Tweet

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 2026 — It is the end of a defining era and the beginning of a bold new chapter at the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE), as longtime Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Trevor Blake steps aside after more than two decades of distinguished service, making way for the appointment of respected regional financial leader Mr. Stewart Haynes as the Exchange’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Haynes officially assumed office on June 1, 2026, as the ECSE prepares to mark its historic 25th anniversary on October 19, 2026. But while the appointment signals fresh leadership for the future, the moment is also being widely recognized as a powerful tribute to the legacy of Mr. Blake, whose steady hand, institutional knowledge, and unwavering commitment helped build and strengthen one of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s most important financial market institutions.

For more than twenty years, Trevor Blake stood at the center of the ECSE’s development, helping to guide the Exchange through the critical stages of growth, credibility-building, market confidence, and regional capital market advancement. His contribution helped shape the ECSE into a trusted institution serving the wider Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.

His retirement marks a major transition for the regional financial sector. Under his leadership, the ECSE became a key pillar in the region’s investment framework, supporting the development of capital markets, facilitating access to investment opportunities, and strengthening the financial infrastructure needed for long-term economic advancement.

Mr. Blake’s tenure was not merely administrative. It was transformational. Over more than two decades, he helped nurture confidence in the ECSE, supported the expansion of regional securities market activity, and contributed significantly to the credibility of the institution at a time when small economies across the Eastern Caribbean were increasingly focused on investment, transparency, regulation, and wealth creation.

His legacy is one of discipline, professionalism, and public service to the financial architecture of the region. As Managing Director and CEO, Blake’s leadership helped position the ECSE as a respected capital market institution and a critical component of the Eastern Caribbean’s economic development machinery.

Stepping into this important role is Mr. Stewart Haynes, a national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who brings a strong record of strategic financial leadership, governance, investment management, risk oversight, and institutional development.

Haynes joins the ECSE after serving for nine years as Director of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Insurance Services, where he led one of that country’s most significant financial institutions. His appointment comes at a defining moment for the ECSE, as the institution looks toward innovation, digital transformation, financial inclusion, market deepening, and expanded investment opportunities across the region.

A widely respected figure in the regional financial services sector, Haynes currently serves as a Director of the Financial Services Authority, the East Caribbean Financial Holding Company, and the Eastern Caribbean Home Mortgage Bank.

His academic and professional credentials are equally impressive. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master of Science degree in Actuarial Management, specializing in Investment Management, from CASS Business School in London. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and an Accredited Director.

In accepting the appointment, Haynes expressed appreciation to the ECSE Board of Directors for entrusting him with leadership of the institution at what he described as a pivotal stage in its journey. He said he was honoured to join the ECSE and committed to building on the strong foundation laid over the past 24-plus years.

He also pledged to work closely with the Board, employees, regulators, market participants, and stakeholders throughout the region to advance the ECSE’s strategic vision of becoming a trusted, digital, and inclusive capital market institution supporting sustainable economic growth and investment opportunities across the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.

As the ECSE approaches its silver anniversary, the leadership transition carries deep symbolic weight. It is a salute to the foundational work and sterling service of Trevor Blake, whose more than two decades of leadership helped bring the Exchange to this milestone. It is also a signal of renewal, as Stewart Haynes takes responsibility for guiding the institution into its next phase.

The ECSE now enters a new era standing firmly on the foundation built by Blake’s long and distinguished service, while looking ahead under Haynes’ leadership to a future shaped by innovation, stronger markets, broader participation, and deeper regional economic opportunity.

For the Eastern Caribbean, this is more than a corporate appointment. It is a passing of the baton at one of the region’s most important financial institutions — from a respected builder of the ECSE’s legacy to a new leader charged with carrying that legacy forward.