**Brian M. Moree**
The Bahamas Financial Services Board has announced Mr. Moree as the **2007 Executive of the Year**, recognising him as part of its annual ***Industry Excellence Awards*** programme.
Mr. Moree is a Senior Partner at McKinney, Bancroft and Hughes, and he practices in the areas of commercial and civil litigation, insolvency, corporate and trust structuring and financial services.
He also serves as Head of the Litigation Department at the firm, and this aspect of his practice includes cross border litigation and international cases involving disputes in Europe, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the United States of America, Canada, South America and Africa. He has been involved in a large number of the major commercial cases which have been litigated in The Bahamas and relating to all aspects of financial services.
Mr. Moree has worked closely with both political parties in promoting financial services, a talent that has made him an experienced spokesman for the industry and enhanced his reputation in government circles. In December, 2002 he was appointed Chairman of the Financial Services Consultative Forum, a policy advisory council. The primary role of the Forum was to advise the Government of the day on matters relating to the financial services industry. Mr. Moree believes that the industry, which indirectly accounts for more than 20% of The Bahamas’ gross domestic product, has the potential to grow even more and to compete effectively with other major jurisdictions.
Mr. Moree has served on numerous Government Boards and Commissions including the Judicial Salary Review Commission and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation. He has been and continues to serve as a director of private companies, international banks and trust companies, insurance companies and public companies. He was also a founding member and director of the Bahamas Financial Services Board.
Within the Bahamas Bar Association, he has served as Chairman of the Commercial Law Committee, a member of the Bench Bar Committee and a lecturer and examiner in Civil Procedure. He was also one of several Chairpersons of the Arbitration Tribunal. Mr. Moree has acted as a Stipendiary and Circuit Magistrate and a Judge of the Supreme Court of The Bahamas.
Nominees for the **Executive of the Year** award must exemplify outstanding leadership qualities, with significant contribution to the growth and development of the financial services industry.
The 2007 Recipient was announced at last night’s 7th annual ***Financial Services Industry Excellence Awards Banquet***, held at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island. Other recipients included:
• Professional of the Year: **Barbara Ferguson**, Assistant Manager, Account Investigations & Fraud, Credit Card Centre, RBC Royal Bank of Canada
• Achiever of the Year: **Marvin Nairn**, Senior Trust Service Officer, Cititrust (Bahamas) Limited
• Development & Promotion Award: **Commonwealth Bank Limited**
• FSI Student of the Year: **La’Nelle Deleveaux**, now a Staff Accountant at Ernst & Young.
BFSB also presented the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award to **Mr. T.B. Donaldson, C.B.E.** for outstanding, sustained contribution to the growth and development of the financial services industry.