In a striking disclosure that lifts the curtain on opaque political appointment practices in St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ tourism sector, new Tourism Minister Kishore Shallow has confirmed that the previous chief executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), Annette Mark, was handpicked for the role two years ago, overriding the outcome of a formal recruitment process that named Shafia London as the top candidate.
Shallow made the revelation during a press briefing in Villa on Monday, where he formally announced London’s appointment as the new SVGTA CEO, effective July 1. London will serve an initial three-year term in the role, and Shallow framed her appointment as a deliberate step to rebuild public trust and reinstate transparency and merit-based hiring for senior public sector positions.
Recounting the irregularities of the 2023 recruitment process, Shallow explained that the previous Unity Labour Party (ULP) government launched what was billed as a robust, comprehensive search for the SVGTA CEO role, led by an independent external recruitment panel that included experts from Trinidad. After evaluating all applicants, the panel unanimously ranked London as the leading candidate for the position. However, just days before a formal employment agreement was set to be finalized, the entire process was circumvented, and Mark was personally appointed to the role instead.
Shallow told reporters, “Just before an agreement was reached, the process was, should I say, circumvented — was circumvented — and someone else was hand-picked. That’s the reality. I say it as is. I understand that the agency then, who I had a very lengthy discussion with, … did not favour the then selectee.” The minister did not name the specific officials who intervened to derail the process, nor did he elaborate on the reasoning behind the last-minute change. Political observers have pointed out that London was passed over at a time when her husband, Grenville Williams, served as Attorney General in the ULP administration, and later ran as a ULP candidate in the November 2025 general election.
Mark, who previously served as Executive Director of Invest SVG — St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ foreign direct investment attraction agency — was appointed SVGTA CEO on August 12, 2024, when the ULP was still in power and Carlos James held the tourism minister portfolio. Her appointment was part of a high-profile leadership swap between two major state agencies: she replaced Glen Beache, a 10-year veteran SVGTA CEO and former ULP tourism minister, who took over Mark’s role at Invest SVG amid reported tensions between Beache and James.
Following the November 2025 general election, which saw Shallow’s New Democratic Party (NDP) take power and Shallow personally defeat James in the North Leeward parliamentary constituency, Mark submitted her resignation from the SVGTA CEO post. Sources familiar with the situation confirm that Mark later attempted to withdraw her resignation, stating she was willing to work with the new minister, but the administration allowed her resignation to take effect without responding to her request to reverse it.
When the SVGTA CEO position became vacant in December, Shallow said he moved quickly to revisit the results of the 2023 recruitment, reaching out to London to confirm if she was still interested in the role. “I engaged Ms London, ascertaining her availability and willingness, interest still in becoming the CEO. I will just say she responded favourably,” Shallow said, adding that London’s original ranking as the top candidate in the aborted process was a major factor in her selection. Even so, Shallow emphasized that London’s appointment went through an additional full round of vetting, consultations, and approvals to eliminate any hint of political favoritism, including reviews by the Attorney General Louise Mitchell, the SVGTA board chair Shelly Ann Fraser, and final approval from Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday, who gave the appointment his full backing.
London brings an exceptional range of academic and professional credentials to the role. A 2003 national scholar, she is currently completing a doctorate in business administration, and holds a first-class honours bachelor’s degree from the University of the West Indies St. Augustine, a Master of Science in biochemical engineering from University College London, and a Master of Business Administration with distinction from UWI Cave Hill.
Her career spans decades of leadership across private and public sector organizations in the Caribbean. She began her career as Executive Director of the SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce, building expertise in local economic development, before moving into the private sector as marketing manager at St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. She rose through the ranks of regional beverage giant Banks Holdings Limited Group in Barbados, holding successive roles as group marketing manager, group commercial manager, and country head. As country head for AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, she oversaw multi-market operations across Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica, delivering consistent revenue growth and market expansion, a performance that earned her the title of Top ABI Business Leader in the Caribbean and Latin America in 2022. Most recently, she served as general manager with the SLU Group of Companies, and held leadership roles as first vice president of the Barbados Manufacturing Association and SVG’s technical representative to the Caribbean Private Sector Organization.
Shallow praised London as a highly capable, sharp-minded Vincentian business and civic leader, noting that her deep expertise in administration, marketing, and regional business strategy will be an invaluable asset as SVG works to grow its tourism sector in an increasingly competitive global market. “I know some are going to want to know how we were able to land such a high-value professional, right? And that’s why I keep saying we are fortunate,” Shallow said, adding that London’s appointment corrects a longstanding injustice and delivers the outcome that a fair, merit-based process produced nearly two years ago.