Premier appoints Pilar Bush as Chief of Strategy

– Premier Hon. G. Wayne Panton has appointed Ms Pilar Bush to serve as Chief of Strategy in the Office of the Premier.

“As the elected Government, we recognise the advantages of having an experienced professional assist us - in tandem with Senior Civil Servants - with planning, implementing and delivering on our strategic policy objectives. With a Chief of Strategy in place, we can more effectively design the cohesive national strategies required to achieve PACT’s vision for our three Islands, and implement actionable plans to deliver the results we promised in our budget and Strategic Policy Statement,” said Premier Panton.

Under the Constitution the Premier, in his role as political leader and head of Government, oversees the setting and implementation of the Government’s policies. As Chief of Strategy, Ms Bush will effectively serve as Head of the Office of the Premier, attend Caucus meetings and support the work of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries to promote the strategic alignment of the PACT Government’s priorities. A key area of focus will be the incorporation of economic, social and environmental sustainability guidelines into Government strategies, decision making and day-to-day operations.

“I am pleased that Ms. Bush has agreed to serve as our Chief of Strategy. She has a sound understanding of the country’s economic, social and environmental needs that, when paired with her ability to facilitate strategy development, collaborating across diverse sectors to deliver high value results, makes her an excellent fit for this role,” he said.

Ms Bush will also assist Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries develop and implement plans both within their portfolios, and where inter-Ministerial collaboration is required, to achieve key objectives. With the Chief of Strategy role filled, the Premier expects the PACT Government to better leverage the unique strengths of each member of the team and benefit from the improved coordination and teamwork.

“I am honoured to have been asked to take on this role," said Ms Bush. “Although the past 15 years were in the private sector, I began my professional journey in the public sector. Therefore, I understand and respect the challenging circumstances under which public servants are required to operate and equally understand the elected officials’ sense of urgency to get things done.”

Ms Bush brings more than 25 years of professional experience in both public and private sectors, and has been a dedicated volunteer to youth and education causes. Most recently Executive Vice President of Marketing, People and Culture at Dart, Ms Bush is also the founder and managing director of AtWater Consulting, an advisory firm providing strategy, business and communications advice to public, private and non-profit organisations across the Caribbean and North America.

Earlier in her career, Ms Bush was Director of Tourism, where she oversaw the country’s tourism recovery and repositioning following Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Prior to her role at the Department of Tourism, she was VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning at Cayman Airways, and later served on the board as Deputy Chair and Acting Chairman. Ms Bush started her career in the Civil Service as an Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Aviation and Planning, led at the time by the then Leader of Government Business.

Ms Bush has long been an advocate for education, youth and families in the Cayman Islands. As Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters, she has ensured the expansion of mentoring programmes that support children and adolescents facing adversity. She is a former director of LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) and is currently a director on the R3 Cayman Foundation.

She studied undergraduate Economics at the University of Waterloo and obtained an MBA in Aviation and Airline Management from Concordia University. Her professional qualifications include certification in revenue management, marketing, public relations, project management and leading change.

Ms Bush will commence her new role on 31 January, 2022.