In just over six months, Christopher Williams will exit the stage as operational head of Proven and head into retirement, with no word yet as to who his successor is likely to be.
In the past 14 years, Williams has helmed one of Jamaica’s most dynamic companies, which he grew from a start-up with just US$141 million in assets when it went public and entered the market, to an established operation with tentacles stretching beyond Jamaica and assets of more than US$1 billion.
Williams is CEO of Proven Management Limited, PML, which was founded by him and three other investors – Garfield Sinclair, Peter Bunting and Mark Golding – all of whom were involved at some level in former and pioneering investment bank Dehring Bunting & Golding prior to its purchase by Scotiabank Jamaica.
Before launching out as co-investor in Proven, Williams ran NCB Capital Markets for about five years, further honing his reputation as an investment banker who delivered good returns.
PML is the investment management company for Proven Group Limited, formerly known as Proven Investments Limited. The group comprises businesses in real estate, pension and investment management, banking and manufacturing, with a regional footprint that touches Barbados, St Lucia and Cayman Islands, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and The Bahamas, and even further when its holdings in microlender Access Financial Services Limited and financial conglomerate JMMB Group Limited are taken into account.
Proven Group’s primary operations include Proven Wealth, Proven Properties and Proven Bank, while its investments also include Roberts Manufacturing.
Williams will retire officially on January 31, 2025, a date which will also mark the 15th year of Proven Group’s founding, the company said in a market filing.
“While retiring from daily executive operations, Williams will remain a significant shareholder, active director of PML, and member of the investment management committee and will continue to sit on the board of directors of a number of Proven Group’s subsidiaries,” the company said.
Proven Group Limited’s assets are now estimated at US$1.1 billion, while its book value, or net worth, is over US$126 million, based on its year-end financial results released last week. The investment company made a profit of US$13.6 million for the year.
Proven listed in 2011 as the pioneering stock on the JSE US Dollar Market. Its capitalisation as of Wednesday was US$96.2 million, and $15.9 billion in Jamaican dollar terms.