With nearly US$1 billion in investments facilitated to date, including US$34 million in fiscal year 2025/26 alone, the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) has become one of the most consequential institutions in Jamaica’s growth architecture.
At its helm is Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, who assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer on November 1, 2023. Her appointment was more than a leadership transition — it was a strategic elevation of a professional whose career has been meticulously aligned with Jamaica’s investment ambitions.
As Jamaica strengthens its investment climate, modernises core legislation — including the Insolvency, Partnership, and Companies Acts — and advances transformative SEZ investments in 2026/27, Hamilton’s background places her at a critical intersection of policy, promotion, and execution.
A Career Designed for Investment Leadership
Hamilton’s professional journey reads like a blueprint for SEZ leadership.
Before becoming CEO, she served as Director of Investor Relations and Communications at JSEZA, where she honed her reputation as an effective investment facilitator. In that role, she worked directly with investors navigating the SEZ framework — translating legislation into opportunity and aligning private capital with national development goals.
That experience gave her three enduring advantages:
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Deep familiarity with the SEZ regulatory architecture
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First-hand understanding of investor concerns and operational realities
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Credibility within both government and private-sector circles
Unlike leaders who must learn the mechanics of an agency after appointment, Hamilton entered the CEO role already fluent in its institutional language.
Policy Depth Meets Market Pragmatism
Hamilton’s earlier tenure at the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) further broadened her investment acumen. There, she worked across special projects, research, business development, and capacity building — particularly within the services sector.
As a certified Services Go Global Trainer, she empowered Caribbean entrepreneurs to expand into overseas markets, reinforcing a mindset that economic development is not merely about attracting foreign capital — but also about equipping domestic enterprises to scale globally.
This dual perspective — inward investment and outward expansion — is particularly powerful for SEZ development, where global competitiveness must coexist with local enterprise growth.
Why Her Expertise Matters Now
Jamaica’s SEZ framework was established under the Special Economic Zones Act of 2016 to modernise the country’s approach to export-led growth, logistics, digital services, manufacturing, and international financial services.
As the Government moves to:
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Modernise key commercial legislation,
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Implement a revised MSME Policy, and
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Support transformative SEZ investments in 2026/27,
the CEO of JSEZA must operate not only as an administrator but as a strategic orchestrator of capital flows.
Hamilton’s background in comparative politics and international relations — both earned at the University of the West Indies, Mona — adds analytical depth to her practical experience. It equips her to understand geopolitical shifts, trade realignments, and global investment patterns that increasingly influence where companies choose to locate.
A Connector Across Jamaica’s Governance Landscape
Hamilton’s board service further enhances her strategic reach. She sits on the boards of:
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Spectrum Management Authority of Jamaica
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Jamaica International Financial Services Authority
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Rural Agricultural Development Authority
These roles provide insight into telecommunications infrastructure, international financial services regulation, and agricultural development — all sectors with potential intersection points within SEZ operations.
For company leaders considering locating within a Jamaican SEZ, this governance connectivity matters. It means the Authority’s leadership understands how various regulatory ecosystems interact — from spectrum allocation to financial services licensing — and can guide investors through them strategically.
What This Means for Executives Considering Jamaica’s SEZs
For multinational corporations, logistics firms, digital service providers, manufacturers, and financial services entities evaluating Jamaica as a base of operations, Hamilton’s leadership offers several advantages:
1. Strategic Clarity
Executives benefit from a CEO who understands both the policy intent and operational mechanics of SEZ incentives — ensuring alignment between business models and regulatory frameworks.
2. Communication Fluency
Hamilton’s background in investor relations ensures that dialogue between investors and government remains structured, transparent, and solutions-oriented.
3. Regional Perspective
Her Caribbean-wide engagement in entrepreneurship and services exports provides insight into how Jamaica’s SEZs can serve as gateways not just to North America, but to the broader Caribbean basin.
4. Reform Awareness
As Jamaica modernises key commercial laws and advances MSME reforms, companies operating within SEZs will need leadership that understands how these changes affect capital structure, partnerships, and corporate governance.
Leadership in a Moment of Resilience
Jamaica’s economic trajectory in 2025/26 has unfolded against the backdrop of recovery from Hurricane Melissa. Yet even amid rebuilding, the Government facilitated significant investment flows, reinforcing resilience and forward momentum.
Hamilton now leads an Authority positioned at the centre of that resilience strategy — one designed to:
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Attract capital,
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Strengthen MSMEs,
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Modernise regulatory frameworks, and
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Enhance Jamaica’s global competitiveness.
A Defining Voice for Businessuite Women
For Businessuite Women, Hamilton’s rise underscores an important narrative: expertise in policy, communications, and international trade can translate into transformative executive leadership.
Her career demonstrates that investment facilitation is not merely transactional — it is strategic, relational, and deeply embedded in governance networks.
As companies across logistics, fintech, manufacturing, and digital services evaluate the Caribbean as a nearshore and global operations hub, Jamaica’s SEZ ecosystem will remain a focal point. Under Kelli-Dawn Hamilton’s leadership, that ecosystem is guided by someone who understands both the architecture of growth and the human relationships that make it possible.
In the evolving story of Jamaica’s economic competitiveness, her tenure may prove pivotal — not only for the Authority she leads, but for the investors and enterprises that choose to build within it.
