For a country that is a mere 166 square miles, Barbados is privileged to have produced an extraordinary number of eminent and internationally revered persons of excellence.Among those proud Barbadian products is economist Dr Kevin Greenidge, who will step into the Governor’s chair from March 1, becoming the eighth head of the island’s lead financial institution and regulator of the banking sector.The 54-year-old comes from a humble background, growing up in a low-income urban community. He readily admits that it is Barbados’ free educational system that was the catalyst for his personal and professional successes.His academic qualifications are stellar with a BSc in economics with first class honours from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. This was followed by a master’s in economics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and a PhD from the University of Nottingham, also in the UK.In one of his first comments after the announcement of his appointment, Dr Greenidge paid homage to the local educational system that helped to shape him.
