bahamas but with a five-year stint in Cayman as a partner, and several years in London earlier in her career. Mrs. Patton’s primary client focus was on international and local clients in the financial services industry. Mrs. Patton was elected to the Bahamas First Holdings Limited Board in June 2019.
Darcel Smith-Williamson, Corporate Secretary
Ms. Smith-Williamson is an attorney-at-law, admitted to the Bar of England and Wales through The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, as well as to the Bahamas Bar. She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. With over 18 years of legal and regulatory experience, her career has evolved from public law in the Office of the Attorney-General to corporate and private practice at top tier law firms in The Bahamas. Currently, Mrs. Smith-Williamson holds the position of Group Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for the Bahamas First Group, where she oversees operations in both The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. In addition, she serves as the Chair of the Bahamas Insurance Association’s Legislative Committee and is a member of the Bahamas Bar Association. Ms. Smith-Williamson was appointed Corporate Secretary of the Board of Bahamas First Holdings, effective March 1, 2025.