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JAM | Apr 25, 2024

Christopher Zacca and Courtney Campbell to be honoured by the American Friends of Jamaica

/ Our Today

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President and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica LimitedChristopher Zacca and Courtney Campbell, president and CEO of VM Financial Group Limited will be honoured by the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ).

The men will be honored at a Miami Gala on May, 4, being held at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel.

AFJ has described Zacca and Campbell as exemplars of Jamaican executive excellence, leading their respective institutions with distinction.

Christopher Zacca

Christopher Zacca

Christopher Zacca is a prominent Jamaican business leader with a wealth of business and management experience in both the public and private sectors spanning over three decades.

He is currently the President and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica; a position he has held since May 2017.

He is highly respected in the private sector where he has held senior executive positions at Desnoes and Geddes (Red Stripe), the ATL/Sandals Group, and Air Jamaica Ltd., the National Airline of Jamaica at the time, where he served as CEO and Deputy Chairman between 1998 and 2004.

He has also served as President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) for five terms, 2007-2009, and 2012 -2014.

Currently, Zacca serves on the Boards of all Sagicor Group Jamaica Companies in Jamaica, Cayman, and Costa Rica.

He has also served in the past on several Private Sector Boards, including Playa Hotels and Resorts (NASDAQ: PLYA), Sandals Resorts, Air Jamaica, and the Jamaica Observer Newspaper.

Zacca is Chairman of the Board of the Sagicor Jamaica Foundation, a registered charity that plays a significant role in supporting health and education initiatives, and which is the sponsor of the annual Sagicor Sigma Run for Charity.

His track record in the public sector is equally impressive having served as special advisor to the Prime Minister of Jamaica from 2009 to 2011.

He is a former Chairman of the Development Bank of Jamaica and the National Health Fund. He has also served on numerous other State boards including the Factories Corporation, National Education Trust, and Jampro.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Zacca served as the Chairman of the Private Sector COVID Vaccine Initiative (PSVI) and served as a member of the public-private COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force.

He also served as Chairman of the GOJ Petrojam Review Committee in 2019. He was also a founding member of the public/private Economic Program Oversight Committee (EPOC) that provided oversight to the implementation of the GOJ/IMF 2013 Agreement which transformed Jamaica’s fiscal management, and a conceptualiser and member of the public/private Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET).

Zacca received the Jamaica Observer 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for Business, and received the UWI Mona School of Business Management’s Outstanding Business Leader Award in 2023. He is also the recipient of the American Friends of Jamaica International Achievement Award in 2024.

In 2014, he was conferred with the National Honour of the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for his invaluable contribution to the private and public sectors in Jamaica.

Zacca holds an MBA from the University of Florida, and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Courtney Campbell

Courtney Campbell

Courtney Campbell is President and Chief Executive Officer of VM Group Limited and VM Financial Group Limited, whose operations extend from Jamaica to other Caribbean territories and major financial districts in North America and Europe.

Courtney joined VM in April 2016 and immediately went about igniting a transformation of the organization, including its digital strategy, product and service offerings, brand identity and business structure, resulting in unprecedented growth and expansion.

He has leveraged the organization’s cultural beliefs and core values to kindle the VM Team’s passion for uplifting Jamaicans. Courtney is a passionate advocate for greater inclusion and financial well-being, which is the founding purpose of VM.

Before joining VM Group, Courtney had already established an enviable record of success in several senior executive roles including that of CEO of GraceKennedy Financial Group.

He also spent over 23 years with the National Commercial Bank, serving in various leadership positions, including Head of the Retail Banking Division and other roles instrumental to the bank’s success.

He holds a BSc in Management Studies from The University of the West Indies, and an MBA in Finance (Distinction) jointly awarded by the University of Wales & Manchester Business School. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London.

Courtney is a director of VM Group Limited as well as VM Financial Group Limited and all its subsidiaries, as well as associate company British Caribbean Insurance Company.

Courtney is a Corporate Champion for the UWI STAT, Mona Campus and serves on the Governor-General Jamaica Trust and the Investment Committee of the Council of World Missions. He is a former Chairman of the National Education Trust (NET).

In September 2023, Courtney received the Outstanding Business Leader Award, from the Mona School of Business & Management (MSBM) for his “relentless contributions to nation building”.

In the same month, he received the prestigious Governor General’s Medal of Honour for his excellent support of the office of the Governor General’s service to the people of Jamaica.

Courtney is married to Pauline and they have two sons.

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