St Kitts and Nevis: Michael Martin replaces Les Khan as CEO of CIU

St Kitts and Nevis: Michael Martin was appointed as the head of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) on December 13, 2022. He has now officially replaced Les Khan as the head of the CIU. 

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, National Security, Citizenship and Immigration, Health and Social Security- Dr Terrance Drew introduced the new Head of CIU after visiting the Unit.

Michael Martin has remained one of the top service providers in the industry and is no stranger to the CBI industry. According to his biography, Martin served in top managerial positions in a number of companies. The companies are National Caribbean Insurance Company, National Bank Trust Company, and Sagicor Life Inc. 

He has also remained as the past Director of the Insurance Association of the Caribbean, Honorary Secretary of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society Council of Management as well as a Director of First Federal Cooperative Credit Union.

As per his education qualification, Martin has a graduate diploma from the International Compliance Association and Manchester Business School. He also holds a certificate in International Trust Management from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and a certificate in Managing Financial Services from the University of the West Indies.

During the appointment ceremony, Micheal Martin expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew and his administration for showing trust in him. He stated that he is excited about this very important assignment and committed to working efficiently on the new task. 

Outlining his plans, Martin asserted that he will start his work with situational analyses of the current status of the Unit. He stressed that the Unit will witness the efficient work to determine the effectiveness and credibility of the Citizenship by Investment Programme of St Kitts and Nevis. 

Martin cited that the CBI programme played a significant role in the development of the country and its people. The focal point of their work will be rebranding and refocusing the programme. 

He mentioned that with the proper and strategic goals, they will create some new investment options that would be aligned with those strategic goals. “

Martin stated that the Citizenship by Investment Programme will witness exceptional evolution with an aim to advance the country. “We will be looking at emerging markets and redefining our target client. There must be some exclusivity to it,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Attorney General Garth Wilkin, Cabinet Secretary Marcus Natta, and Operations Manager at CIU Larry Vaughn.