About Us

Excel Guyana’s leadership team has been consulting with companies in the CARICOM region for more than three decades. With more than 10 years of local presence in Guyana, it has established business and supply chain networks in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Mexico, the United States of America, and Venezuela. 

We are building Guyana’s future through strategic partnerships that elevate our local and international clients, partners, and the communities that we serve. With the government’s commitment to creating an investment-friendly climate for international investors, Excel is steadfast in further boosting the government’s development initiatives by supporting the growth of local and international investors.

In support to the Local Content Act of 2021 which highlights the need to give top priority to local employment and businesses in the oil and gas industry, Excel and its affiliate companies, Excel Logistics & Management Services (Guyana) Inc. and Excel Construction Inc., are fully registered and approved by the Local Content Secretariat, and has received its Local Content Certificate of Registration.

Creating its mark in Guyana’s history, Excel is the first Guyanese company to achieve Integrated Management Systems Certification through the coordinated implementation of three ISO Systems: ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System, and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System. This strategic decision affirms Excel’s competency to provide high-quality services in a safe and healthy work environment and to sustainably grow into the future. 

*Services mentioned are provided by Excel Guyana Inc, Affiliates & Partners

Our Team

Kris Sammy

Chief Executive Officer

Kris Sammy oversees the Excel Guyana team and serves as Excel’s Government Relations liaison with Guyana officials and local agencies.

Michael Smith

Chief Operations Officer

Over the past three decades, Michael Smith has launched multiple startup organizations in the United States of America, Canada, and the CARICOM Region.

MG (Ret). Norman McLean

Advisor

Ewan Shanks

Vice President of Recruitment Services

Eugene Gonsalves

Vice President of Procurement & Supply Chain Management

Steve Sinanan

Vice President of Marine & Offshore Services

Ronald Ramcharran

Customs Brokerage

Malhotra Persaud

Finance Manager & Corporate Secretary

Shazim Ali

VP of Corporate Development & Operations

Kofi Apkan

Project Manager

Rayana Khan

Accounting Assistant

Terrence Walker

Digital Marketing Specialist

Sonia Marques

Recruiter/Researcher

Cesar Gutierrez

Procurement Consultant

Iesha Azeez

Real Estate Advisor

Cyndee Wooley

PR Advisor

Testimonials

Local Memberships

Kris Sammy

Chief Executive Officer

Kris Sammy oversees the Excel Guyana team and serves as Excel’s Government Relations liaison with Guyana officials and local agencies.

His role stretches from overseeing Excel’s day-to-day operations to collaborating with his team to develop and implement operational policies and set strategic plans for the company’s expanding operations in Guyana.

As a resident of Guyana, Kris has helped new and foreign companies establish profitable local business investments. He is passionate about creating jobs, supporting the local economy, and sharing all that Guyana has to offer to foreigners new to this specific business climate.

Kris is also Co-founder of AlphaGold Corp, a mining project generator focused on the Guiana Shield. He was Co-Founder & COO of Avalon Investment Holdings, which was based in Barbados, a company which completed a successful RTO on TSX Venture Exchange in 2020, for a public listing in Canada of the renown Omai Gold Mines project, located in Guyana. He was instrumental in negotiating the Omai project, land-package deal with the Guyana Government in 2017.

He is also Vice-Chair for AmChan Guyana Trade and Investment Committee, and, a Trade & Investment, and Green Economy Committee member with The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Kris worked for over twenty years in business and financial markets and served as a liaison with Canada’s largest investment and banking firms. He studied at York University in Toronto, and through the CSI Global Education, earned his designations as a Chartered Financial Planner (CFP), Financial Management Advisor (FMA) and a Certified Investment Manager (CIM) and was a Fellow of the Canadian Security Institute (FCSI).

With over twenty years of lesson’s learned behind him, Kris brings the innovation and understanding needed to advocate your goals and bring your business to the forefront with Excel Guyana.

Michael Smith

Chief Operations Officer

Over the past three decades, Michael Smith has launched multiple startup organizations in the United States of America, Canada, and the CARICOM Region.

As an international entrepreneur, Michael has a broad vantage point to identify business opportunities ahead of the curve. He has a solid track record of bringing together the strategic partners, leadership teams, and local government organizations to successfully capitalize on market opportunities and generate shareholder wealth. In North America and the CARICOM Region, he has taken the time to develop relationships with key government and business leaders. He has extensive knowledge of cultural, infrastructure, local talent, and the right channels for successful projects.

As the Chief Operating Officer of Excel Guyana Inc., he works directly with foreign investors seeking to capitalize on Guyana’s economic boom resulting from the Oil & Gas and Mining Sectors. Michael’s experience with Fund Management, Infrastructure and Development projects in the CARICOM Region provides invaluable background for Excel’s strategic partners.

Michael’s experience in the CARICOM region also includes managing Dynamic Equity Fund II Ltd., a registered fund in Trinidad & Tobago in addition to forming Capital Acceleration Fund Ltd. Both funds secured equity funding and made successful investments in a portfolio that included investments in private and public companies operating in the exploration/mining and technology sectors.

Michael is a graduate with High Distinction from Babson College with a B.S. in Economics / Finance / Investments. He currently resides in Naples, Florida with his family.

Norman Mclean

Advisor

Norman McLean is an internationally-trained expert in security management, recognized with numerous awards for exemplary service. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, he has been a leader, building a stronger Guyana.

His career began working for the British Guiana Public Service. He was quickly promoted to Platoon Commander, where he was responsible for Training and Operations for the British Guiana Volunteer Force. In 1958, he transitioned to the Guyana Police Force, where he honorably served as a Deputy Commissioner/Area Divisional Commander, overseeing activities in all areas of Crime Prevention, Court Prosecutions, and Mobile Care Patrol Systems and Riot Control.

In 1974, McLean was appointed the Founding Director General of the Guyana National Service. He was responsible for the designing and implementation of the National Youth Program, developing the talents of Guyana’s youth in service to the newly formed nation. He was later promoted to Major-General/Chief of Staff to the Guyana Defence Force, where he was responsible for the design, development and training for the Defence Force of the State of Guyana

In 1991, Norman entered the private sector as a security and human resources consultant. He honed his skills at one of South America’s largest producing gold mines, Omai Gold Mines Limited. Since then, he has consulted with a variety of government agencies and private sector corporations including the United Nations, University of Guyana and ETK Sandspring Resource.

He is a past-chairman of the Guyana Manufactures and Services Association and the Private Sector Commission.

Major General (ret.) Norman McLean holds a Master of Science in Security Management from the University of Leicester, England. His training includes public safety and police academy training through Guyana, England, and the United States.

Ewan Shanks

Vice President of Recruitment Services

As a member of the executive leadership team, Mr. Shanks is responsible for growing the organization’s local and international recruitment division to support businesses expanding in Guyana.

Prior to joining the Excel Guyana team, Shanks honed his skills working with two of the largest and most successful executive search firms in Toronto. After leaving a position as Senior Corporate Recruiter with IAMGOLD, a Tier One global mining company headquartered in Toronto, Shanks became a partner for a search firm in Toronto, focusing once again on the mining sector. He returned to Guyana in 2013, continuing to build the qualified labour pool for foreign corporations beginning operations in Guyana. He has worked for two of the largest and most successful recruiting firms in the oil and gas sector in the CARICOM region. As an entrepreneur, Shanks also launched a successful international recruiting firm in Guyana.

He is skilled in recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), executive searches, headhunting, direct sourcing, customized and unbundled recruiting services, as well as permanent and contract placement.

Shanks is trained in Structural Behavioral Interviewing and has a keen eye for identifying top talent in the marketplace. He excels at managing client relationships and delivering results on time, and under budget. He holds a Certified Professional Consultant (CPC) designation through the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing (ACSESS), along with Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and Investment Funds in Canada (IFIC) Certifications.

Eugene Gonsalves

Vice President of Procurement & Supply Chain Management

In his position with Excel Guyana, Eugene Gonsalves strategic role is to ensure clients have access to a dependable, established supply chain of resources for both machinery and provisions.

Eugene Gonsalves brings with him extensive experience in the energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors. He has worked on projects of great magnitude and has helped local and national companies establish efficient operations.

His impressive track record in the construction of gas and petroleum refineries, oil and gas drilling operations, aluminum refinery and gold mining concession, and hydroelectric dam construction equips him with abundant experience to guide investors in establishing their businesses in these key industries in Guyana. Gonsalves is also proficient in procurement, logistic, contracts, and project execution planning, giving him a macro perspective in business operations from production to sales and everything in between.

Gonsalves has degrees in Superior Technician of Industrial Relation and Administration of Financial Resources and Inventory which he earned from Simón Rodriguez National Experimental University in Venezuela.

Steve Sinanan

Vice President of Marine & Offshore Services

Excel Guyana’s Marine & Offshore Services Division is led by Mr. Steve Sinanan, a 30-year veteran in the marine and offshore services industry. During his career, Mr. Sinanan has developed relationships with key suppliers and professionals. He has built extensive global networks to ensure Excel Guyana’s clients receive world-class customer service in the delivery of supplies, machinery, and marine services.

Prior to joining Excel, Mr. Sinanan was a seasoned entrepreneur credited with launching organizations that provided ship and rig supplies, logistics services and ship agents, as well as a firm that specialized in land-based and offshore marine fabrication.

Working closely with clients, Mr. Sinanan provides strategic support to clients that help them explore business growth potentials. With his extensive knowledge of supply chains and inventory, he can source the specific materials needed to help the oil and gas industry grow.

Mr. Sinanan shares Excel’s vision of building Guyana’s future through strategic partnerships that elevate our local and international clients, partners, and the communities that we serve.

Ronald Ramcharran

Customs Brokerage Manager

Practiced brokerage in the early 60’s whilst managing The British Commercial Agency Limited under A.L. Beak later giving myself the opportunity to further edify, managed the Customs Broker Service for Guyana Refrigeration Limited (G..L.) becoming the first broker in Guyana under managing director Micheal Brassington to obtain the brokerage license issued by The Guyana Revenue Authority (G.R.A.). During this period, I was temporarily recruited by Yesu Persaud at the time, a representative of The Foundation of International Trading to educate manufactures of locally produced products how to prepare required documents for export, requirements, etc. Following the closing of G..L. in the late 90’s, pursued entrepreneurship, starting my own brokerage company RR Customs Brokerage, now with 40 years plus experience. 

Malhotra Persaud

Finanace Manager & Corporate Secretary

Malhotralall Persaud is a resourceful accounting professional with more than 8 years of experience in job cost accounting.

He is responsible for preparing the monthly budgets, accounts and financial statements for Excel and Excel’s clients.

Shazim Ali

Marketing Manager

Shazim Ali serves as the Marketing Manager within the Marketing Department.

He fosters Excel Guyana’s brand identity, by creating compelling campaigns by developing and implementing local and international marketing communications and public relations strategies.

He applied his result-oriented and hands-on approach to help Excel Guyana increase market visibility and generate business leads and revenue.

Prior to joining Excel Guyana, Shazim sharpened his professional skills in Marketing and Business Development. He has extensive experience in cutting-edge technology to streamline the client’s journey.

Graduating from Nations University with a Diploma in Marketing Management, he is currently enrolled in the University of West Indies (Open Camus) where he is reading for a bachelor’s degree in Political Science minor in Economics.

KOfi Apkan

Project Manager

Kofi Akpan has a combined professional experience of thirteen (13) years in the oil and gas and gold mining industries.

Prior to owning and operating a medium scale gold mining company in Guyana, South America, for nine (9) years, he worked as a production engineer at Teck Cominco, Trail, BC, Canada and Canadian Natural Resources, AB, Canada.

His role in the mining industry includes a hands-on approach in areas of strategic, operational and project management. His activities include, among other things, development of joint ventures alliances, control systems, and negotiation approaches. His involvement at the operational levels involves ensuring strategic objectives are effectively executed. Currently, Mr. Akpan serves as the project manager in the rehabilitation of Omai Gold Mines’ camp site in preparation for the commencement of the drilling program. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC), BC, Canada.

Rayana Khan

Accounting Assistant

Rayana Khan has more than 7 years of experience as an administrative professional, providing clerical and bookkeeping support.

She is responsible for preparing the monthly budgets, accounts and financial statements for Excel Guyana’s clients.

Rayana enjoys working with a diverse team of business professionals to achieve our clients goals. She is also pursuing higher education at the Accountancy Training Center, seeking a degree in Business Management. She is excited to grow with Excel Guyana.

Terrence Walker

Digital Marketing Coordinator

As a Digital Enthusiast, Terrence Walker is Excel Guyana’s in-house expert in graphics design and technical development. He is known to innovate and expand at every opportunity available using digital media and software-driven applications. He is affluent in Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Problem Solving, Digital Marketing, WordPress, and Cloud Computing. Prior to his stint in Excel, he worked as the Head of Development in an international company where he oversaw the development and execution of software projects which include applications, webpages, and software. In the same company, he also had a run as an International Marketing Coordinator wherein he was responsible for creating and managing marketing proposals, web page designs, and digital/print graphics. His experience as an Asst. Academic Admin/ Graphic Designer, Terrence produced digital and print graphics 

Sonia Marques

Recruiter/Research

Sonia Marques has more than ten years of expertise in Recruitment, Human Resources and Administration. Ms. Marques oversees headhunting, direct sourcing, and candidate research as a part of the Excel Recruitment team.

Ms. Marques began her career in recruiting before joining Excel at Guyana’s Largest Business Process Outsourcer as a Recruitment Officer, where she gained experience in mass hiring and was successful due to her rigorous planning and methodical execution to achieve the necessary objectives. She subsequently transitioned to the retail and wholesale sector, working with Guyana’s Largest Mall as the Senior Recruiter, where she was instrumental in launching and opening the Mall by quickly by employing and training hundreds of staff.

She is proficient in mass hiring, sourcing, headhunting, local and international recruitment, and talent acquisition for all industries. 

Iesha Azeez

Real Estate Advisor

Since 2014, IA Realty Solutions has been assisting businesses in Guyana with employee relocation, residential real estate rentals and purchases, commercial real estate leases and property acquisitions, as well as seller services.

Leveraging its extensive, global network and mastery of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods, IA Realty Solutions now serves as an invaluable resource to a diverse set of buyers and sellers across Guyana.

As a leader in the Guyana real estate industry, IA Realty Solutions, an affiliated company of Golocal Relocation has served clients such as IDB, CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, Haliburton, Saipem Guyana Inc., Baker Hughes, Scotiabank, SBM Offshore, Repsol, and ECO Lab.

With its resources and depth of knowledge in the industry, IA Realty Solutions stands ready to support the sustainable growth of Guyana’s economy working with all levels of executive management to facilitate employee relocation support, housing acquisition, and property management. You can trust that your employees will be safe and well taken care of as they support the launch of your business.

When beginning to bring your people to live and do business with Guyana, we work with Guyanese property owners to ensure that properties are prepared efficiently and effectively for your comfort and security.

In addition to residential experience, IA Realty Solutions has extensive experience in commercial real estate services. From industrial and manufacturing space, to commercial office and retail services, with a vast portfolio of services to help business seamlessly transition into Guyana.

Cyndee Wooley

PR Advisor

Cyndee Woolley holds an Accredited Public Relations professional (APR) designation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and has nearly two decades of experience in marketing and public relations. She has a demonstrated track record campaigns get noticed and generate results.

Woolley is a consultant in public relations, social media, and community outreach strategies. She is also the author of Building Brand [You], which has been incorporated into the MBA program at Hodges University and is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

She has led training initiatives in social media and public relations training programs through: The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Marco Island Chamber of Commerce,American Business Women’s Association Vistage, Collier County Republican Executive Committee, Miromar Design Center, Naples Area Board of Realtors, HR Collier and for over 80 non-profit organizations at Thinking Outside the Box seminar. Woolley has been a featured speaker at the 2011 and 2015 PRSA International Conferences, PRSA’s national webinar series, the PRSA Sunshine District Conference in 2012 and the PRSA Western District in 2013. Additionally, she was a featured presenter for Full Sail University’s online alumni webinar series and Hodges University.

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