by Linda Straker
- Karline Purcell is Deputy CEO and presently Acting CEO
- No formal announcement from Government about Purcell’s appointment
- Hartman Resort Project and Hartman University Town are CBI Approved Projects
Christopher DeAllie who serves as Chairman of the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) has confirmed that Karline Purcell who once served as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Ministry of Finance was recently appointed to the post of Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the programme.
“Yes, she is the Deputy CEO and presently the Acting CEO because the previous person left the position and a replacement is not yet named,” DeAllie said after clarity was sought about Purcell’s position because her name was signed as both Deputy and Chief in notices which appears in the 26 March edition of the Government Gazette.
The Notices announced that the CBI Committee has granted the licence of Approved Project to 2 companies which are approved and authorised to conduct business on the island. They are Hartman Resort Project (licence number is GCBI-AP 0031) and Hartman University Town (licence number is GCBI-AP 30).
There was no formal announcement from Government about Purcell’s appointment, but a report on the My Grenada Solutions website said that Purcell, who assumed the position on 9 February just before the exit of the then Chief Executive Officer Percival Clouden, is expected to support the programme’s new CEO, when the position is filled.
She is also expected to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Unit, the processing of applications, the monitoring of approved CBI projects and agents, as well as manage the in-house accounting function.
Purcell comes to the CBI programme with an MBA from Southern Illinois University and almost 20-years’ experience in management positions in both the private and public sector. In addition to once serving as an economic affairs officer within Grenada’s Ministry of Finance, Purcell has also served as the regional head of customer loyalty and retention for telecommunications provider LIMA which has since been rebranded as FLOW.
She is also known for establishing and managing popular restaurants – Venus Restaurant & Sports Lounge, and Cayenne restaurant, and was one of the directors of Grenada Invitational Inc. – the company which organised the Grenada Invitational meet.
Congratulations Ms Purcell. Always pleased to see qualified women in leadership because patriarchy has excluded 50% of our citizens from top tier positions for far too long.