London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Honours, Accolades Were Never Part Of My Goal – Dr. Mathavious

Honours, Accolades Were Never Part Of My Goal – Dr. Mathavious

Following a night of praise and performances, despite being in poor health due to kidney failure, a sprightly and articulate Dr. Robert Mathavious was honoured for his extensive contributions to the Public Service and the Financial Services industry in the BVI.

“Wow! Thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart I say thank you. I must say how thrilled and overwhelmed I am, I didn’t know what to expect: the performances I think were all great and I am pleased,” he said after receiving his award last night, November 15 at the Eileen L. Parsons Auditorium.

He continued: “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth to be recognized and honoured for that which I was trained for, paid for, lived for and cherished and passionately enjoyed doing. What an honour! Something I would never have asked for or envisaged.”

Dr. Mathavious, who retired in December 2020, said when he was approached about the event, he felt that it was “way over the top” and demeaning of others who contributed along with him to the sector during his journey.

He said all he wanted to do when he joined the public service was to contribute meaningfully to the government who had funded his university studies.

“Neither pomp nor pageantry…honours, accolades, fame or fortune was never a goal. What I wanted to do was make a difference, to be the difference that made that difference to the BVI and to the lives of British Virgin Islanders,” he added.

In the meantime, Chair of the celebratory event Chief Executive Officer of BVI Finance Elise Donovan explained that the accolade was for his contribution to the Public Service and Financial Services industry.

“A true representation of territorial pride, this piece literally depicts the theme of today’s celebration: The House that Mathavious Built.”

She continued: “The house features the territorial colours of the Virgin Islands – red, blue, green, white and yellow– while the roof and the sides proudly displays the territorial flag and Vigilate which represents the public service. The façade of the house features the Financial Services Commission’s logo, while the back of the house proudly depicts the territorial flower and bird, the White Cedar and Turtle Dove. "

Donovan said, "The hands in their golden tone represent Mr. Mathavious’ Midas touch in pioneering the financial services industry and serving as the first local to hold the post of Financial Secretary in the Public Service.”

The award was bestowed on him on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands for his “unwavering contribution to the Public Service and to the people of these Virgin Islands,” by Acting Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley and Acting Governor David Archer Jr.

More About Dr. Mathavious


According to the Financial Services Commission, Dr. Mathavious served in many roles, such as the Commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer during his over 35 year career in that industry.

He also served for 25 years as a Public Servant and held roles such as the Financial Secretary and Director of Financial Services.

Dr. Mathavious, who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of the West Indies and a Masters of Business Administration from Georgetown University in the United States, is the Commission’s first, and only, MD/CEO, since the statutory body was created in 2001 with the enactment of the Financial Services Act.

Dr. Mathavious has been the principal financial services negotiator for the BVI, developing in the process widespread acclaim for dealing with the international initiatives. He is also a lead voice of the region on these matters.

"Dr. Mathavious, a robust defender of International Financial Centres (“IFCs”), has written extensively on the international financial services industry. His articles have appeared in numerous industry trade journals and magazines," FSC said.

He is a popular speaker/presenter at international and regional financial services workshops, particularly on regulatory and compliance issues, strategies for dealing with the international initiatives targeting international financial centres and anti-money laundering issues.

Dr. Mathavious was also described as a visionary for the financial services industry in the territory and “he envisioned more income generating opportunities for the Virgin Islands and channeled his education, knowledge and experience in setting the foundation for the development of the financial industry in the Virgin Islands.

His vision, innovation, creativity, pioneer’s spirit, and love for his native Virgin Islands and its people catapulted the BVI as an international reputation for excellent regulation, which is universally regarded as a preeminent financial centre.

Dr. Mathavious holds membership in several professional boards, including the Financial Investigation Agency Board, the FATCA Negotiating Team for the Virgin Islands Tax Information Exchange Agreement Negotiation Team for the Government of the Virgin Islands among others, the FSC informed.

In 2013, he was bestowed the degree of Doctor of Law, Honoris Causa from the University of the West Indies.

He has also acted as Governor of the territory many times in the absence of the Governor from the Territory and retired on December 31, 2020.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and his wife to provide 'scientific photographic evidence' that she is a real woman
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
×