Octavia Gibson was confirmed in the post of Director, Currency & Payments Oversight for the Central Bank of Barbados in June 2021. In this position, while carrying the Currency Management Portfolio, she also oversaw operators, agents and participants in the payments infrastructure ensuring that they were managing their risks to avoid systemic failure. In April 2023, Octavia retired from the Central Bank after 47 years.
Octavia Gibson joined the Central Bank of Barbados on December 29, 1975. Between 1975 and 2005, she worked in several departments in the Bank including Foreign Exchange, Banking, Accounts, Currency, Bank Supervision, Internal Audit and the Projects Unit. She also spearheaded the Y2K Project, the RTGS and ACH Projects for the Bank and the financial sector.
In 2005, having been appointed to the post of Deputy Director, Currency, she led the Currency Team in a number of firsts including:
• Exhibition of world currencies
• Development of a royalty programme for numismatic coins
• Changeover to multiplated materials for our coins
• Introduction of two new banknote series
• The One Cent Charity Drive done in association with the Rotary Club of Barbados, South and the Alzheimer’s Association.
• Withdrawal of the one cent
• Revamping of the Know Your Money Programme
• Introduction of an APP to assist with the authentication of the 2013 Banknote Series.
• Setting up of a risk matrix for the department
She holds a BA in History and Law, a Diploma in Management, a Diploma in Project Management, a Masters in Project Management and Evaluation (Distinction) and the professional designation in Project Management, (PMP).
When not at work, Octavia sits on the Governance Committee of the World Netball Federation, chairs the Governance Committee of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA) and she conducts the choir at her church, the Beulah Methodist Church.
