Ramsunderama Ramesh, has taken a seat on the Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited, effective January 20. Ramesh is deputy chairman of a former JMMB partner company, Caribbean Money Market Brokers (CMMB) as well as the Trinidad brokerage's managing director and chief executive officer since December 8, 2008.

Up to last October, JMMB was a 45 per cent partner in CMMB but sold out to majority owner Lawrence Duprey's CL Financial Group for US$41.37 (JS$3 billion) in order to inject fresh capital into the Jamaican operation, which had fallen victim to Lehman Brothers' collapse a month earlier.

It was not immediately clear whether the directorship was part of the trade off in that deal, or just a decision by the Trinidadian financial conglomerate to become more engaged in a company in which it has substantial holdings.

CL Financial, through CLICO Investment Bank Limited and Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited, owns at least 40 per cent of JMMB, a 17-year-old brokerage founded and controlled by the Duncan family in Jamaica.

Ramesh's month-old appointment as CMMB head marks a return to the job he held at the top of 2008, but gave up to become head of operations within the CL Financial group.

Ram's financial acumen is acknowledged regionwide. He was instrumental in the formation and roll out of CMMB as well as the creation of regional rating agency CariCRIS, for which he served as founding chief executive and chief ratings officer up to two years ago when he returned to work with Duprey.

Ramesh is also the current president of Securities Dealers Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

Nyssa Johnson

Nyssa Johnson, senior manager at KPMG in Jamaica was named KPMG Employee of the Year 2008 for meeting and exceeding targets, engagement in the life and activities of the company and community.

Nyssa is an 18-year veteran of the company, joining in July 1990 as senior assistant accountant, and was promoted through the ranks to her current position, which she has held for two years, since October 2006.

Ryland Campbell, president and chairman of the Capital & Credit Financial Group Limited (CCFG) has reshaped the management team in two of the group's businesses, including the largest, Capital and Credit Merchant Bank (CCMB).

The move, which affects 10 positions, follows a cut in staff by 20 at the top of the month and Campbell's declaration that the remaining staff would have to take on new workloads.

Effective February 1 at CCMB, Moya Leiba-Barnes takes over as general manager; Janet Collins-Green, assistant vice-president of operations efficiency and control; Owen Ferguson becomes branch manager, Maurice Dorman, the senior manager responsible for treasury and investments; and Ryan Parkes is now business development officer in charge of retail banking.

Capital & Credit Securities Limited also has a new general manager, Christopher Walker, whose team also includes new appointees Carlene Wint as senior manager of treasury and investments; and Anthea Domville as senior manager of portfolio planning and private clients. The new team at the securities firm also took up office February 1.