(EDITOR’S NOTE: Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper posted a collection of photos on Facebook that I decided to share with readers of my Washington, D.C. – based online publication, BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which has a huge following among the Bahamian diaspora across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as well as in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean. The narrative accompanying the photos has been written as an article.)
By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 8, 2024 – Before he entered politics, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper established himself as a highly successful businessman who along with John F. Wilson, KC, on February 6, 2007, acquired British American Insurance Company and rebranded British American Financial as a 100 percent Bahamian-owned company.
DPM Cooper, who worked in finance and became the Chairman and CEO of BAF Global Group and President and CEO of BAF Financial & Insurance Ltd., yesterday reflected on his success in the private sector in a post on Facebook after presenting a copy of his recently published memoir, “Fishinin’ on the Rocks,” to John F. Wilson KC, Senior Partner at McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes
Noting that he was in his early 30s when they acquired British American Insurance Company, DPM Cooper said, “It was an idea that evolved quickly in my mind and progressed through a level of work that would make most men run, but John saw the vision and bought in. As we grew our company here in The Bahamas and elsewhere, we were often hit with roadblocks and would sometimes stumble as we moved forward in the face of forces beyond our control.”
Declaring that they “regrouped, refocused, and emerged even stronger than before,” DPM Cooper added, “Yesterday marked 17 years since we made this major acquisition. Though I am not involved in the day-to-day activities, today BAF Global Group remains a force to be reckoned with.
DPM Cooper, who is also Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation and MP for The Exumas and Ragged Island, said his “passion for finance and his legal acumen have made for the most significant business relationship of my life.”
“The success we have had together cannot properly convey the gratitude I have for his belief in me and his support,” DPM Cooper said. “It was my pleasure to present him with a copy of my memoir, “Fishinin’ on the Rocks,” which explains that boldness doesn’t equal craziness. Though he has already read it, I hope this personalized copy will remain in his family’s library forever.”
