Courtney Rattray
COURTNEY Rattray, a director with the foreign ministry, has been appointed ambassador to the People's Republic of China. The appointment was made by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh.
Rattray is expected to take up office in December. He succeeds Ambassador Wayne McCook, who will be reassigned.
Currently serving as director of the bilateral relations department in the ministry, Rattray has served as minister/deputy chief of mission, Embassy of Jamaica, Washington, D.C.
Wealth of experience
He brings to this appointment a wealth of experience in the areas of trade promotion and business facilitation.
Prior to his assignment to the embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C., he served as an adviser in the ministry. In addition, he has worked in the area of export trade in Jamaica and London.
While in the United Kingdom, he was trade commissioner; executive director, Jamaica Marketing Company Limited (JAMCO); and subsequently, a consultant with the Caribbean Banana Exporters' Association.
Rattray is a past director of Jamaica Promotions Corporation's (JAMPRO, now Jamaica Trade and Invest), trade policy, as well as marketing and promotions divisions; and manager, textiles and apparel unit, and export marketing adviser, Jamaica National Export Corporation.
He has also served as a director in a number of entities: Port Royal Development Company Ltd., AFS-Jamaica Limited, Jamaica Export Trading Company (Europe) Ltd., and Jamaica Basic Schools Foundation (UK), of which he is a past chairman.
Qualifications
The new ambassador holds two master's degrees: M.A., international relations, from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA, and M.Sc., international business, South Bank University, UK. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts, International Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College and is a past student of Excelsior and Wolmer's high schools.
He is married to Tanya and has four children, Renée, Joelle, Gabriela and Tristan.
