The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has agreed to recommend Sir David Harrison as Chairman of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus Council and, additionally, as Chairman of the Campus Endowment Fund.
Cabinet’s decision reflects Sir David’s exceptional record of leadership in business, philanthropy and education, and his longstanding commitment to advancing opportunities for young people both in Antigua and Barbuda and internationally.
Sir David is one of the United Kingdom’s leading entrepreneurs, with more than four decades of experience in business.
He is the Chairman of the Newcastle-based financial technology and financial services company, True Potential LLP, one of the UK’s fastest-growing firms in the sector. Prior to this, he founded Positive Solutions, which grew to become the largest financial advisory firm in the United Kingdom.
Beyond his business achievements, Sir David has distinguished himself as a passionate advocate for education and social mobility.
Through the Harrison Foundation and the Harrison Centres for Social Mobility, he has invested significantly in programmes designed to support disadvantaged youth and expand access to education and employment opportunities. He has established several Harrison Centres in the United Kingdom and the first overseas Harrison Centre in Antigua and Barbuda.
Cabinet also acknowledged Sir David’s extraordinary generosity to Antigua and Barbuda, including his support for educational and youth development initiatives and his substantial financial contributions to programmes aimed at empowering young people.
Recent reports have highlighted his commitment to investing millions of pounds to support social mobility and educational advancement within the country.
In 2022, Sir David was conferred with the Knight Grand Cross of The Most Distinguished Order of the Nation by Antigua and Barbuda in recognition of his outstanding services to business, education and social mobility.
Cabinet expressed confidence that Sir David’s vast experience, visionary leadership and deep commitment to education will help propel the UWI Five Islands Campus to even greater heights as it continues to expand its role as the premier tertiary institution serving Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Established in 2019 as The UWI’s fifth landed campus, UWI Five Islands was created to broaden access to higher education across the Eastern Caribbean and has become a cornerstone of the Government’s vision for human capital development and regional leadership in education.
Cabinet believes that Sir David Harrison’s stewardship of both the Campus Council and the Endowment Fund will strengthen the institution’s governance, enhance fundraising efforts, and accelerate the realization of a bold and transformative vision for higher education in Antigua and Barbuda.