By Kathy Ramdeen
Copyright newsday
NIGEL BAPTISTE is the new president of the Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT).
In a news release on October 2, BATT said Baptiste’s appointment was effective August 14.
Baptiste, president and managing director of Republic Bank Ltd, succeeds Gayle Pazos, managing director of Scotiabank, and will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027, the release said.
He holds a bachelor’s, with honours, and a master’s in economics from UWI and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s advanced management programme.
In addition, he holds a diploma, with distinction, from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking (USA) and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (England).
The release said, “With over three decades of experience in the banking sector, and having previously served as BATT’s president, Baptiste brings a wealth of expertise and steady leadership to the role.
“Under his stewardship, BATT will continue to advance initiatives aimed at: strengthening capacity for SMEs (small, medium enterprises) and the wider services sector; promoting ease of doing business with customers at the centre of solutions; deepening financial education and digital literacy, with special attention to vulnerable communities, the unbanked, and the underbanked.”
The release added, “looking ahead, BATT is confident that Mr Baptiste will guide the association in further strengthening the financial sector and contributing meaningfully to national economic growth.”
BATT thanked Pazos for her commitment and impactful leadership over the past two years.
It said, “during her tenure, the association successfully executed several initiatives alongside its members to expand financial inclusion and accessibility across TT.”
In November 2024, BATT acknowledged that TT had foreign exchange challenges and said it is committed to working with the government to address the issue.
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo will read TT’s 2025/2026 budget in October.
