ONE OF THE 100 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN THE TRAVEL BUSINESS
Mrs. Fay Pickersgill, the Executive director of Tourism Action Plan Ltd. (TAP) and wife of Anthony Pickersgill, the brother of Minister of Public Utilities, Mining and Energy, Robert Pickersgill is the new director of Tourism. Her appointment comes two years after the then Director of Tourism, Robert Stevens, quit the post.
Mrs. Pickersgill’s appointment becomes effective on February 1. Ray Barrett, the director- /chairman under a temporary arrangement” which lasted all of two years, will remain as chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Industry, Tourism and Commerce Minister, Senator Carlyle Dunkley, announced the appointment of the new Director of Tourism at yesterday’s post- Cabinet news briefing at the Jamaica House Press Centre. He said the appointment was unanimously approved by Cabinet.
Mrs. Pickersgill holds a Masters degree in Accounting and Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of the West Indies, (UWI) and is the mother of two daughters.
Mrs. Pickersgill brought to the directorship a wealth of experience gained in the tourism industry, having served there for 25 years. “Mrs. Pickersgill brings to the post an intimate knowledge and understanding of the industry and has consistently demonstrated a dynamic approach to her varied tasks,” Senator Dunkley told journalists. “She has displayed strong management capability as well as team-building and leadership qualities.”
He noted that she served as director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Jamaica Tourist Board/Ministry of Tourism, where she initiated, developed and implemented new market evaluation strategies for the tourism industry and chairman of the Committee which prepared the Tourism Five Year Development Plan.
She also served on a number of Boards, including the JTB, and is a council member of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, (JHTA),and a director of the Airports Authority of Jamaica, the Greater Montego Bay Re-Development Company, the NegrilGreen -Island Local Planning Authority and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
Fay Pickersgill has been named as one of the 100 most powerful women in the travel business. Fay served Jamaica’s tourism with distinction for more than 30 years.
“As a director of the JTB, she made an indelible impression on the historic landmark of the Board’s achievements. Her creative energies were unleashed in the formation of the Tourism Action Plan Limited, a forerunner to TPDCO. “It was under her leadership at the Tourist Board that Jamaica was credited as being ‘the most complete and diverse warm weather destination’. “Perhaps one of Fay’s crowning achievement is her pivotal role played in transforming the attitude of young Jamaicans towards tourism. She successfully brought tourism to the classroom, when she collaborated with the Ministry of Education to introduce the subject in the school’s curriculum”.
NATIONAL HONOUR
Mrs. Pickersgill holds the National Honour, Commander of Distinction.
