Shafia London, CEO of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), has been selected for the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Leadership Fellows Program, becoming, according to information provided through the nomination process, the first woman from the eastern Caribbean to be selected for the global leadership programme.
Adding further distinction to her selection, London has also been awarded a highly competitive scholarship towards the programme’s tuition.
Scholarship funding is extremely limited, with IWF indicating that typically only two to four partial or full scholarships are available across the global fellowship cohort.
London was nominated by IWF Barbados while living and working in Barbados and during a significant transition in her professional career.
She subsequently returned to her native St. Vincent and the Grenadines to assume leadership of the SVGTA on July 1.
She will, therefore, undertake the fellowship while serving as CEO of the country’s principal destination marketing organisation, representing SVG on an international leadership platform while acknowledging IWF Barbados for the nomination and support that opened the door to the opportunity.
A global leadership network
The International Women’s Forum is an invitation-only global network of more than 8,400 accomplished women leaders across 78 fora in 37 countries. Its membership spans business, government, academia, science, the arts and other sectors, bringing together women at the highest levels of leadership and influence.
Its Leadership Fellows Program, now in its fourth decade, is IWF’s flagship leadership development initiative. Through a highly competitive international selection process, up to 50 high-achieving leaders from diverse countries, sectors and professional backgrounds are selected for an intensive year-long leadership experience.
The programme includes leadership immersion and executive education at globally recognised institutions, including INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and the University of Cambridge in England, alongside international leadership programming in Mexico City. The Fellowship culminates at the IWF World Leadership Conference and Gala in Miami.
Each Fellow is also paired with an accomplished IWF member for individualised mentorship and undertakes a legacy project designed to translate the lessons of the Fellowship into meaningful impact beyond the individual participant.
Reflecting on her selection and scholarship, London said:
“The scholarship makes this recognition particularly meaningful. To be selected from a global field for the Fellowship was already an honour, but to also receive one of the very limited scholarships available adds another dimension to it.
“I intend to make full use of the opportunity — not simply for my own development, but to bring the learning, relationships and global perspectives back into the work we are doing to advance tourism in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
For London, the circumstances surrounding her nomination also make the recognition particularly significant.
“There is something special about being nominated by Barbados during one chapter of my professional journey and entering the Fellowship having returned home to serve St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” she said.
“I am deeply grateful to the women of IWF Barbados who believed in me enough to put my name forward, and equally proud to carry St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the wider Eastern Caribbean into this global space.”
She added:
“I have always believed that where you begin does not determine where you end. For a girl who grew up in a small village in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, opportunities like this reinforce the importance of dreaming boldly, doing the work and, importantly, having people who are willing to open doors for others.”
Global learning with local impact
For the SVGTA, London’s participation extends beyond individual professional development. The Fellowship provides exposure to international leadership perspectives, world-class executive education and a global network of senior women leaders across multiple sectors.
The experience comes as the Authority strengthens its organisational capacity, builds international partnerships and pursues an ambitious agenda to enhance the competitiveness and global positioning of SVG as a tourism destination.
“Tourism is ultimately a people and leadership business,” London said.
“As we work to strengthen the global competitiveness of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we must continue to expose ourselves to new thinking, global best practices and networks that can create opportunities for our destination.”
London’s selection marks another milestone for women’s leadership from the Eastern Caribbean and places SVG within a global leadership network spanning countries, industries and cultures.
Congratulations! an extremely proud moment. “Mek me nose swell”