50 Most Powerful Jamaican Women in Business for 2012

BUSINESSUITE Magazines Annual ranking of Jamaica’s leading businesswomen

A woman of power: she is ambitious, a risk-taker, driven, determined, creative, a confident leader; she is unafraid to allow her passions to order her steps, or her gifts and talents to become her own personal calling card. Across Jamaica, there are powerful women in all sectors, so picking the 50 most powerful is a daunting task to say the least.

How we pick the Power 50

The list is compiled by BUSINESSUITE Magazine based on an established format created by FORTUNE editors, who consider four criteria:

1. The size and importance of the woman’s business in the Jamaican economy,
2. The health and direction of the business,
3. The arc of the woman’s career,
4. Societal and cultural influence.

Note however that Businessuite was not privy to financial statements from the various companies mentioned, and as such this was not factored into our listing and placements. Readers are therefore free to debate and discuss the names and placement of individuals. However, applying the criteria listed above, BUSINESSUITE Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for 2012 are:

49. Kay Osborne

# 49 Kay Osborne, Former General Manager, Television Jamaica (TVJ)

Kay Osborne served in executive leadership positions with US Fortune 500 companies for many years, and was even named by Ebony magazine as one of the 150 most powerful Black women in corporate America, before returning to Jamaica as TVJ general manager in 2004. Under her watch, TVJ has rolled out a number of popular programmes, such as Digicel Rising Stars, and remains a dominant force in the local electronic media landscape. Six months after stepping down at TVJ, Osborne recently founded Kay Osborne Associates, designed to help organizations clarify, develop and implement management, organizational and communication strategies in order for them to achieve their mission. BM