DONOVAN G. WHITE
DIRECTOR OF TOURISM
JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD
Mr Donovan White was appointed Director of Tourism in February 2018, bringing to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) over 20 years’ experience as a senior executive in marketing and business development. A strategist and business leader, he is responsible for promoting and further enhancing Jamaica’s reputation as the premier destination in the global marketplace, pursuing an aggressive and robust marketing agenda with a keen focus on technology, all with a view to exceeding major growth goals.
Having worked locally and internationally in the business of creating demand in the technology and media sectors, Mr White is a solution-driven leader. He boasts an impressive track record of achieving positive business outcomes through the creation of strategic relationships, building winning teams and facilitating transformation across multiple industries, including media, telecoms, advertising and technology.
He is keen on leveraging existing industry relationships with investors, hoteliers, visitors and key stakeholders to help the JTB embrace the new global paradigm shifts in tourism, concurrently expanding the destination’s global reach. He is committed to excellence, respect for others, communication, teamwork, accountability and honesty.
Since taking the helm, Mr White has led a strategic positioning to ensure that the destination continued on its growth trajectory for arrivals, with Jamaica exceeding the four million mark for total visitor arrivals in 2018 and 2019. White has placed greater emphasis on technology, guiding the implementation of several award-winning digital activations including Join Me in Jamaica and the hugely popular Escape to Jamaica. He spearheaded the launch of the destination’s “Heartbeat of the World” campaign, strengthening Jamaica’s position as a global culturally relevant brand. Under his leadership, the destination has re-entered the Asian markets of Japan and India and is poised to experience growth from those areas.
Before joining the JTB, Mr White served as Vice President of Cable & Wireless Business, Jamaica, where he consistently achieved double-digit growth in revenue. He also served as Vice President, Marketing, Sales & Media Services at Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited (FLOW), leading commercial teams to deliver revenue growth.
Other positions held by Mr White include General Manager of Caledonia Outdoor Advertising Limited, and Marketing Director for Jamaica, Guyana and the Northern OECS at Digicel Group Limited, as well as Vice President, Sales & Marketing, CVM Communications Group Limited.
He is the consummate volunteer, serving on several public and private sector boards, including the School of Computing & Information Technology (The University of Technology). He is the current Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Commission, Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Tourism Linkages Network.
An avid sportsman, Donovan White is a Director of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited and President of the Waterhouse Football Club.
Donovan White is a graduate of the University of New Orleans where he earned an undergraduate degree in Marketing, followed by an Executive MBA from the Telecoms Academy in the United Kingdom.
