In our November 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Gerry George, an ICT professional and policy expert who is based in Saint Lucia, and IT Specialist, Researcher and Digital Analyst Matthew Cowen, who is based in Martinique, the panel discusses:  Are Caribbean businesses really benefitting from online advertising? Learning and development – promoting a culture of learning and collaboration within our space; and Digicel’s 2024 Caribbean Research Report and Maturity Guide.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Welcome to our November 2024 Community Chat episode! This month’s discussion is generally focused on business-related issues.

As we approach the end of 2024, we have an opportunity to review the decisions we made during the year – both personally and professionally – whether they paid off and what we might wish to do differently in 2025. Hopefully, the goal is to be more successful next year than you were this year, and critical to achieving that is making strategic plans that will be implemented. Work-wise, we think this episode can help!

 

Introducing our guest panellist

Gerry George

With over 30 years of experience, Gerry George is a leading ICT professional and policy expert. Known for his work and advocacy in shaping ICT & telecommunications policies and regulations, he has dedicated the past 15 years to driving compliance, competition, and innovation across the sector.

Gerry is deeply committed to industry advancement and governance, actively engaging in both local and international trade associations and forums. Currently, he serves as President of SLICTA, the ICT Association of Saint Lucia, an Advisory Council member of the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN), and Chair of the International Institute of Communications (IIC)’s Caribbean Chapter.

As founder of DigiSolv, Inc., he has led a successful consultancy for over 25 years, delivering practical, affordable and innovative business solutions to a wide array of clients. Respected across the ICT community, Gerry is a steadfast advocate for growth, collaboration, and best practices in the industry and wider community.

Matthew Cowen

Matthew Cowen is a seasoned expert in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) with over 30 years of experience. Having resided in the French West Indies for approximately 20 years, Matthew has dedicated this time to understanding the region from a technological perspective. Fluent in English and French, and conversant in French Creole, Matthew’s passion lies in exploring how technology shapes our world, both technically and socially.

Matthew has successfully worked on various projects across the Caribbean, in both English-speaking and French-speaking territories. His extensive experience is detailed in his Curriculum Vitae at matthewcowen.org. Matthew also writes a newsletter called The Future is Digital, which delves into issues surrounding digital technology, its use, and its impacts in the Caribbean. The newsletter occasionally explores global topics, reflecting the inherently global nature of digital technology. His goal is to help businesses understand and thrive in the digital environment.

Holding a master’s degree in Operational Management from ESSEC Business School (Paris), Matthew also possesses numerous industrial and sectorial certifications from organisations such as UNCTAD and Microsoft. He has worked with international organisations like UNESCO and USAID, as well as other business development projects in the Caribbean. Matthew is also a certified trainer for adults.

 

The topics discussed

First, with virtually everyone online, it makes sense for businesses to also advertise online. However, Are Caribbean businesses really benefitting from online advertising? With the value of online advertising estimated at USD 232.7 billion in 2023 and should reach USD 538.2 billion by 2032, what has been the real impact of online advertising on your business? We discuss.

For our second topic, we shift to the entrepreneurship and startup space to discuss the lack of collaboration that tends to occur. Often, we see the results. Businesses limping along, which could have been much further ahead had they been more open to strategic partnerships and building teams. Hence, our topic was, Learning and development – promoting a culture of learning and collaboration within our space.

Finally, regional telecommunication company, Digicel, in collaboration with Symptai Consulting Limited recently released its 2024 Caribbean Research Report and Maturity Guide under the theme, Navigating Digital Transformation. The panel discusses the findings of the report, which examines the progress and challenges faced by Caribbean businesses.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  G George;  M Cowen;  creativeart (Freepik);  rawpixel (Pixabay);  Freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez