Government Ministers -- Minister of Public Administration

Minister of Public Administration, the Honourable Kennedy Swarathsingh

THE HONOURABLE KENNEDY SWARATSINGH
Minister of Public Administration

Throughout a distinguished work life that has nurtured his evolution from priest to politician (including tenures as Human Resource Executive and Captain then Major in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force), Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh’s driving concern has always been the advancement and preservation of the interests of Trinidad and Tobago’s most precious resource – its people. As such, his vocation has invariably involved tireless work toward the promotion of the interests of the citizenry of Trinidad and Tobago.

Minister Swaratsingh’s unique background renders him a natural in matters involving human communication, be it expression of empathy or the dispensation of discipline.  This quality has augured inordinately well for him, as he continues to enjoy a reputation as a consistently high performing and innovative leader, regardless to the nature of the undertaking. 

As Minister of Public Administration, Minister Swaratsingh’s portfolio includes public sector transformation, telecommunications, institutional capacity building and implementation of fastforward and Trinidad and Tobago’s National Information and Communication Technology Strategy.

Minister Swaratsingh is deeply committed to Trinidad and Tobago’s vision of achieving developed country status by the year 2020 and views the development of an efficient and effective public service and Trinidad and Tobago’s transformation into a knowledge-based society as the critical antecedents for the achievement of this vision.

This veritable Renaissance man has stridden the intellectual world as a colossus, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from the University of the West Indies, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of the West Indies Institute of Business and a Master of Business Administration (double major in Human Resource Management and Tourism) from the same institution.
Despite his many responsibilities, Minister Swaratsingh remains an enormously proud and devoted father and husband.

Nationality:   Citizen of Trinidad and Tobago
Marital Status: Married
Date of Birth:  October 28, 1964  

Masters in Business Administration (Double Major in Human Resource Management and Tourism) at the University of the West Indies - Institute of Business (2001)

Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management at the University of the West Indies - Institute of Business (1997)

Bachelor of Arts (Theology) at the University of the West Indies. (1990)

Basic Officer Training including, inter alia, Foot Drill, Weaponry and Map Reading at the Teteron Barracks (1996)

Further Military Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, United States of America (1998)

Computer Literacy Training: Completed the Computer Applications Course at the University of The West Indies, Institute of Business (1997)

Employee Assistance Programme Training for Translation into Corporate and Individual Wellness with Aubrey Armstrong Management Association (1998)

Public Relations Training: Completed Public Relations Course for Military practitioners and Communications Specialist for Governmental Agencies. (1999)

‘Trainers’ Training: Attendance of workshops designed to create trainers for Team Building, Communications, Train the Trainers, Motivational and Empowerment Workshops (1995 - present)

Assumed the Presidency of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union as of October, 2008

Entered Regional Seminary at Mount St. Benedict - 24th September 1984

Ordained a Roman Catholic Priest - 23rd June 1991

Commissioned in the Rank of Captain of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (Regiment) - January 1997

Promoted to the Rank of Major of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (Regiment) - Sept. 1999

Appointed as Director of the Board of Trading and Distribution Limited
(Holding company for the largest Business Unit of the Neal and Massy Group of Companies which is comprised of diverse companies located in Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana and Miami. This Group contributes approximately 37% of Neal and Massy’s overall financial position on an annual basis and in the financial year 2004-2005, became the first Neal and Massy Business Unit to contribute 100 million TTD in profit.)

December 2007 – Present
Minister of Public Administration and Member of Parliament for St. Joseph

December 2006 – December 2007
Chief Executive Officer – Government Human Resource Services Company Limited

August 2006 – November 2006
Human Resource Consultant – Ministry of Public Administration and Information
Provided consultancy services in the area of:

  Organization Design
  Change Management
  Recruitment Services – Local, Regional and International
  Team Building
  Contract Negotiation
  Psychometric Testing and Career Development

October 2005 – July 2006
Director of Retail Operations – Hi Lo Food Stores, Food Masters Ltd. and LB’s Ltd. – Trinidad
In conjunction with Group HR and Security responsibilities assumed responsibility for the Operations Department. My responsibilities included:
  Attraction, retention and development of the critical talent required for retail operations
  Transformation of the current culture of our stores to become more customer-centric.
  Retraining existing staff at all levels of the organization to achieve the required transformation
  Restructuring the Company’s operations in order to realize the above objective

September 2005 – July 2006
Lecturer – Organization Design, Industrial Relations and Contract Negotiations and Human Resource Management, ROYTEC

February 2003 – July 2006
Group Human Resource and Security Director – Retail, Logistic/Distribution Group, a Member of the Neal and Massy Group

May 2003 – July 2006
Lecturer – Public Sector Ethics, UWI Summer Classes

September 2001 – January 2003
Management Consultant
  Human Resource Consultant with the Ministry of Public Administration and Information, with special emphasis on Selection, Recruitment and Orientation, for the Social Services Delivery Initiatives.
  Human Resource & Industrial Relations Consultant with the Gillette Group of Companies

January 1997 - April 2002
Major – Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force 
  Commissioned as an Officer in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (Regiment) in January 1997 at the rank of Captain
  Promoted to the rank of Major in September 1999
  Re-structured and re-organized the Welfare Unit
  Public Relations Officer
  Trained staff to function in the following Departments:
o Defence Force* Welfare Unit (January 1997 – April 2002)
o Defence Force* Housing Department (January 1998 – April 2002)
o Public Relations Department* (January 1998 – April 2002)
o Chaplain* (August 1994)
o Secretary to the Defence Force Commissions Board* (October 1997 – April 2002)
  Staff Officer responsible for the above departments reporting directly to the Chief of Defence Staff

June 1991 – December 2003
Roman Catholic Parish Priest
  Counselling, Pastoral care, Financial Management, Human Resources and Administration, and School Management.

July 1990 – June 1991
Deacon – St. Paul’s R.C. Church (Couva)

September 1984 – June 1990
Regional Seminarian – Mount St. Benedict

Proficient in playing varied musical instruments

Member of the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago