During a recent press briefing at the Beachcombers Hotel, Minister of Tourism Dr. Kishore Shallow made a candid revelation regarding the appointment of Shafia London as the new Chief Executive Officer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority.
Speaking in the interest of public transparency, Dr. Shallow disclosed that London was actually identified as the top choice for the position over two years ago before the recruitment process was bypassed.
According to Minister Shallow, London participated in a “very robust, comprehensive recruitment process” approximately two years prior, which was spearheaded by an agency that included Trinidadian representatives. During this intensive search, London emerged and was officially identified as the leading candidate.
However, Dr. Shallow stated frankly that just before an agreement could be reached with London, the official process was “circumvented” and another individual was “handpicked” for the role instead. The Minister added that he recently had a lengthy discussion with the recruitment agency, who indicated they did not favor the individual who was ultimately selected at that time.
The CEO position became vacant again in December of last year. Armed with an understanding of the previous recruitment outcomes, Dr. Shallow personally reached out to London to ascertain if she was still available and interested in taking the helm of the Tourism Authority.
Following a favorable response from London, the appointment went through an additional layer of process and review. This included engagements with the Attorney General, Tourism Authority Chairperson Shelley-Ann Fraser, and ultimately received the full blessing and approval of the Prime Minister, Honorable Dr. Friday.
London, whom Dr. Shallow described as an “astute Vincentian business and civic leader,” brings a wealth of administrative and marketing expertise to the role. Her leadership is expected to be an invaluable asset in accelerating growth and elevating the nation’s tourism product in an increasingly competitive global market.