A corporate communications expert focused on development, Carlton James has decades of hands-on, professional experience in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean. For 13 years, Carlton James has served as a director of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), the top banker in Guyana. At GBTI, he heads the Marketing Committee and is responsible for maintaining the bank’s positive relationships with local communities. As the bank expands its opportunities and services, he ensures that the people of Guyana are aware of them.

Earlier in his career, Carlton James spent seven years working as an advocacy and communications advisor for the Office of the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. He worked closely with CARICOM’s member states, advising them on civil society engagement. His projects included a fisheries resource assessment in Belize and engaging local populations on energy use concerns.

Carlton James also served as a public and government affairs manager and director of government relations for ExxonMobil Guyana. This position involved facilitating communications between the corporation and the Guyanese government, as well as indigenous communities and private sector stakeholders.