The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), a leading regional financial institution focused on advancing Caribbean growth and development, has announced a key addition to its executive leadership team. Effective May 1, 2026, seasoned finance executive Gillian Charles-Gollop will take up the post of Vice President of Corporate Services, marking a pivotal milestone for both the executive and the regional development bank.
With more than 30 years of robust experience spanning the global banking and financial services sector, Charles-Gollop brings a proven track record of exceptional achievement across multiple critical domains of finance. Her career has been defined by consistent delivery of positive outcomes for clients, foundational improvements to organizational governance, impactful people leadership, and measurable progress in advancing sustainable finance across the Caribbean region. Her leadership style balances innovative strategic thinking with disciplined operational execution, an alignment that dovetails perfectly with CDB’s long-stated priorities of operational excellence and responsible financial stewardship. Her professional background covers a diverse range of high-stakes functions, including corporate and investment banking, institutional governance, enterprise strategic planning, and comprehensive credit and operational risk management.
Most recently, Charles-Gollop served as Executive Director for Corporate Banking and Sustainable Finance at CIBC Caribbean. In that role, she oversaw regional strategic leadership for a portfolio of corporate and sovereign client credit holdings valued at more than US$6 billion, while also driving the expansion of the bank’s regional sustainable finance strategy across the Caribbean. Over the course of her career, she has led a wide array of complex industry initiatives, including large-scale financing projects, mergers and acquisition advisory mandates, capital markets transactions and debt conversion deals, and infrastructure development financing for major projects across renewable energy, utilities, telecommunications and public infrastructure throughout the Caribbean.
A national of Saint Lucia, Charles-Gollop has earned widespread recognition across the regional finance industry for her professional excellence and forward-thinking leadership. She has received multiple awards and industry commendations for her work in risk management, operational performance improvement, and client service delivery throughout her career. Academically and professionally, she holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Leicester, and is an Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Her qualifications are further strengthened by formal governance accreditation from the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada, specialist certification in sustainability and climate risk from the Global Association of Risk Professionals, certification as a change management practitioner, and completion of CIBC Caribbean’s competitive Senior Leadership Program.
CDB President Daniel M. Best framed the appointment as a strategic strengthening of the bank’s leadership at a critical juncture for regional development. “Gillian’s appointment strengthens CDB’s leadership team at a pivotal time,” Best stated. “Her strategic insight, deep financial expertise, and strong commitment to the region’s advancement will be invaluable as we continue to enhance financial management, mobilise resources, and support sustainable development across our borrowing member countries.”
In her new role as Vice President for Corporate Services, Charles-Gollop will oversee strategic direction and management of all the bank’s corporate service functions, with a mandate to ensure efficient operations and robust institutional support for CDB’s regional development work. A longstanding passionate advocate for building more sustainable and resilient financial systems across the Caribbean, she will play a key role in advancing CDB’s core mission of accelerating inclusive, equitable economic growth and sustainable development across the entire Caribbean region.