With the departure of Grace Burnett as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GraceKennedy Financial Group Limited (GKFG), Steven Whittingham has officially assumed the post, effective today.

Burnett demitted office recently, having served as head of GKFG for nearly a decade. Whittingham, who has served as Deputy CEO of GKFG since 2022, is a member of the GraceKennedy (GK) Group’s Executive Committee and has played a pivotal role in GK’s digital transformation. 

Over his distinguished career with the GK Group, which began in 2013, Whittingham has held several senior leadership positions, including Chief Investment Officer, GK Limited; Chief Operating Officer, GKFG; President, First Global Financial Services; and Managing Director, GK Capital Management. 

Whittingham has been instrumental in driving GK’s growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions, and greenfield start-ups, consistently delivering strong performance across portfolios. 

In welcoming Whittingham into the new role, GK Group CEO, Frank James commented, “Steven’s deep understanding of the financial services industry, both locally and internationally, makes him uniquely positioned to lead GKFG into its next chapter. I have every confidence that he will guide the Group to even greater achievements as we execute our vision and strategic objectives.”

He praised outgoing GKFG CEO as a transformational leader whose vision, dedication, and steadfast commitment over her 25-year journey with GK have left an enduring legacy of excellence and growth across the Group.

On his first day in office this morning, Whittingham also paid tribute to his predecessor, saying: “It is an honour to officially take the helm of GKFG following the astute leadership of Grace Burnett. I look forward to building on her legacy as we advance our vision of delivering innovation, growth, and exceptional value to our customers, shareholders, and team. GKFG will remain steadfast in our mission to provide financial solutions that help our customers realise their dreams while making a positive impact on our community.”

Before joining GK, Whittingham began his career at BlackRock in New York and later joined Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Group in London. He has significant expertise in asset management, mergers and acquisitions and private equity.

He currently serves as Chairman of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and Campion College and has contributed to numerous public and private sector boards. Whittingham holds a BSc in Systems Engineering and a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is married with four children.