Michael Martin has been appointed to take the helm at St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Unit and lead the evolution of the country’s investment migration programme.
The twin-island nation is on a drive to enhance its Citizenship by Investment Programme, so it continues to be the benchmark of the global investor immigration industry.
The Prime Minister welcomed Martin at an event at the Citizenship by Investment Unit and expressed his excitement as Martin’s appointment, which comes at a time when the country is evolving its Citizenship by Investment Programme so that it not only attracts intelligent investors but benefits local citizens as well.
The Prime Minister also expressed his confidence in Martin who has been described as the perfect candidate to help the nation realise its goal of providing a programme that will uplift the Kittitian and Nevisian society through beneficial investment options that bring tangible value, while also offering an enriching base to international investors.
At the briefing, the new Head of the Citizenship by Investment thanked the Prime Minister for trusting him with “this very important assignment” and expressed his excitement of taking on the new task.
Martin also stated that a situational analysis would be conducted to assess the status of the Unit and determine the best way forward to “maximize efficiency and effectiveness”.
“This is an operation that is very important to the development of the country, and to the people of the country. We will have to rebrand and refocus the programme, define our strategic goals, and create some new investment options that would be aligned to those strategic goals. ”
The Citizenship by Investment Programme is expected to undergo a complete evolution. Martin spoke of the strategic plans he has instore for the Unit and reiterated that focus is on advancing the country. “We will be looking at emerging markets and redefining our target client. There must be some exclusivity to it,” he added.
St Kitts and Nevis welcomed a new administration in August who is working tirelessly to revamp the country’s citizenship by investment programme. Now, in the third iteration of its evolution, after four decades of erudition and development, the St Kitts and Nevis administration is using creativity and boldness to ensure that the programme transcends to the modern age; and that the security infrastructure is enhanced and strengthened.
A local Kittian, Martin has a strong financial acumen and brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning and compliance. He is touted as being the man to bring greater stability to the CBI Unit which will now have more legislative and administrative oversight.
Martin’s past experience as a service provider in the investment migration industry and his local roots make him the right candidate to understand what our external stakeholders require from us as well as knowing how we can use this programme to uplift our people.
Martin will lead a team of efficient and focused experts who will ensure that the programme increases processing efficiency and accuracy while also maintaining strong due diligence processes so that only investors of the highest calibre are accepted.
St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Programme will be underpinned by three fundamental principles including sustainability, good governance and pragmatism.
The enhanced Citizenship by Investment Programme has been crafted under a sustainable model that will ensure that St Kitts and Nevis continues to be the envy of the international community by injecting high levels of integrity and administrative improvements.
The Programme is to be structured to allow for greater transparency and accountability, which make the hallmarks of a good governance framework that solidifies the foundation of any successful Citizenship by Investment Programme.
Investment options are to be tailored to align with market realities while preserving the platinum brand St Kitts and Nevis has developed and nurtured for four decades, operating the oldest citizenship by investment programme in the world.
Martin has served in top management positions in several companies, including the National Caribbean Insurance Company, National Bank Trust Company, and Sagicor Life Inc. He was previously a director of the Insurance Association of the Caribbean, Honorary Secretary of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society Council of Management, and a director for First Federal Cooperative Credit Union.
He holds a graduate diploma from the International Compliance Association and Manchester Business School, a certificate in International Trust Management from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and a certificate in Managing Financial Services from the University of the West Indies.
The St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programme was founded in 1984 and remains one of the most sought-after programmes of its kind in the world. The programme continues to be one of the most awarded, having taken top spot in the CBI Index, a comprehensive ranking system that evaluates operational citizenship by investment programmes around the world.
The St Kitts and Nevis programme continues to be underpinned by strong multi-layered due diligence process in partnership with top due diligence firms from the United Kingdom and the United States.
