Board of Directors
The Board oversees the Company’s senior management in the competent and ethical operation of the Company and assures that the long-term interests of the shareholders are being served. To satisfy its duties, directors are expected to take a proactive, focused approach to their position to ensure that the Company is committed to success through the maintenance of high standards of responsibility and ethics.
David McConnell was appointed Chairman of IronRock in October 2018.
Mr. McConnell is also Co-Managing Director and Co-Founder of Select Brands Limited. In November 2017 he was appointed Chairman of Supreme Ventures Limited where he has overseen a revitalisation of the company’s operations. Mr. McConnell was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited in May 2018 . Previously he has held the position of Managing Director of Sales and Marketing for J Wray and Nephew Limited and General Manager for their Export Division.
Mr. McConnell has an MBA in Marketing Finance from the University of Miami and a Bachelors in Marketing and International Business from Florida International University.
Evan Thwaites is a Chartered Insurer and an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII). As the Managing Director of the Company he has primary oversight for its operations and the execution of its strategic business plan.
Mr. Thwaites was educated at Wolmer’s Boys’ School and completed management training courses in the U.S.A., the United Kingdom and Germany for the purposes of his professional development in the insurance and reinsurance industry. He spent over 30 years with Globe Insurance Company of Jamaica Limited (and its predecessor entity, Globe Insurance Company of the West Indies Limited), prior to its acquisition by Guardian Group, where he served as Managing Director. He subsequently worked as a consultant for Grace Kennedy Financial Services Limited and served as a Director of Jamaica International Insurance Company Limited, prior to forming IronRock.
Wayne Hardie is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a past member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). As the Finance Director of the Company he has responsibility for accounting and investment operations, as well as regulatory compliance.
Mr. Hardie is a graduate of Calabar High School and received overseas training for the purposes of his professional development in the insurance industry in Canada. He spent nearly 30 years with Globe Insurance Company of Jamaica Limited (and its predecessor entity, Globe Insurance Company of the West Indies Limited), prior to its acquisition by Guardian Group, where he was Financial Controller. He subsequently joined Guardian General Insurance Company of Jamaica Limited where he was Associate Vice President, I.T., Risk and Compliance.
Anthony Bell is an independent non-executive Director of the Company and brings to the Board his experience in management gained at a senior level in many prominent local companies.
Mr. Bell is a graduate of Jamaica College and South West London College, and he has worked as an accountant and financial controller throughout his career. He served as Managing Director of J. Wray and Nephew Limited and Chief Financial Officer of Lascelles de Mercado group of companies for over 30 years, retiring in 2011.
Jan Polack is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Couples Resorts, where her primary focus is to oversee the financial and administrative operations and continued expansion, in which she plays an integral role.
Ms. Polack joined IronRock in January 2017 as an independent non-executive Director.
Prior to these appointments Ms. Polack served as Financial Controller at a number of companies, most recently at Caribbean Producers, and is a former Director of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ms. Polack is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a bachelor of Accounting from St. Leo’s College, Florida.
Mr. Gary H. Peart has been the Chief Executive Officer of Mayberry Investments Limited since 2005, and has served on its Board of Directors since 2006. He has over twenty years of experience in the Jamaican financial industry, having worked in senior positions at leading financial institutions throughout his career, gaining experience in almost every business line including Corporate Finance, Equity, Fixed Income and Treasury Management..
Mr. Peart also serves as the Deputy Chairman on the Board of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and currently serves as Treasurer of the Jamaica Securities Dealers Association. He also serves as a Director at several other well-known Jamaican institutions including; LASCO Financial Services Limited and Lasco Distributors Limited.
Janene Shaw joined IronRock’s Board of Directors in May 2021 as an independent non-executive Director.
Ms. Shaw is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience and a proven track record in financial management, accounting and auditing.
Prior to joining the Board of IronRock, Ms. Shaw was the Finance of Director of Carreras from where she was responsible for the Strategic Financial Management of the Company and also acted as Company Secretary. Prior to that, Ms. Shaw was employed at J. Wray & Nephew Limited / Lascelles deMercado & Co. Limited where she held various senior finance positions being General Manager, Finance & Administration – JWN Agricultural Division, Group Financial Officer and Accounting and Treasury Director. Prior to that, Janene was employed at PriceWaterhouseCoopers where she gained progressive audit experience to the level of Audit Manager.
Christian Tavares-Finson joined IronRock on the 1st of January 2020 as a non-executive Director. Mr. Tavares-Finson is a prominent Attorney-at-law.
A graduate of McMasters University, he attended Norman Manley Law School and was admitted to the Jamaican Bar Association in 2009. In 2017 he was appointed as a Notary Public for the Parish of Kingston and St Andrew. He sits on several boards, including the Board of the Kingston Free Zone, and is passionate about charity work and his involvement in the 4Y’s Foundation is testament to this.
Mr. Tavares-Finson was appointed Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Jamaica in 2017 and serves as Justice of the Peace.
Raymond (Ray) Therrien joined IronRock on the 1st of January 2020 as an independent non-executive Director.
Mr. Therrien has been an executive Director of Fontana Limited for the past 18 years, and is the Chief Operations Officer of the company. At Fontana, Mr. Therrien oversees all aspects of Finance and the day to day operations of the organization, with key areas of focus being the pharmacy department and logistics for all overseas purchasing.
Prior to working at Fontana, Ray held senior sales and marketing roles for some of Canada’s largest pharmaceutical companies – including Sanofi Aventis and Roche. Mr. Therrien holds a BSc in Mathematics from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
