Tara Lisa Persaud

Tara Lisa is an international development expert who has spent 24 years working to increase opportunities for Caribbean people by supporting sustainable social and economic development across the region. She qualified with an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BA degree in Third World Development from Wellesley College, MA, USA. She is Phi Beta Kappa, a Chevening Scholar and a Margaret Freeman Bowers Fellow for Public Service. She has also received training in Advanced Negotiations (Harvard-MIT).

Tara Lisa has worked with Caribbean government institutions, multilateral organisations, and international development agencies on issues including business climate reform, programme design, delivery and management, public policy, gender equality, donor coordination, capacity development, public-private dialogue, innovation funds, and project monitoring and evaluation. She has worked with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, UN agencies including, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA, and UNICEF, and the University of the West Indies.

Between 2011-2017, Tara Lisa worked on the first Phase of Compete Caribbean to improve the business climate and to increase exports and employment across the Caribbean. She led over 30 projects with government agencies, aimed at improving investment and business facilitation. Tara Lisa has a reputation for solving problems by identifying win-win solutions and recommending decisive action to clients. She has been successful in building excellent client/partner relationships that serve to increase project efficiency and sustainability.