The Hon. Michael Lee Chin, OJ

Michael Lee-Chin is a Jamaican businessman who is considered a visionary in the world of business. His philosophy of “doing well and doing good” has contributed to great success in his entrepreneurial undertakings. He was one of the first black people to be listed on Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of the World’s Billionaires in 2001.

Michael Lee-Chin was born on January 3, 1951 in Port Antonio, Portland. He was the first of nine children born to his parents. Lee-Chin attended Titchfield High School in the parish. After high school, he studied at the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1974.

Career

Mr. Lee-Chin then returned to Jamaica to work on highway infrastructure projects for two years, after which he went back to Canada and was employed as a financial advisor and investor.  One of his first acquisitions was a small Ontario-based investment firm called AIC Limited. AIC is now one of the largest mutual fund companies in Canada. He also invested in the Berkshire group of companies which has accumulated more than CAD$12 million under his leadership.

Locally, Mr. Lee-Chin purchased 75 per cent of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) in the late 1990s – 2000s. Since then, the bank’s profits have increased from US$6 million to US$ 100 million. Today, it is Jamaica’s largest bank.

In April 2016, Lee-Chin was appointed Chairman of the Economic Growth Council (EGC), established by the Government of Jamaica to propose initiatives and sub-initiatives that will yield economic growth for the country.

Awards

Mr. Lee-Chin has received several awards:

Order of Jamaica for outstanding service in business and philanthropy, 2008

Entrepreneur of the Year, 1997

Harry Jerome Award for a decade of achievement, 2002

Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from several universities in Jamaica and Canada

Family

Lee-Chin married in 1974. He has five children: Michael Jr., Paul, Adrian, Elizabeth and Maria.