Given new leadership at the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) and plans to merge the EXIM Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), it always seemed likely that Managing Director of the EXIM Bank, Lisa Bell would be moving on.

Back in October of last year, Our Today reported that the managing director of EXIM Bank may find her role come under reconsideration as the Government seeks to merge the EXIM Bank with the DBJ.

Now comes news that Bell will be moving on, walking away from the position at the end of this month. Stepping down so quickly is raising eyebrows in many quarters. Bell held the position since 2010, enjoying a long tenure.

This scotches talk of political machinations as her appointment would have been signed off on by a Jamaica Labour Party administration led by Bruce Golding.

MIIC is looking for a new approach and already significant changes have taken place. ‘

At the end of last year, Diane Edwards demitted office as president of Jampro and was replaced by Shullette Cox. Edwards now lends her experience to a unit of the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM).

In the year before the COVID pandemic, Bell presided over the EXIM Bank disbursing J$9.43 billion in loans to SMEs. Bell has served on a number of public sector boards.

Just before stepping down, Bell was leading the charge at EXIM Bank to provide loans for solar energy solutions for SMEs (between $5 million and $50 million) at an interest rate of 7.5 per cent.

Will the Mona School of Business seek out Bell to add to its illustrious list of business luminaries?

Already it boasts Dr David McBean as executive director; Minna Israel as distinguished business fellow (Israel was the former head of RBTT Jamaica); Allison Peart, former country manager for Ernst & Young; Lisa Soares Lewis and Dr Maurice McNaughton.

MSBM celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.