There are moments in one’s career that feel like quiet confirmations - not just of personal achievement, but of purpose. Being named Citywealth Powerwoman of the Year - Caribbean, was one of those moments for Ayana Hull. She received that recognition with deeply expressed gratitude, but also with clarity: it was not simply a celebration of where she is. It is a call to action for what she must continue to do because none of us rises alone.
A Journey That Came Full Circle
Ayana’s professional journey has never been linear, but it has always been intentional. She admits that law was not even her first career. She initially pursued a business degree in marketing, having obtained a leave of absence from the BVI Ports Authority in 1993 to study at the Florida State University. She returned in 1996 at the age of 21 and was appointed Administrative Manager of the BVI Ports Authority, serving also as Corporate Secretary to the Board.
In fact, it was in that boardroom at Port Purcell between 1996 and 1997, during a discussion on a cruise pier expansion project, that a tense commercial dispute arose regarding the distinction between a contract and a letter of intent. In that moment, her childhood love for the law was reignited. By the fall of 1999, she had left home to embark on her legal studies.
By the time she returned from law school, she was already navigating the profession at a later starting point than many of her peers. Following a short stint at the Financial Services Commission and a two-year training contract at Walkers (BVI), she began her post-qualification experience at the Maples Group, practicing in the investment funds team and shaping her early legal career. During this period, she was also raising two young children, prioritising their growth and development over accelerating her own career trajectory. Her role as a mother necessarily meant that her professional journey progressed at a more measured pace in those early years.
In 2013, after seven years at Maples, where she was by then a Senior Associate, an opportunity arose at Harneys to deepen her involvement in regulatory law. Recognising the global expansion of regulatory frameworks and the Harneys’ commitment to building out that practice area, she made the transition. In over more than a decade at Harneys, she grew into leadership, deepened her expertise in regulatory and financial services, and built a practice grounded in substance, credibility, and impact.
During her tenure at Harneys, she received multiple partnership invitations across the industry, including opportunities within Harneys itself and from other firms. One notable invitation was to serve as Managing Partner of a respected offshore legal outfit entering the BVI. Her decisions regarding these opportunities remain personal. However, she was clear on one point: it would take a very compelling opportunity from a leading firm to prompt her departure from Harneys.
That opportunity came. In November 2025, she received an offer to return to the Maples Group, the largest and most successful offshore law firm globally as Partner and Head of Regulatory & Financial Services in the BVI. This was not simply a return. It was an evolution. She returned in February 2026, not as who she was in 2013, but as who she had become - with broader vision, deeper conviction, and an even stronger commitment to shaping the future of the jurisdiction.
The Heart Behind the Work
Beyond boardrooms, legislation, and titles, Ayana’s greatest motivation, by her own avowal, has always been legacy. As a mother, she is acutely aware that her children are watching. Her son, Rikkoi Brathwaite, has stepped onto the global stage as an Olympian and graduate of Indiana University. Her daughter, Rikkiya Brathwaite, has represented the Virgin Islands internationally in the arts and as Miss World British Virgin Islands 2019, setting remarkable precedents during her tenure.
Yet, for her, their titles are not what matter most. What matters is that they see, through her journey, what it means to walk in purpose, to persevere, and to lead with integrity. She hopes that they, and every young person observing, understand that success is not accidental. It is built in quiet discipline, in uncomfortable seasons of growth, and in the courage to continue even when the path is not fully clear.
Leadership Beyond Self
Ayana has always placed greater value on substance than titles. While she recognises the role titles play in commerce, she does not define leadership by them. Leadership, in her view, is defined by who one brings along. It is measured by service, by contribution to community, and by the opportunities created for others, not by financial gain alone. Throughout her career, particularly during her tenure at Harneys, she trained and mentored many Virgin Islanders, several of whom have gone on to leading positions within regulatory authorities and serve as general counsel within corporate services providers in the financial services industry. These are amongst the achievements she hold most dear.
As a Virgin Islander, she carries a strong sense of responsibility to ensure that the next generation, particularly young women in financial services, can see what is possible, not just in theory, but in practice. She wants them to understand that they can lead in boardrooms, shape regulatory frameworks, sit at global tables, and influence international finance, all while remaining grounded in their identity, family, integrity and heritage.
Why This Matters for the BVI
The future of the British Virgin Islands as a leading financial centre depends not only on innovation, regulation, and global competitiveness, but on people. Virgin Islanders must be central to that future. Investment in local talent, deliberate mentorship, and the creation of structured pathways for advancement are essential. Sustainable leadership requires a pipeline of capable, confident, and globally competitive talent, inclusive of Virgin Islanders, ready to lead. This does not happen by accident. It requires local and intentional action from those in helm positions to curate programmes of escalation and remove barriers. There must be no glass ceiling for Virgin Islanders in particular.
Advice to the Next Generation
Ayana offers clear and direct advice to young professionals: Partnership and senior leadership are not milestones to be claimed by entitlement or by virtue of being “Born Here.” They are earned through experience, discipline, and time in the trenches. The law does not reward shortcuts. Credibility is built case by case, opinion by opinion, decision by decision.
Young lawyers are encouraged to resist the urge to rush toward power and instead focus on mastering their craft so thoroughly that their knowledge is never questioned and their judgment is consistently trusted. Titles may be granted, but true authority is earned through competence. She also cautions against pursuing leadership roles solely for financial gain. Recalling advice from her father at the age of twenty-one, she reflects: “Do not chase money. Do the work, and they will respect your work and pay you.” This principle has guided her career for over three decades and it is advice she gives verbatim to her children. The race is not always given to the swift…: Ecclesiastes 9:11.
A Personal Commitment
As she steps into this new chapter at the Maples Group, Ayana does so with a renewed commitment to lead with excellence, mentor with intention, and create space for others, particularly women, to rise. Her journey demonstrates that one does not need a complete map to succeed. What is required is focus, courage, discipline, and perseverance.
Reflections
In reflective tone, she believes that the Rotary Club of Road Town Award in August 2014 for “great contribution to literacy in the British Virgin Islands”, highlighted her pre-occupation with education and national pride. The Virgin Islands Party Nation Builder Award she received in November 2018 affirmed her national purpose, and her continuous contribution to national development. The Future Leader Award she received from BVI Finance in 2021 signalled promise, acknowledging her trajectory and the responsibility ahead in shaping generations. And the Citywealth Caribbean Woman of the Year Award she recently received, recognising her professional prowess, is refreshing but is not a destination. It stands as an unexpected, yet deeply welcomed regional validation, a clear marker that her work, impact, and journey have not gone unnoticed, and that the world is acknowledging. Together, these honours serve as reminders that true impact is measured not only by individual achievement, but by what is made possible for others.
As she marks this moment of elevation and accomplishment, she does so with gratitude, humility, and purpose. The work continues she reasons. So too does her commitment to bringing other Virgin Islanders with her.
Guavaberry Media extends congratulations to Miss Hull as she takes on this new role in her career, and as she continues to aspire.