Michael L. Paton
Chairman
Bahamas Financial Services Board

A BFSB team will travel to Vienna, Zurich, London, Geneva and Lugano for two weeks beginning this weekend to meet with European intermediaries and institutions.

Members of this team include the Board’s Chairman Michael Paton, Vice Chairman Bruno Roberts, Executive Director Wendy Warren, and Andrew Law, representing the Association of International Banks & Trust Companies (AIBT).

Mr. Paton said the briefing visit is an opportunity to maintain and build relationships in the European market place as well as provide intermediaries and institutions a current perspective of the financial services sector in The Bahamas, and to better understand the evolving needs of the market place.

Meetings with intermediaries and institutions will be augmented by special Bahamas presentations in Geneva, Zurich and London. In London, Withers Worldwide, a premier international legal firm, is co-sponsoring one of the presentations.

Also in London, the team will be participating in the 17th Annual Transcontinental Trusts Conference at which BFSB is a sponsor.

Ms. Warren said BFSB member firms provided guidance and the contacts for these meetings and events. *“The success of the Board in both jurisdiction development and external communications continues to reflect the ongoing commitment of Bahamas financial services firms to invest beyond their own businesses for the long term success of the sector,”* she said.

The European trip is one of a series of Briefing Visits that is planned by BFSB during 2003.