The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) announced the passing of its fifth President, Dr. Warren Smith, on Friday, triggering an outpouring of tributes from the institution’s leadership and staff. Dr. Smith, a distinguished Jamaican economist, led the regional financial institution from May 2011 to April 2021 through a transformative decade marked by significant global and regional challenges.
During his ten-year tenure, Dr. Smith navigated the institution through what the bank described as a period of profound global shocks, including two major international crises that substantially impacted Caribbean nations. Under his strategic guidance, CDB strengthened its position as a trusted development partner, successfully mobilizing resources to foster sustainable growth, build regional resilience, and drive socioeconomic transformation across Borrowing Member Countries.
Dr. Smith’s leadership placed particular emphasis on climate resilience, disaster risk management, and pioneering development financing mechanisms. He championed the design of innovative financial instruments specifically tailored to help Caribbean states respond to and recover from natural disasters and external economic shocks.
In recognition of his exceptional service to regional development, Dr. Smith received several honors, including Jamaica’s prestigious Order of Distinction (Commander Class), conferred during the nation’s 54th anniversary of Independence celebrations.
Current CDB President Daniel Best remembered Dr. Smith as both a mentor and guide who “devoted his life’s work to the proposition that Caribbean people deserve strong, modern institutions that are fully on their side.” Best noted that Dr. Smith demanded excellence from his colleagues based on his profound belief in their collective responsibility to serve the Caribbean with integrity, rigor, and purpose.
The CDB community described Dr. Smith as a thoughtful and principled leader whose decisions were consistently guided by an unwavering commitment to the people of the Caribbean. His legacy endures through the institution he helped strengthen, the professionals he mentored, and the development trajectory he helped establish for the region.