Information reaching our newsroom is that Dr. Robert Mathavious, OBE has died. He was the first Managing Director and CEO of the BVI Financial Services Commission. It is understood that he passed away at Jackson Memorial in Florida early this morning.
Dr. Mathavious, OBE had a long career of over thirty-five years in public service, and retired as the head of the FSC on 31st December 2020. In that same year, he was honoured during the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours with an Order of the British Empire (OBE).
He is noted as one of the architects of the BVI's success as a financial services centre, which has yielded significant income-generating opportunities for the Virgin Islands, its people and residents.
Dr. Mathavious' work for the two plus decades was solely devoted to building the foundation for the development of the Virgin Islands' financial industry.
Impressed by his reach and his regional and international contributions to organizations like the OECS, CARICOM; EU, IMF, CFATF, FATF and many others, the University of the West Indies awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in 2018.
In November 2021, the Financial Services Institute at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) was renamed the HLSCC Robert Mathavious Institute of Financial Services in honour of the financial services stalwart.
On July 1, 2024, Dr Mathavious, OBE, was honoured with the VIcon Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the financial services sector in the BVI, and his enduring legacies at the inaugural event.
In announcing his retirement from the Commission back in 2020, a quote from Dr. Mathavious said:
"Whenever I reflect on our country's journey and development as an International Finance Centre (IFC), how we had done it and where we started – we've got so much to be thankful for. The BVI has evolved into a modern, forward-looking IFC that has matured and garnered widespread international recognition.”
Dr. Robert Mathavious, OBE celebrated his final birthday on September 1, just a couple weeks ago. A body of his writings can be found here.
https://robertmathavious.com
The Editor in Chief of Guavaberry Media, and the entire GBM family, extends deepest and sincerest condolences to the family of Dr. Mathavious. We thank him for his contributions to the development and betterment of the Territory.