Press Releases
Chamber of Commerce 2007 Business Person(s) of Year
23 July 2007
The partnership of I. Chester Cooper, President & CEO of British American Financial and John F. Wilson, Partner at McKinney Bancroft & Hughes has proven to be a successful combination for the Bahamian Insurance & Financial Services Industries and has earned them the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’ 2007 Business Person (s) of the Year Award at the Annual Chamber of Commerce Ball on July 21, 2007 Both are the principals of BAB Holdings Limited, a company that recently acquired ownership of British American Financial through a management buy-out.
In accepting the award Cooper said “we hope that our receipt of this significant and prestigious recognition will be a catalyst for other professionals to awaken their entrepreneurial spirits and to experience the joy of building or buying a business”.
“We acknowledge the important contributions of the many retirees and the more than 200 current employees whose dedication has built the rich legacy & sustained the many successes of British American Financial. It is therefore on their behalf that we graciously accept, but boast of having acquired the oldest insurance company in the Bahamas. The legacy continues as we transform the company into a full financial services firm providing financial solutions for life!”
The transfer of ownership of the oldest Insurance Company in the Bahamas from foreign into Bahamian hands spoke volumes to the high level of commitment and skill of both Cooper and Wilson who personally crafted, negotiated and executed the multi-million dollar deal. Both relatively young, Cooper being 35 at the time of the deal, and Wilson 42, they serve as role models for other ambitious Bahamians who have the desire and determination to pursue their own dream of owning and building a business.
Mr. Cooper is no stranger to the public spotlight in the Bahamas. Former host of popular ZNS TV-13 financial talk show, “You & Your Money” and author of “Ask Chester about Saving, Planning and Investing for Retirement,” he is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO International), a Rotarian, and a Distinguished Toastmaster with an active public speaking schedule. He holds directorships of various companies and associations including British American Global Group Ltd; BAB Holdings Limited, Eleuthera Properties Limited, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, and the Bahamas Government Venture Capital Fund. Having studied in Exuma, Nassau, Canada, USA & the United Kingdom; he holds a BA in Economics & Finance, an MBA (with distinction) and an Associate Membership of the UK Securities Institute.
Having acquired extensive experience as an Investment Banker in Luxembourg and Ireland, Cooper returned to Nassau in 1999 and continued his employment with SG Hambros Bank & Trust (Bahamas) Limited. In 2001, he joined British American Insurance as Vice-President, Financial Services & Investments. Moving quickly through the ranks, he was officially appointed President & CEO in January 2006. He has since opened two additional branches, re-engineered the business model and lead the Company to one of its best financial years in the eighty-seven (87) year history, in terms of sales and net income. After the management buy-out in February 2007, the company was re-branded British American Financial, under the slogan the “The Best Just Got Better.” Cooper, who retained his position as President & Chief Executive Officer, is poised to lead the transformation of British American Financial to a full-services financial company.
John F. Wilson, one of the leading litigation attorneys in the country, was recently praised on becoming the first Bahamian attorney to lead a case at the Privy Council, being lauded by the Law Lords for presenting his case with “Skill, Economy & Charm” during its historic sitting in the Bahamas. A graduate of the University of Buckingham with honors, he is a Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, UK, a member of the Bar of Bahamas, Bar of England and Wales and upon passing the London Bar Exams in 1994, became one of the few Bahamians to ever obtain honors at the Michaelmas Exams.
A former lecturer of the University of London External Degree Program and ILEX Paralegal Program, he specializes in Commercial Litigation with concentration in Trust, Shipping and Fraud Recovery Litigation. Wilson has written articles on the Bahamas as a leading Ship Registry Centre, on Trustee Investments Powers under the Bahamas Trustee Act, and on “International Trust Under Fire the New Litigation landscape.” Recently he was a guest speaker at the University of the West Indies Commercial Law Workshop on the law of Tracing and Recovery of Stolen Assets. He is the contributing author of The Bahamas Chapter in the International Real Estate Handbook: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
British American Financial provides a full range of financial products and services including Life & Health Insurance, Investments, Mortgages, Annuities, Personal & Corporate Pension Funds and Mutual Funds.
COOPER-WILSON BCOC FEATURE - FINAL-1.doc ~23 KB 
