UWI alumna and TTCSI CEO Vashti Guyadeen wants to create opportunities for entrepreneurs and strengthen services industries through research-driven policies
When Vashti Guyadeen first began studying History at The UWI, St Augustine her plans were to eventually study Law. Little did she realise that her path would take a different turn.
Instead of tackling the complexities of the court system, she is now facing the challenges of the Trinidad and Tobago services sector, leading it along a journey to transformation. As CEO of the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI), Guyadeen heads the secretariat of the umbrella board which oversees service sector organisations and associations. Describing herself as “a proud UWI graduate”, Guyadeen was inspired while studying history under revered UWI scholars like Dr Fitzroy Baptiste, Emeritus Professor Brinsley Samaroo and Emerita Professor Bridget Brereton. During this time, she developed her affinity for research, data and statistics.
She observes that her time at her secondary school, Naparima Girls High School in San Fernando, and The UWI was fundamental to the kind of professional she has become. For 15 years, she worked in academia and the public and private sectors, bolstering her knowledge of research and development, policy design and SME development, as well as global and institutional competitiveness and international relations.
Her track record in developing research products that drive policies made her ideal to step into her TTCSI role. She is re-engineering the coalition into an entity driven by research. Guyadeen explains that before the establishment of TTCSI, there was no system in place to advocate for the services structure. Now, the coalition lobbies, channels, and addresses trade with regard to service issues.
It is also extending its objectives. In 2019, under Guyadeen’s guidance, TTCSI made its strategic goals official. One of the most significant ones is to fully embrace CARICOM’s historic decision for free movement for nationals in March 2024. She is determined that the sectors will benefit from this move: “We have a chance to really get our act in order and see the value of promoting services.”
Her message to entrepreneurs is “The Caribbean is now your market.”
Reflecting on this expanded vista of opportunities, Guyadeen notes, “If we were collectively to go after international projects with the brightest from the region – if we could get a slice of that global market share, it would redound to the benefits of all of us.”
Consultancy alone, she says, is a trillion dollar industry. “In 5 years, we want to grab just 3-5 percent of that global market share.”
She highlights the opportunities for job creation. “Rather than just have a brain drain whereby people look for opportunities outside, we can develop our region.”
Guyadeen emphasises the importance of ensuring that top tier entrepreneurs – among them UWI graduates, of course – have incentives.
“We cannot say that we want people to stay here and not offer them global opportunities,” she says.
This is one of the plans for TTCSI’s greatest legacy project, the National Services Exporters Portal. It will be a local services hub. Guyadeen predicts it will revolutionise the sector.
Through the portal, stakeholders will have access to international markets, and be able to easily develop market entry strategies. They will also be able to organise trade workshops, and access in-depth market reports. The portal will also provide the opportunity to streamline the exchange of information on international markets and stimulate lower exporter costs.
In keeping with the spirit of collaboration, it will also motivate companies to engage in joint marketing efforts.
Guyadeen is also adamant that the country will tap into the lucrative Latin American market. The coalition is also exploring how the versatility of Trinidad and Tobago products can be used to prepare international foods.
When it comes to collaborating with international stakeholders, Guyadeen foresees UWI playing an important part in cultural interactions.
“We need to cement some relationships with UWI,” she states. She expounds on how, for example, students from the music programme can provide entertainment in related events, and showcase their skills. She wants to also utilise UWI’s language experts to conduct webinars to educate and sensitise stakeholders.
Guyadeen plans to meet with relevant UWI entities in the coming year. No doubt, she will approach this effort to strengthen bonds with the carefully curated research and data-driven solutions she has brought to her transformative work throughout her career.
She speaks passionately of the value of the Caribbean’s unique aesthetic and resources, and wants to make sure these are integrated into solutions for the services sector.
“We are here to strengthen our regional export competitiveness by showcasing the Caribbean's capabilities and fostering connections that transcend our borders,” she said during the recent Caribbean Services Exporters Symposium.
Supported by the expert navigation of her crew, Vashti Guyadeen continues to steer TTCSI into becoming a leading coalition of the services industry. She is confident that it will not only make a name for itself regionally, but internationally as well.
