Distinguished Guyanese conferred with Order of Ontario
Winston Kassim
Winston Kassim

Says he’s proud to have been born and raised in Albouystown

By Frederick Halley

GUYANA-born Winston Kassim, a retired Executive Officer at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), has been conferred with the Order of Ontario, one of 29 recent appointments announced by the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario.

This prestigious recognition of Kassim’s community service builds on previous awards in 2009 and 2012 and acknowledges more than four decades of helping those in need and supporting humanitarian causes in over 25 countries, including Canada. Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali, was among the hundreds of Guyanese at home and abroad congratulating Kassim on his latest accolade.

Winston and wife Kameni of 50 years.

In 2009, Kassim became the first Canadian of Guyanese heritage to be made a member of the Order of Canada, one of the nation’s highest civilian awards, for advocating on behalf of ethnic communities and humanitarian causes at local, national, and international levels. His community service was further recognised in 2012 when he was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for volunteerism.

According to the Lieutenant Governor, “The 2024 appointees to the Order of Ontario have enriched the lives of countless people in our province and well beyond. Together, they have attained the highest level of excellence in many fields, and may we all be inspired by their remarkable contributions.”

The Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, which Kassim currently serves as co-chair, also paid homage as its current Managing Director, Fareed Amin, pointed out that “Winston’s volunteer work has positively impacted countless people in Guyana, Canada, Africa, and Asia, brought thousands of people from different religions and backgrounds together, and touched the lives of millions.”

Dr Budhendranauth Doobay, founder of the Voice of the Vedas Cultural Sabha Inc., founder of Vishnu Mandir, and founder of the Canadian Museum of Indian Civilisation (CMIC), as well as a former recipient of the Orders of Canada and Ontario, remarked, “Winston Kassim played instrumental roles in helping establish the Canadian Museum of Indian Civilisation in Toronto, raising funds to establish the Doobay Gafoor Medical Centre and Research Centre in Georgetown, supporting the growth and development of various community organisations across Canada, and much more.”

Since arriving in Canada more than four decades ago, Kassim has made outstanding contributions to philanthropy, community service, and international relations. By sharing his expertise in governance, strategic performance management, and sustainability, acquired during his tenure at RBC, Kassim has helped many organisations, including the Sunatul Jamaat of Ontario, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Malton Islamic Centre, International Development Relief Foundation (IDRF), Canadian Museum of Indian Civilisation, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, and the International Business University in Toronto. He has also mobilised and led fundraising efforts to support recovery and development initiatives worldwide.

Winston, third from left, with brother Sultan Feroze, former Deputy Commissioner of Police, late mother Noorun, late brother Dr Farook and late father Subaydar.

In 2020, Kassim played a key role in establishing the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, a bi-national organisation that promotes trade and investment between Canada and Guyana.

The Order of Ontario was created in 1986 and is the province’s highest civilian honour. It is awarded to an Ontarian who has shown the highest level of excellence and achievement in their field and whose impact has left a legacy in the province, in Canada, and around the world. Members of the Order are a collective of Ontario’s finest citizens selected from a provincial population of 16 million people, whose contributions have shaped—and continue to shape—the province’s history and place in Canada.

The Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce was established in 2020 to strengthen trade and investment opportunities between Canada and Guyana. The Chamber, which is a non-partisan entity, is chaired by Ms Patricia Bacchus (Guyana), with Kassim (Canada) serving as Co-Chair.

Kassim, the sixth of seven children, told the Sunday Pepperpot that he was proud to be born and raised in Albouystown, Georgetown, and also in Adelphi Village, Correntyne, Berbice, to the late Police Superintendent Subaydar Kassim and the late Noorun Nisa Kassim, before moving to East Canje, Berbice, where he attended St Patrick’s Anglican School.

During his teen years, he lived in Duke Street, Kingston, and attended Indian Education Trust College in Georgetown. While still a teenager, he began his professional career at Barclays Bank in Kitty.

Kassim emanates from a respected family. His father retired from the Guyana Police Force in 1972 as a Superintendent after a distinguished 30-year career, while his eldest brother, Sultan Feroze Kassim, retired as Deputy Commissioner of Police in 2001 after 38 years of service. Another brother, the late Dr Sultan Farook Kassim, served for over 25 years in the public hospitals of Suddie, Port Mourant, and Georgetown. His maternal grandfather, Imam Khoda Baksh, was also credited as the first Imam at the Adelphi Masjid in the early 1900s.

Following various postings throughout the Caribbean, Kassim left Barclays in 1975 and moved to Canada with his wife, Kameni Cheddie. While raising a family in Toronto and pursuing a university degree at night, Winston embarked on a career with RBC in 1976.

Over the next 40 years, Kassim excelled in numerous leadership roles at RBC, including as the Executive Head of Strategy and Strategic Performance Management for Retail Banking in Canada and the Caribbean.
In this latter role, Kassim led large strategic initiatives and helped RBC set industry-leading benchmarks for performance, contributing to the bank winning four prestigious international awards, including “Best North American Retail Bank” in 2012 and 2013, and “Best Retail Bank in the World” in 2014 and 2015. These marked the first time in the 30-year history of the UK-based Retail Banker International Awards that any bank had won “Best Global Retail Bank” in consecutive years.

While at RBC, Kassim also obtained his designation as a certified board director from the Institute of Corporate Directors through the University of Toronto and served on various boards, including RBC Royal Bank Barbados Limited. He was also on IDRF’s board for over 20 years, including as Chair from 2010 to 2014, before resigning in 2022 to support other worthwhile charities and organisations.

Winston holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Management (AGDM), and is a Certified Corporate Director (ICD.D.) from the University of Toronto.
After retiring in December 2015, Kassim formed his own boutique management consulting company, which specialises in providing strategic planning, performance management, and communications advice to selected global companies, particularly with respect to large-scale investments.

At the same time, he has continued his wide range of charitable work, where his highly regarded financial and corporate governance capabilities have been put to effective use.

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