HRMATT Board of Directors

Fana Nelson is currently a passionate Senior Human Resources professional with over 12 years’ experience in the Financial, Telecommunication, Manufacturing/Production, Insurance, Retail and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) industries.

With a strong background in people resources, Fana considers herself a people builder. She is enthusiastic about the development of others and encourages a workforce of growth, learning and continuous advancement and engagement. Fana always speaks of and supports the HR strategy of any organisations. She believes the people are the foundation and the support/importance of people in the organisation is non-negotiable.

Fana is long standing member of HRMATT and was recently appointed to the board as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. She is also a SME partner for CSHRP – The Caribbean Society of Human Resource Professionals. Apart from support the people side of the business, Fana also lends her time volunteering and supporting other NGO’s in various areas.
She is the holder of a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Human Resource Management (honours) and a Master’s in Strategic Leadership and Management both from the University of the West Indies. She is also qualified as a Society of Human Resource Professionals (SHRM).

In addition to her passion for human resources, she has a keen interest for supporting good employment practices and effecting transformation and change through human capital.
Fana has specific expertise in Labour Relations; both in a unionised and non-unionised environment and has led various projects on a regional and international level.
Some other areas of her specialties include; Business Acumen, Training and Employee development, Team engagement, Business Recruitment, Strategic planning, Industrial and Employee Relations, benefits, compensation, performance management, Payroll, Business Compliance and Health and Safety and Operations.

Rhonda Matthew-Garcia is a Human Resource professional with over 13 years progressive HR experience employed in the Judicial and Legal Services Industry.  She is the holder of a Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) also obtaining specialization in Industrial Relations and Negotiations and Compensation and Benefits from an MSc Management Studies and within recent times she completed a training in Corporate Secretary Drafting skills delivered by the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute.

She also acquired further training in Industrial Relations, Advanced Labour Laws, Mediation, Policy Writing and Lean Six Sigma Methodologies and is also a SHRM-SCP Candidate. Rhonda currently serves on HRMATT’s Education and Membership Committees.

Possessing close to two decades of experience in Human Resource Management, Cindy is a results and people focused leader, who  delivers people and organisational development strategies and leads transformation and change management to help organisations harness the full power of one of their most valuable assets- their people. She is dedicated to creating robust cultures that promote continuous growth and cultivate customer loyalty through empowering and motivating employees to realise their full potential.  

Cindy has built her expertise within several industries, including Media, Manufacturing, Financial Services and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods. She is currently the Human Resources Manager at Angostura Limited where she is responsible for the development and execution of human resource strategies designed to continually improve company results, human resource management practices, employee engagement, employer branding and the overall employee experience within the company. Prior to this role, Cindy held the position of Sector Human Resources Manager with ANSA McAl Limited, where she demonstrated expertise in strategic human resources, managing the optimisation of human capital through performance and talent management and succession planning, training and development and competency-based progression planning.

Throughout her career, she has worked to elevate corporate values and the building of high-trust, high-performance cultures through analysis and targeted action planning. She is an advocate for the HR profession and for change, as can be seen through her active involvement with the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

She is currently a PhD candidate with the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the holder of a MSc. Global Human Resource Management from the University of Liverpool and a BSc. Management Studies from the University of the West Indies. Cindy is also a certified facilitator with the Leadership Management Institute for their suite of leadership development programmes. In addition, she is certified with Prosci Inc. in Change Management and with the Balanced Scorecard Institute as a Balanced Scorecard Associate.

Ms. Bunny Rambhajan is a Human Resource Professional with over twenty-three years’ experience. She holds the position of Manager, Talent Acquisition and Manpower at Caribbean Airlines Limited and before this was Sector Talent Manager at Carib Brewery Limited. She is adjunct faculty at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB) and has also facilitated training on behalf of HRMATT, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the University of the West Indies and other tertiary institutions.

Ms. Rambhajan was the Chairperson of the National Minimum Wages Board of Trinidad and Tobago from 2011 to 2015 and was Vice President of the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association (TTBWA) for just under four years. She was Principal Consultant at Thinking Allowed Limited since 2013 and worked at the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago for eighteen years.

Ms. Rambhajan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the West Indies (UWI); a Master of Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University; the Master of Science in Human Resource Management from ALJGSB; completed postgraduate courses for Gender Studies at the UWI; and is currently an ALJGSB Doctoral Candidate whose research focuses on Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Joel Basanta has over 15 years’ experience in Management and HR Consulting as a Senior Consultant with HRC Associates, specialising in areas such as Compensation and Benefits, Job Evaluation and Organisational Design/Review. Joel has worked on consulting teams on behalf of industry-leading organisations both in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region.

As a Senior Consultant in the compensation and reward practice at HRC Associates, Joel oversees projects in the areas of compensation, benefits, job evaluation, organisational review, performance management, policy design, employee engagement, et al. This includes the quality and timely delivery of service and assignments to a wide variety of clients, as well as the coordination and management of internal consulting resources.

Mr. Desmond Lawrence is an accomplished professional with a background in Media, Education and Communications.

His voice can be heard on the airwaves of Trinidad and Tobago in radio commercials and on one of the popular radio frequencies, where he currently hosts the evening drive radio program.

He is also a former television host and presenter.

His on-air media talents have allowed him to professionally host several corporate and cultural events, while being invited to professionally moderate numerous business seminars and webinars facilitated by local business organizations over the years

As an Educator he has taught at all levels of the education system; Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary, including lecturing at one of the leading tertiary institutions in the region.

Mr. Lawrence has also works as an independent consultant for various organizations in Trinidad and Tobago in the areas of Marketing Communications and Public Relations, while he has facilitated workshops focused on Public Speaking, Effective Speaking, Business Communications, Broadcasting and Entrepreneurship.

Mr. Lawrence holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of the West Indies, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Edinburgh Business School, Herriot Watt University of Scotland.

He earned the professional designation of Senior Certified Professional, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and is a graduate of the Valsayn Teachers College and an alum of St. Mary’s College. He also has numerous certificates in  Human Resource Management, Social Media and Digital Marketing Analytics, Teaching Online and Intermediate Proficiency in Spanish and French. He is a long standing member of the PR Committee of the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago and currently sits on the organization’s Board of Directors as its Public Relations Officer.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Lawrence gives his time freely to many community and national projects and initiatives that make use of his diverse skill-set and experience. He previously served on the Supervisory Committee of the Teachers’ Credit Union.

Allsha is an astute HR professional with over 15 years of HR generalist experience within organisations across the local manufacturing, retail and ICT regulatory sectors. She is currently a senior HR Professional at Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT).  

Allsha has an International MBA from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, specializing in International HR Management and a BSc. in Management Studies (minor in Finance) from the UWI, St. Augustine. She is SHRM-SCP certified and a member of the Society of HR Management (SHRM). 

Allsha volunteers her time and expertise in progressing people development initiatives and has been an active member of HRMATT since 2019, serving on the Public Relations and Education Committees. Allsha was appointed to the Board of Directors of HRMATT, as it’s Membership Director in October 2022. She chairs the Membership Committee, which is responsible for increasing HRMATT’s membership base, enhancing the group of individual and corporate member benefits and enhancing the overall membership experience. 

Mrs. Kimberly Chan-Boodram is an active human resource and industrial relations professional with over 14 years experience in these fields. She also has experience in the fields of accounting, health and safety, communications etc. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Leadership and is the holder of an MBA – General, UK Bachelors’ Degree in Human Resources, several Diplomas in Mental Health, Human Resources, Legal Studies and over 50 certificates in HR, Accounting, Leadership, Psychology, Law, Project Management, I.T., etc.

Presently, she is the Manager, People & Culture at a regional company within the financial services sector. She has also held several other leadership roles with experience within the Education, Financial, Manufacturing, Retail and Oil & Gas sectors, locally and regionally. Additionally, she has consulted for organisations in the Education, Oil & Gas and Financial services sectors.

She also serves on the Board of Directors at the Human Resource Association of T&T (HRMATT) in the capacity of Education & Research Officer & Chair of the Editorial Committee, the Board of Directors of the Student & Professional Organisation of T&T (SPOTT) in the capacity of Team Director – Partnerships & Research and, the Board of Directors of Pratibha Arts Dance Company as the Communications Director.

Mrs. Chan-Boodram also lectured in the fields of HR, Management & Leadership, Sales and Entrepreneurship. She is an avid volunteer and has over ten years volunteering the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM,) HRMATT, T&T Cancer Society, Childline, etc. She lives a life of charity with her service dedicated to children, education and the environment. She is a member of several associations which include but is not limited to the Association of Business Executives (ABE), Corporate Governance Institute (CGI), Association of Female Executives of T&T (AFETT), Caribbean Society of HR Professionals (CSHRP), Student & Professional Organisation of T&T (SPOTT) and the Human Resource Association of T&T (HRMATT).

She has also represented T&T at the local and international level of several beauty pageants and is the holder of the gold key to Cebu City, Phillipines awarded by the Mayor in 2018.

She is also known for her work and support of health causes, particularly, persons with Cancer and is also known for leading recycling projects in several organisations.

Cavelle Joseph-St. Omer, President of HRMATT, is a globally recognized Human Resources executive with over twenty years of experience working to effectively balance big-picture thinking and strategic planning with hands-on execution. Her passion is providing HR solutions for her colleagues and clients by helping them build their HR infrastructure through technology, compliance and people.

Ms. Joseph – St. Omer is member of the Board of Directors of the National Training Agency, where she serves as the Chairperson of the Finance, Investment and Procurement Committee. She is presently the Public Relations Officer of the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business Alumni Board, and a Director of the EPOCH Foundation. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago, where she also facilitates SHRM examination preparation.

Ms. Joseph – St. Omer is a past member of the Board of Governors of NIHERST, and served as the Chairperson of the HR Committee. Additionally, she is a past member of the Industrial Relations Advisory Committee; a past Director, in the capacity of Treasurer and Chairperson of the HR Committee on the Board of Turtle Village Trust; the Past President of the Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago; the past Secretary of the Pest Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago; a past Director of the Gender Advisory Board, of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine; and additionally, a past member of the Advisory Council of the World HRD Congress. She previously served on the Boards of South AIDS Support in the capacity of Secretary; and a member of the Sub-Committee for the Women’s City Centres Programme in Trinidad and Tobago, Design Module: Economic Empowerment and Design Module: Governance.

In February, 2016 Ms. Joseph – St. Omer was recognized as one of the top 100 Global HR Professionals by the World HRD Congress. She was acknowledged for her contribution to South AIDS Support at its 10th anniversary function in 2011. Additionally, she was also bestowed with the Spirit of AFETT award by the Association at the International Woman’s Day Function 2015.

Throughout her impressive career, she has proven successful at developing cultures of collaboration, and implementing change to affect workforce excellence. Ms. Joseph-St. Omer is a passionate champion of policies and laws that advance opportunities for women and girls. This desire to achieve gender parity has also inspired her to advocate for improved childcare solutions in the workplace, the abolishment of child marriage and most recently, the introduction of sexual harassment legislation and a workplace code in Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2017 and 2018, she joined the Trinidad and Tobago civil society delegation at the 61st and 62nd sitting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, held in New York.

She is the holder of a Master’s of Business Administration with Distinction, specializing in Human Resources Management, from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Law (Double Major); Diploma in Labour Laws and earned her international certification with the Society for Human Resource Management as a SHRM – Senior Certified Profession