Jamaican-born billionaire Michael Lee-Chin will headline a stellar list of business leaders at the second staging of the Re-Align Business and Investment Conference scheduled for July 23, 2024, at the AC Hotel Kingston.

Garfield Daley, founder and chairman of Entrepreneurial Partners (EP) and the event organiser, expressed his excitement to host another billionaire following the successful inaugural staging, which featured the wealthiest Jamaican woman, Dr Trisha Bailey. 

“I am delighted to have Michael Lee-Chin join us for an amazing event to empower entrepreneurs and businesses with innovative and transformative strategies to pilot their businesses to success in a new and emerging era. He is a real-life story of strategic realignment for business success and has a wealth of knowledge to share,” Daley shared. 

Hosted under the theme ‘Removing the Barriers – Bringing Investors and Entrepreneurs Together,’ Daley is confident that attendees are in for a treat.

“We understand the important role of small and medium-sized [enterprises] (SMEs) in providing employment, driving wealth creation, and supporting national development,” said Daley, who believes the growth of SMEs will accelerate Jamaica’s push to become a higher-income country in the region.

“The conference challenges SMEs to focus on new innovative ideas, embrace new technologies, re-align strategies, and become learning and adaptable organisations that will thrive within the new, global business environment. Additionally, entrepreneurs will leave the conference armed with information to increase their productivity, reshape their strategic approach, rearrange their creative products and services to meet the changing demands of consumers locally and globally,” he explained. 

Lee-Chin amassed his fortune through astute investments in financial companies like National Commercial Bank Jamaica (NCB) and AIC Limited. The billionaire who religiously makes it to the top 10 list of wealthiest Jamaicans every year started his journey managing less than $1 million in assets in 1987 to overseeing more than $10 billion in assets by 2002.

Lee-Chin, who holds the majority stake in NCB, is set to share strategies and insights to assist entrepreneurs in navigating the ever-changing economic and business environment, positioning their businesses for collaborative partnerships and funding opportunities, and rising above the competition to ensure their businesses’ success ultimately contributing to national development. 

“Realigning businesses and partnerships are essential for growth and development, particularly in today’s rapidly changing global economy. Businesses must continuously adapt to new market conditions, technological advancements, and evolving consumer preferences,” Lee-Chin shares. 

Lee-Chin, who has steered NCB to become the number one bank in Jamaica, explained that his vision is to use NCB, dubbed the people’s bank, to build a better Jamaica. 

“At the heart of this realignment is our commitment to building a better Jamaica and helping Jamaicans create wealth. NCB Financial Group cares deeply for people and is dedicated to uplifting our Jamaican community. We believe that by fostering strong, strategic partnerships, we can contribute to Jamaica’s sustainable economic and social development, ensuring that our progress benefits everyone,” he stated.  

Daley believes the alignment with Lee-Chin augurs well for the EP brand, which supports the continued development of SMEs and is instrumental in ensuring their growth is inclusive, sustainable, and culturally diverse. “

“To be effective, alignment must begin at the top with senior leaders who direct the enterprise’s strategy throughout the organisation. As such, the conference will bring together a plethora of experienced business leaders who will share their stories of leading successful change in their respective companies over the last five years,” he said. 

Lee-Chin, who agrees that realignment in businesses is a necessary ingredient for growth, outlined the benefits to businesses.

“By realigning strategies and forging strong partnerships, companies can seize new opportunities, better mitigate risks, and enhance their competitive edge. This collaboration and strategic alignment enable businesses to pool resources, share knowledge, and drive innovation, ultimately leading to sustainable growth,” he added.

Sharing the stage with Lee-Chin are pioneering businesswoman and philanthropist the Honourable Thalia Lyn, managing director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Dr Marlene Street-Forest, and chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Blue Mahoe Capital David Mullings, among others. EP will also unveil its e-commerce platform, Cap Connect, which will bring investors and entrepreneurs together.