Meet the team | Frederick Williams

Meet Frederick WIlliams, Chief Financial Officer for the VM Group.

Frederick joined VM Group in 2025, bringing with him a wealth of experience in finance, strategy, and leadership. In his first nine months, he has already played a key role in strengthening the Group’s financial and strategic planning functions across Jamaica, the UK, and beyond.

Tell us about your role at VM Group

I joined VM Group in the role of Group Chief Financial Officer in January 2025. My role covers a wide scope, including finance, procurement, group strategy, strategic investments, and project management.

My focus is on ensuring our support functions are as effective as possible, so that the business units engaging directly with our clients are set up for success. In Jamaica, that means supporting our main subsidiaries VM Building Society, VM Investments and VM Wealth, VM Pensions, VM Money Transfer and VM Property Services.

In the UK, VM Finance is a real standout for VM Group. I had the pleasure of visiting in June 2025, and was struck by the positive feedback from clients about the impact the team is having in the real estate market. My role is to support VM Finance in continuing to deliver excellent development financing solutions and to help drive its growth as a flagship for the Group.

What do you think are the qualities you need to be a good Chief Financial Officer?

The CFO role really has two sides. On one hand, you need to ensure the financial and regulatory reporting functions are accurate, timely, and compliant. On the other, you need to be a strategic advisor to the business, helping to shape and deliver plans for growth.

That means spending a lot of time on analysis, forecasts, and strategic plans, working closely with business leaders to remove roadblocks and ensure strategies can be executed effectively. It also means driving major projects that enhance profitability and ensure the Group meets its targets.

Tell us a bit about your journey in the industry and the experiences that led you to your role at VM Group

I’m a chartered accountant and began my career at Price Waterhouse, which gave me a strong foundation for a career in finance. Most of my career was spent at Scotiabank Jamaica, where over 18 years I rose through the ranks  to become CFO of its Caribbean operations, overseeing 18 countries. That role gave me broad experience in finance, risk management, business intelligence, and strategic planning, all mainstays of a good CFO.

After Scotiabank, I held senior positions at Sagicor Group Jamaica and Access Financial Services. Before joining VM, I worked with Ernst & Young in the strategy and transactions service line, focusing on business valuations, M&A, divestments, and government advisory across the Caribbean.

Each of these roles has added to the breadth of my finance and leadership experience, which I now bring to VM to support the Group’s growth across all business lines.

What is it that makes VM stand out from the crowd? What makes it special?

VM Group started as The Victoria Mutual Building Society; and it’s our culture of mutuality that sets us apart from other financial institutions. We’ve been a mutual for 147 years, and because we’re owned by our Members, not external shareholders, we have  a culture of care and a laser focus on delivering real value to our members across all business lines.

This care shines through not only in how we serve clients but also through the VM Foundation, where our commitment to community and Member value comes through strongly. Our caring ethos is what makes VM unique and gives us a clear advantage.

At VM Finance, there’s a huge emphasis on relationship-led lending and this is something I’m very proud to say sets us apart from the competition

Outside of work, what’s important to you? What are your hobbies and passions?

I enjoy travelling with my family whenever I get the chance. It’s how I recharge outside of work. Recent highlights include trips to Switzerland and the Netherlands, both of which were great experiences.

I also like to keep up to date with world events as VM’s footprint is across Jamaica, Barbados, the UK, and the US, so it’s important to stay connected to what’s happening globally.

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