PROFILE OF WINSTON I. ADAMS, EMBA; B.ChE. (Howard)
CHAIRMAN OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE CARIBBEAN (INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
SCIENCES, IMS AND INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTION, IMP)

Winston Adams is a consummate business entrepreneur. Founder and Chairman of the Institute of Management Sciences, he was born in Kingston and is the fourth of eight children of Egbert Wellesley Adams, a former successful businessman in Clarendon. His father was a major inspiration to him during his secondary school years at Vere Technical High School; and instilled in him some of the values he holds as well as his current business acumen. His father died in 1980, a year before the young Adams began his studies at the University of the West Indies, UWI Mona. His mother, Shirley Holness has recently re-located to Jamaica from Canada where she had spent approximately 20 years.

Winston Adams has had a successful record in providing training opportunities at the secondary and tertiary levels. As an undergraduate at the University of the West Indies, UWI, he was the founder and president of the Council for Literature, Arts & Science Students; a university training (secondary) Organization which operated during the mid eighties. In 1987, he was awarded the prestigious USAID Scholarship (Latin American & Caribbean, LAC) to study Chemical Engineering at Howard University in the United States. At Howard University, he was an active member and officer of Toastmasters International, the Caribbean Student Organization and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, AICHE.

Upon his return to Jamaica, he worked with the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, Petrojam as a Process Engineer and lectured part-time with the University of Technology. He continued to demonstrate further enterprising and organisational skills and in 1993 he boldly pioneered the establishment of the Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) which-in just ten years, emerged as the most successful private higher educational institution in Jamaica, having achieved national and international recognition.

Mr. Adams having recognized the importance of a highly trained and qualified work force in Jamaica's development thrust, took the decision to address this need on a national scale as he seeks to enhance tertiary educational opportunities for more Jamaicans in both rural and urban areas, by setting up satellite centres throughout the Island.

Through his leadership, his organization has successfully established major alliances with several reputable local and overseas institutions, such as the Florida International University, the Florida Memorial University and the University of London, designed to strengthen and accelerate the process of human resource development and training in Jamaica. In 1998, he was nominated by the American Biographical Institute, ABI for the Distinguished Leadership Award and selected for inclusion in the International Directory of Distinguished Leadership for outstanding service to human resource development.

He is an active member of the Vere Technical Past Student Association, and over the past few years, has offered several associate and bachelor degree scholarships, valued in excess of J$3M, to eligible graduates of Vere Technical High School. In recognition of his generosity and service, he was awarded a plaque by the school in December 2000 for significant contribution to his alma mater.

He created history in 2002 with his successful acquisition of the 25 year old and very prestigious Institute of Management and Production (IMP), creating one of the largest privately held higher educational institutions in Jamaica with a combined student population of approximately 7,000 and an annual operating budget in excess of J$500M.  He revolutionized the tertiary education arena in 2004 when he boldly established the University College of the Caribbean, UCC, the first of its kind for the region.

He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of North St. Andrew and a member of the Education Committee of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, PSOJ. He enjoys reading, football, watching movies and traveling.