Ian Fair was confirmed as the new Chairman of the Board at the [Grand Bahama Port Authority](http://gbpa.com/home/) (GBPA) yesterday. Sarah St George, the daughter of former chairman, the late Edward St George, assumes the position of Vice-Chairman.

Mr Fair will guide the strategic direction of the organisation and focus on maximising growth opportunities for Freeport and Grand Bahama. He will work closely with GBPA president Ian Rolle and the current executive team to develop new strategies for development, and build on already existing initiatives and programmes.

Sir Jack Hayward and the St George family said in a joint statement: *”Ian Fair exemplifies the true essence of seasoned leadership. His immense international exposure, and expressed interest in promoting the untapped potential of Grand Bahama to the world, will greatly assist in improving the economic conditions we now face. With the great work that the current team at the GBPA has been doing, in spite of the times, coupled with Ian’s appointment, we believe that Freeport is on the verge of reaching its true potential.”*

Noting the challenges of the past few years due to a world recession, Mr Fair comments, *”I am very excited about the opportunity to work with all involved in order to make Freeport and Grand Bahama boom again. It can and should be a significant contributor to the development of The Bahamas.”*

The GBPA points to the wealth of knowledge in global business (more than 43 years in the Bahamian financial services sector) that Mr. Fairs brings to the position, further noting *”He will play a significant role in further developing and enhancing important partnerships that are critical for the growth and development of Freeport and Grand Bahama Island.”*

Mr. Fair currently is Chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) and the Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX).
He also serves as Chairman of the Bahamas First Insurance Group and as Deputy Chairman of Butterfield Bank (Bahamas). He was the founding chairman of the Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB).