Our Executive Team

Chester Cooper, is President & CEO of BAF Financial and a principal of BAB Holdings Limited, the company that led the buyout of British American Bahamas on February 5, 2007, and founded the ultimate parent, BAF Global Group Ltd. 

He joined the company, formerly British American Financial as Vice President, Financial Services & Investments in 2001. Prior to that, he worked as an Investment Banker in Luxembourg, Dublin and The Bahamas for eight years. He has significant international experience in the areas of Corporate Trust & Fiduciary Services, Financial & Retirement Planning, Investment Fund Services, Mutual Funds and Pensions Management. He has served as a High School business teacher and more recently was employed as Head of Corporate Services with SG Hambros Bank & Trust.

Having studied in Exuma, Nassau, Canada, USA & the United Kingdom; he holds a BA in Economics & Finance, an MBA and an Associate Membership of the UK Securities Institute. He is a Community Activist with an active public speaking schedule. He holds Directorships of numerous companies and associations including the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, and the Bahamas Government Venture Capital Fund. He is also a Rotarian, a Distinguished Toastmaster, host of the financial talk show "You & Your Money" on ZNS TV-13, and author of the book "Ask Chester about Savings, Planning and Investing for Retirement."

He also serves as Honorary Consul for the Slovak Republic.

 

Sandy Morley is Vice President & Group Chief Financial Officer. In this role he is responsible for finance and operations.

Mr. Morley most recently was employed at a local domestic bank for numerous years where he served as the financial controller. He has also worked extensively as an auditor and accountant. He holds a Bachelors degree in Business, with concentration in accounting. Mr. Morley is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants, The Georgia State Board of Accountancy and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He serves in a number of civic organizations and enjoys working with young people.

Mr. Dashwell E. Flowers, Vice President & Head of Sales

Dashwell E. Flowers is Vice President and Head of Sales, a role that will maximize his over 27 years of experience and proven skills in the Insurance industry.

 Dashwell is a graduate of the College of The Bahamas and The American College, Pennsylvania. He has attained several insurance designations including Certificate in Principles of Life & Health Insurance (LOMA), Certified Insurance Agency Management (CIAM) and LIMRA Executive Leadership Program (LLIF). He has held many positions within the industry including Director, LIMRA Executive Board for the Caribbean, 2007-2009 and served on the Board of Directors for the Life Underwriters Association of Grand Bahamas in various capacities in the nineties.

He is an active community member, a Rotarian,  Toastmaster and a member of the National Child Abuse Committee and National Adoption Committee for Grand Bahamas.

In this role he leads the investment advisory business and contributes to the transformation of the Company to a full financial services firm. He provides investment support for the Individual & Corporate Pension business and Financial Planning initiatives. He championed the launch of the Company's mutual funds and other exciting products & services designed to provide both insurance protection and wealth creation.

Mr. Halkitis is a member of the senate and served as Member of Parliament for the Adelaide Constituency and Parliamentary Secretary, in the Ministry of Finance from 2002 to 2007, where he assisted the Minister of State for Finance in implementing Government policy with emphasis on small business development as well as financial and budgetary matters including legislation. He also served as Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation and Chairman of the Bahamas Venture Capital Fund. He s a chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) by profession.

Mr. Wendell Smith, Consultant, Training

Wendell E. Smith is the Consultant with direct responsibility for Training. In his role as consultant, he works with the training department to develop and advance the education and training programmes for the company, globally.  Mr. Smith, a 30+ year veteran of the financial services industry, recently retired from BAF Financial as AVP, Sales and Development. He brings to the position a wealth of experience and plethora of insurance designations. He is a LIMRA Lecturer and  certified to lecture in several courses including the Chartered Life Underwriters Course, Certified Financial Planner and the Chartered Insurance Managers Training Course.

Mr. Smith is an activity community member who maintains membership and positions on many associations, a  Justice of The Peace and a Government Registered Assessor.

Deborah L. Parker is currently the Senior Manager of Human Resources, Training and Business Support at BAF Financial. She joined the Company in September 2005 after serving as a Secondary School Educator at St. Anne’s High School.

Deborah is a graduate of St. John’s College home of the ‘green giants’. She obtained her Associates Degree in Biology from the College of the Bahamas in 1988. In 1992 she graduated from Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (double minor Chemistry & French). 

Since joining BAF she has continued her quest for knowledge and pursued the Associate of Customer Service designation from LOMA (Life Office Management Association), the Professional in Human Resources designation (PHR) from the Human Resource Certification Institute, Certificates in Employment Law and Industrial Procedure through local organizations and several other HR courses through The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She is a member of SHRM and the Bahamas Human Resource Development Association (BHRDA).  

Mr. Diarra Miller, Senior Manager, Finance

Diarra Miller  is the Senior Manager, Finance. In this role he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the accounting department and ensuring that the company is current with its regulatory reports.

Mr. Miller wealth of experience in the banking and finance industries includes expertise in trust, pensions and asset management as well as financial audits. Prior to joining BAF in October 2010, he was a manager with the prestigious accounting firm of Ernst & Young where he spent several years honing his skills. He holds a BSc in Business Administration (specialty in Accounting), Nova Southeastern University (December 2003), is a Certified Public Accountant, a Licensed member, Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.