Alva McCall, Deputy Director of Policy, Research and Statistics at the Financial Services Commission

Alva McCall

She joined the Financial Services Commission (FSC) two years ago after successfully applying for the post of Senior Policy Research Officer, and was promoted to Deputy Director of Policy, Research and Statistics in June of this year.

In her current position, Ms. McCall and the other members of her Division function as the strategic intelligence and policy development unit of the FSC.  She is responsible for researching regulatory issues, providing strategic policy advice and liaising with international standard setting organisations, especially the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and the International Monetary Fund.

“Work can be challenging at times, especially in light of the constant changes in the international arena. You always have to stay attuned to what is happening globally in order to be able to provide appropriate advice, but I enjoy it because it exposes me to every aspect of the industry, so I’m constantly learning,” said Ms. McCall.

However, working in financial services was not her first career path.

Ms. McCall, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and Decision Sciences from Virginia State University, spent ten years at Cable and Wireless (C&W) in the IT and Engineering Departments, in various roles including that of Programmer/Analyst, Projects and Special Platforms Manager and Switching and IT Manager.

Prior to that, she worked as a Software Engineer at Rancal Information Systems.

However, after re-evaluating her career options, Ms. McCall decided to pursue her MBA in Finance which she obtained from Wright State University.  This allowed her the opportunity to move on to the Legislative Council, now House of Assembly, where she spent four and a half years, first as Deputy Clerk then as Clerk,  before joining the FSC.

In fact, she became the first Clerk of the House of Assembly after the constitutional change of name in 2007.

“I have been blessed with having such a diverse background.  All of my jobs have been fascinating in their own right; and the challenges and opportunities they brought have continuously encouraged me to strive for excellence,” McCall disclosed, “I firmly believe that in life you can accomplish anything through honesty and hard work.”

This she says is something her parents taught her at a very young age and credits her success to the unconditional support she has always received from her family.

Ms. McCall is the daughter of Ashton and Patricia McCall and has one brother, Ashton Jr., who is an architect.

Born on Tortola, Ms. McCall attended the St George’s Primary School before gaining her secondary education at Codrington High School in Barbados.

Describing herself in three words, Ms. McCall said she is focused, dedicated, but most importantly family-oriented, and her motto in life is “if you are going to do something, do it properly and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t accomplish what you want to.”

When she is not working she loves to read, swim and go sailing when she can.

In addition, Ms. McCall has a third degree brown belt in karate and is a member of the Zonta Club of Tortola, a service organisation dedicated to the advancement of the status of women.