Mr Joseph Issa was born in Kingston, Jamaica and attended Champion College. He went on to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, where he pursued an accountancy degree, which included one year at the London School of Economics (LSE) in the United Kingdom. He graduated in 1988 and Valedictorian Cum Laude with a number of awards, including the youngest resident Jamaican to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
The businessman and philanthropist is best known as the founder of Cool Group, which comprises over 50 companies. Mr Issa’s first business venture was a petrol station named Cool Oasis, which was the catalyst for the Group becoming the largest Jamaican owned operator of petrol stations in Jamaica. In 2003, he set up a telephone card distribution business called Cool Card. Later, he extended the distribution business to include automotive and household products, among others, under the Cool brand. The Cool brand grew rapidly into a group of over 50 companies engaged in a wide variety of activities.
Upon returning home from university, Mr Issa has held various managerial positions at Grand Lido Negril and Couples Resort, two of SuperClubs chain of resort.
