Honorable E. Jay Saunders is the former Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment & Trade of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

During his tenure as Minister of Finance, Investment & Trade (August 2021 – March 2024), the Turks & Caicos Islands saw a significant uptick in annual revenues, reaching a record US$413.2 million in financial year 2022/23. This achievement marked the first time the country’s revenues surpassed the US$400 million milestone.

Hon. Saunders’ impact has also been felt in the health sector. From February to July 2021, he served as the Minister of Health & Human Services. His leadership was instrumental in the Turks & Caicos Islands Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, active COVID-19 cases fell from over 400 to zero, which led to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) adjusting its risk rating of the islands from level 4 (the highest) to level 1 (the lowest).

Backed by a strong background in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Hon. Saunders has made substantial contributions in the area of technology. Hon. Saunders is the founder of DSS, the developer of SafetyNet.ai, an AI platform that aids financial organizations in complying with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Client (KYC) rules and regulations. Hon. Saunders is also the Chairman of Kairos Inc., the maker of AI enabled facial recognition and digital identity verification products and services.

In 2005, Hon. Saunders co-founded Digicel TCI, a mobile telecommunications company that formed part of Digicel’s network in the Caribbean and South America. As its founding CEO from 2006 – 2014, Hon. Saunders took Digicel TCI from 0% market share to over 50% market share in a 3-player market. Digicel also led the market as the #1 mobile brand during each year of Hon. Saunders’ tenure.