Wil Pineau, the Caribbean’s only Certified Chamber Executive, has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce since Nov. 1994. His commitment to service – supported by his work with Rotary – has helped weather stormy seas over the years, including the COVID pandemic.
Compass Media spoke with him about how he originally got involved with the Chamber of Commerce, what it has achieved in his time, and its future projects.
YOU HAVE BEEN THE CEO OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS. WHAT DREW YOU TO THE POSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE?
As a former journalist and editor, I have always been interested in social, economic, political, business and community issues, so the Chamber’s mission to support, promote and protect the interests of its members and the community really attracted me. In the early 1990s, the Cayman Islands was witnessing significant changes in all aspects of the society. I believed I could serve and assist the Chamber leadership to develop programmes and services that would improve the business environment and community.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANCES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE CHAMBER IN YOUR TIME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MOST PROUD OF AND WHY?
I am proud of the thousands of Caymanians and residents that the Chamber has impacted over the years… The Chamber Training Centre was launched in 1995 and has delivered hundreds of workshops and training courses that have helped thousands of Caymanians and residents to improve their skills and micro and small businesses to improve their productivity and profitability.
Launched in 2002, Mentoring Cayman has matched hundreds of high school students with mentors in the public and private sectors.
Leadership Cayman was launched in 2010, and has provided local leaders with an in-depth understanding of their leadership skills and has given them a great overview of the… issues facing our Islands.
Since its launch in 2017, the Growth Matters animated educational video series has been viewed by thousands of people of all ages. It is a series of 10 animated, educational, and fun videos with the intention of educating the community about the importance of economic growth, and how growth is attained.
In 2020, we launched the Member Perks programme. It provides affordable access to the Chamber’s online promotional and social media channels which are seen by thousands of people in the Chamber network. It’s a great way for small businesses to promote [themselves].
WHAT IS IT YOU’D LIKE MOST COMPANIES TO KNOW, REGARDING THE ADVANTAGES OF BECOMING A CHAMBER MEMBER?
The Chamber is a network of like-minded businesses, associations and individuals who care about the future of our Islands. It is a business and community partner; an organisation that can be called upon to advocate on issues that matter and delivers affordable and relevant programmes, services, and benefits that help to increase profitability and success.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU OFFER ONLINE?
We offer online training and workshops on a range of subjects, and hold networking and business promotion and online conferences for our members. In 2020, we held a virtual Economic Summit with speakers from across all industry sectors. We’re also active on several social media channels.
MANY BUSINESSES HAVE OBVIOUSLY SUFFERED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. HOW CAN ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE CHAMBER ASSIST THESE BUSINESSES?
Just recently we worked in partnership with Government to conduct a series of free Ready 4 Business webinars on a variety of subjects to help employers and their employees to prepare for the reopening. To assist members, we arranged for the bulk purchase of lateral flow tests. During the lockdown, the Chamber office assisted with the launch of the Resilience Cayman programme to provide food vouchers and other forms of assistance to persons in need. We organized a series of 19 free webinars on business and employee related topics and launched a special website, www.chambercovidupdates.ky, which provided up-to-date information to assist members and the wider community.
DO YOU OFFER ANY RESOURCES FOR JOBSEEKERS AND IF SO, HOW CAN THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM?
Each year we host a Careers Expo at the University College of the Cayman Islands aimed at providing high school and college students, and school leavers with an opportunity to meet our member businesses and organisations so they can learn about the career and future employment opportunities that exist. Some members promote scholarships, summer work experience, internships, and work study programmes. The Chamber has also held job fairs, interview skills and resume writing workshops in the past and assist with the distribution of a scholarship guide.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXCITING UPCOMING PROJECTS IN THE YEAR THAT YOU’D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE?
The Chamber is working on the next series of animated educational videos to add to the Growth Matters series to address financial services and tourism. We are also working to develop a health insurance plan for members.
Chief Executive Officer of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce looks at its accomplishments, and how it benefits the business community.
To learn more about the Growth Matters series, visit www.growthmatters.ky and for more information about the Chamber, visit www.caymanchamber.ky.
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