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PROFILE – Business Development Consultant/ Trainer

Over the past seventeen years Ms. Richards has consistently provided high level hands-on interventions to the regional SME sector by carrying out business diagnostics and workshops for entrepreneurs, sector intermediaries and stakeholders.

During her career as a business development consultant she has functioned in various capacities including lead discussant at regional SME symposia, member of project teams probing the regional SME sector operations, and principal consultant providing business development assistance to new and existing enterprises.

Ms. Richards worked inter alia within the hospitality, manufacturing, retail trade, financial and arts and entertainment sectors. This has served to widen and deepen her knowledge and understanding of the Caribbean business landscape.

As a business development consultant she has been contracted by national, regional and international organizations including but not limited to the Caribbean Development Bank, The International Labour Organization (ILO), European Union, Governments of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, University of the West Indies Gender Studies Unit, Barbados National Bank, United Nations Development Program, and the Business Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago.

She is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine). She is also an ILO certified trainer and currently volunteers her services as a tutor with the Trinidad and Tobago Adult Literacy training program.

Major Proficiency Areas

• People Development
• Resources Management
• Business Imaging
• Business Diagnostics

Selected Professional Highlights

• July 2008 – International Labour Organization (ILO) – Government of St. Kitts & Nevis SME Trainers Workshop
• June 2007 – University of the West Indies - Gender Studies Unit – Retreat Program
• December 2006 – May 2007 - BpTT Trinidad & Tobago/Mayaro Initiative for Private Enterprise and Development – Post implementation project evaluation.
• November - May 2006 – Business Development Company (BDC) Trinidad - Integrated Business Skills Program Tutor
• September 2005 – Barbados National Bank – SME sensitivity training workshop.
• August – May 2005 – BDC – Government Training Needs Assessment
• May 2005 - ILO – Regional Trainers' workshop.
• January 2005 – September 2004 - BDC - Integrated Business Skills Tutor
• 2004 – BDC - Productivity workshops
• 2003/1990 - Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) CTCS (small business technical assistance Unit).
• December - September 2003 - European Union – 7th EDF Cariforum Cultural Centres Programme (Barbados/Dominican Republic/Guyana/Trinidad) and Brussels) project evaluation
• 2003 – ILO – SME institutional support evaluation.
• 2003 – BDC/OAS 1– Rural (Fyzabad) SME program
• 2002 – ILO - Productivity Workshop (Trinidad).
• 2002 – ILO/OECS2 - Regional SME Trainers Workshop (St. Lucia).
• July 2001 & 2000 – South Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce –youth entrepreneurial training symposia.
• April 2001 - National Development Foundation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Entrepreneurs workshops
• May 2002 – ILO - SME study
• 2001 – BDC/OAS - Rural community business diagnostic.
• June -May 2000 – OECS – External Donor Conference on Regional SME sector

Employment

• 1990 -First Citizens' Bank - Business Development Officer with responsibility for growing Bank’s market.
• 1989 – First Citizens’ Bank - Branch Manager – Port of Spain – responsible for unit’s profitability.
• 1989- 1987 - First Citizens’ Bank - Assistant Manager – Responsible for overseeing credit portfolio and administration
• 1987-1981 – Bank of Commerce Trinidad and Tobago – management trainee.

Reports

• 2007 – Programme Impact Asessment for Mayaro Initiative for Private Enterprise Development
• 2003 - EU/Cariforum/Caricom - ‘Cariforum Cultural Centres Programme Evaluation’ (Brussels/Trinidad/Barbados/Santo Domingo/Jamaica/Guyana).
• 2002 - ILO/UNDP - Completed ‘Commercial Business Development Services and the Micro and Small Business Sector in Trinidad and Tobago’.
• Building Competitive Caribbean Export Industries Rooted in Local Talents and Resources (ILO/UNDP) – Trinidad and Tobago National Feasibility Study.
• 2002 - BDC/OAS - Mission Enterprise Fyzabad- rural poverty alleviation study.
• 2000 – ‘Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States’.
• 2001 - Micro-enterprises, Poverty Eradiation and Human Resource Development- Lead Discussant paper at UNDP/OECS/CARICOM Regional Financing for Development consultation (St. Vincent).

Education and Training

• Post Graduate - Management Studies- University of the West Indies.
• Bachelor of Arts - University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• SME Trainer ­– International Labour Organization