Third Annual Meeting Of The Shareholders Of First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited

Anthony Isidore Smart

Mr Anthony Isidore Smart SC graduated from the University of Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (General), majoring in Economics. He is an Attorney-at-Law who has been in private practice for 52 years, for 30 of which he led the law firm of Gittens, Smart and Company. He was an elected member of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago from December 1986 to November 1991.

At various times between January 1987 and February 1989, he was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minister in the Office of the Attorney General, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Chief Whip of the House of Representatives. He was Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago from March 1989 to November 1991. He also served as a member of the British Commonwealth Observer Team in 1992 for the first multi-party general election held in Kenya in 22 years.

Mr Smart was a tutor in Family Law at the Hugh Wooding Law School in the 1970s and was personally responsible for drafting the Code of Ethics for Ministers and Members of Parliament which was laid in the House of Representatives in 1988. Mr Smart was appointed as Chairperson of the Board of First Citizens Bank Limited on 17 June 2014 and subsequently, as Chairperson of First Citizens Investment Services Limited, First Citizens Bank (Barbados) Limited, First Citizens Costa Rica SA, First Citizens Holdings Limited, First Citizens Portfolio and Investment Management Services Limited and First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited. He also served as Executive Chairperson of First Citizens Bank Limited from 4 December 2014 to 7 April 2015.

Mr Smart served on the Board of the Child Welfare League of Trinidad and Tobago as a young attorney. He received the Arbor Award from the University of Toronto on 9 November 2004 for outstanding voluntary service to the University. At its 40th Anniversary Celebration in 2012, the Phase II Pan Groove Steel Orchestra gave Mr Smart an award for his service to the steelband.

Mr Smart was inducted into the Fatima College Hall of Achievement for Public Service in 2015 and received an award for Public Service from the St Margaret of Antioch Anglican Church, Belmont at its 125th Anniversary in 2016.

Courtenay B. Williams

Courtenay B. Williams is an Attorney-at-Law who has been in practice for 37 years, most of which have been spent at the private bar, specialising in banking, privatisation, commercial, intellectual property, project financing, capital market and debt restructuring transactions. Mr Williams graduated from The University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Laws Degree (Honours). He also obtained a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in 1987. Mr Williams has completed several courses of legal training with the most recent being the “Training of Trainers for the National Intellectual Property Training Centre of Trinidad and Tobago” programme, organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office of Trinidad and Tobago, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs conducted between July 2019 to December 2021.

Mr Williams is an Associate Tutor at the Hugh Wooding Law School in the Law of Remedies and has previously tutored in areas such as Landlord and Tenant, Conveyancing and Registration of Title, Ethics Rights and Obligations of the Legal Profession and the Law of Succession.

He was appointed to the Board of First Citizens Bank Limited on 17 June 2014 and subsequently as Deputy Chairperson of First Citizens Bank Limited, Chairperson of the Boards of First Citizens Depository Services Limited and First Citizens Financial Services (St Lucia) Limited and a Director on the Boards of First Citizens Holdings Limited, First Citizens Trustee Services Limited and First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited.

Mr Williams, a certified mediator, is currently a Senior Ordinary Member of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago and is a former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago. He is also a Commissioner of the Public Services Commission.

Mr Williams is a past President of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Deputy Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Limited and Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.

He currently sits on the Boards of the Bocas Lit Fest and Electrical Industries Group Limited, and is a Consultant with Lex Caribbean, Attorneys- at-Law and Notaries Public.

Savitree Seepersad

Savitree Seepersad is a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (ICATT). She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and is an Accredited Director with the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada.

Mrs Seepersad is currently a Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance. Her Public Service career spans 40 years where she provided dedicated service in various positions in the Ministry of Finance. As Deputy Permanent Secretary, she is responsible for, inter alia, providing technical support to the Office of the Permanent Secretary.

She is also a member of the Board of Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Chairperson of the Human Resource Committee of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). She serves on other committees as a Ministry of Finance representative. Outside of her work commitment, she is a member of the Gender Advisory Board, Institute of Gender and Development Studies, UWI.

Mrs Seepersad was appointed to the Board of First Citizens Bank as a Director on 14 April 2016 and also sits on the Board of First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited.

Idrees Omardeen

Idrees Omardeen became a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 2004, earning Fellow Membership status within the Association just five years later due to his expertise in the field. In 2021, he was awarded a practicing certificate from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago, allowing him to practice as a Chartered Accountant. Mr Omardeen also holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and is a certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist with ACAMS. Additionally, he is an Accredited Director with the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada. In 2024, he expanded his credentials by obtaining a Florida Community Association Manager License, further enhancing his property management expertise.

Mr Omardeen brings a strong focus on management and leadership to his family-owned business, the Omardeen School of Accountancy Limited. Having previously lectured across all levels of accounting— from entry to professional—he now primarily focuses on Anti-Money Laundering Training. In addition to his educational roles, he is actively involved in the family’s accounting practice, managing property rentals, events, and their auditorium.

In recent years, Mr Omardeen has ventured into agriculture and agri-processing, becoming a registered farmer and producing premium coffee blends for both local and export markets—a passion he describes as his newest “adventure”.

Mr Omardeen’s leadership extends to his role as Director of First Citizens Bank Limited, where he was appointed on 17 June 2016. He also serves on the boards of several subsidiaries, including First Citizens Investment Services Limited, First Citizens Depository Services Limited, First Citizens Brokerage and Advisory Services Limited, First Citizens Portfolio and Investment Management Services Limited, First Citizens Trustee Services Limited, and First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited.

Jayselle McFarlane

Ms Jayselle McFarlane is a dynamic and highly motivated professional with extensive experience across healthcare, construction, hospitality, finance and manufacturing industries. As a critical thinker and strategic planner, she excels in managing organisations through her innovative approach and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Ms McFarlane currently serves as the Managing Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Housing Development Corporation, where she oversees strategic activities, provides guidance to Divisional Managers and manages Operational transparency.

Her previous roles include CFO at Trinidad Bulk Traders Ltd and Financial Controller at Tobago Hilton Ltd, where she demonstrated her expertise in Financial Reporting, Cash Management and Human Resource Management. As a Chartered Accountant with ACCA Affiliation and 25 years as a Senior Executive and Certification from the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada, Ms McFarlane also holds an MBA from the University of Bedfordshire and further Certification in Project Management from Herriot Watt. Ms McFarlane brings a strong analytical and technical skill set to her work.

She is also actively involved in national service and volunteering, including her role as former Deputy Chairman of various boards and as a founding member of the NGO Southern Foundation for Better Health. Her dedication to excellence, integrity and professional growth is evident in her numerous contributions to business and community development.

Ms McFarlane was appointed to the Board of First Citizens Bank Limited as a Director on 16 June 2016 and subsequently as Deputy Chairperson on the Board of First Citizens Depository Services Limited and as a Director on the Boards of First Citizens Holdings Limited, First Citizens Investment Services Limited and First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited. She also serves as the Chairperson of the First Citizens Bank, the First Citizens Holdings and the First Citizens Investment Services audit committees.

Troy Garcia

Troy Garcia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Stetson University, Florida, USA. With over 28 years of experience and success in the fields of business and entrepreneurship, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Parts World Limited and Managing Director of High Performance Coatings and Honorary Consul General of Finland for Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr Garcia was appointed to the Board of First Citizens Bank Limited on 16 June 2016 and subsequently to the Boards of First Citizens Investment Services Limited, First Citizens Depository Services Limited, First Citizens Costa Rica SA and First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited.

He also sits as the Deputy Chairman on the Board of the National Marine Maintenance Services Company Limited and as a Director on the Board of Colonial Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Limited.

Colin Wharfe

Colin Wharfe is a retired professional accountant; a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. He is the holder of a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London.

The majority of his career was spent at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he was admitted to the firm’s Partnership in 1997. He held various senior, client facing and functional roles at PwC, including Lead Assurance Partner, Lead Technical (Audit and Financial Reporting) Partner, Lead Human Capital Partner. He was also responsible for the firm’s Energy Sector practice during the period of the sector’s aggressive growth. His experience as Lead Engagement Partner and/or Relationship Partner included a wide variety of large audit and advisory engagements, including listed entities, financial services, manufacturing, as well as major multinational and public sector clients. His areas of expertise include Accounting and Financial Reporting, Governance and Compliance.

He was the firm’s Territory Senior Partner and served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the eight member firms in the Caribbean region. He retired in June 2016, after serving PwC for more than 30 years.

He is a Board Member and Audit Committee Chair of United Way Trinidad and Tobago. He is also a member of the Board, Group Audit and Group Digital and IT Committees of the VM Group Limited in Jamaica.

Mr Wharfe was appointed to the Board of First Citizens Group Financial Holdings Limited as a Director on 28 September 2022 and subsequently as a Director of the Boards of First Citizens Bank Limited, First Citizens Investment Services Limited and First Citizens Trustee Services Limited.