The Caribbean Maritime University today (September 12) welcomed its new president, Professor Andrew Spencer, who assumes the mantle from Interim President Professor Evan Duggan who served the duration of his contract.

“I am extremely excited to be a part of this institution because of the things that we can unearth in this space,” stated Spencer, who met with members of the senior management team on day one of his tenure.

The CMU will be hoping that, with Spencer’s appointment, it can fully move on from the controversies around former president Fritz Pinnock, who has been before the court battling fraud charges and resigned earlier this year.

Pinnock denies the allegations.

Meeting with the team at the start of the work day, Spencer highlighted that Jamaica sits in a premier location to be one of the most influential logistics and maritime-focused areas in the world, and the CMU is poised to be the institution of choice for world-class maritime education.

“In the next five to 10 years, the CMU is most likely to be the most important higher education institution in Jamaica and the Caribbean!” Spencer added.

Spencer also spoke about the collaborative efforts that will be necessary to achieve his strategic vision for the CMU. It is in partnership with the board, management team and staff that he plans to achieve the mission of the CMU which is to redefine maritime excellence through innovation and technology.

“The truth is that there is not much that I can do on my own but what I encountered today upon my arrival is an energized team with the skillsets and competencies to take this institution to the next level. In fact, I think a lot will come out of what we are trying to do here that will wow Jamaica and the world,” Spencer said, speaking after a meeting with his team.

In commenting on Spencer’s appointment, CMU Council Chairman Professor Gordon Shirley has stated that he expects that the new CMU president will work with the senior executive team to complete the transformation of the CMU and accelerate the pace of establishing the institution as a beacon of academic excellence in the maritime sector in the region.

Spencer joins the CMU as an academic visionary and senior leader with a strong Cruise Shipping and Tourism background. He comes to the CMU having served as deputy executive director at the Mona School of Business and Management at the University of the West Indies, Mona and before that as executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company Limited.