Minister Audley Shaw
Audley Shaw was born in Christiana, Manchester on June 13, 1952. He attended the Christiana Leased Junior School, Knox College and Holmwood Technical High School in Manchester. His first work experience was as a Laboratory Technician at Jamaica Milk Products then at JAMAL as Area Literacy Officer for North East Manchester and as Zone Officer for St. Andrew.
In 1981 Mr. Shaw graduated from Northern Illinois University (NIU) with the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degrees in Journalism with graduate studies in Marketing, Finance and Public Relations.
Mr. Shaw is the recipient of the Donald R. Grubb NIU distinguished Alumni Award.
Mr. Shaw joined the Chicago Office of Burson-Marseller (a Public Relations Consultancy firm) in 1981 as Client Executive, and later joined the Jamaica National Investment Promotion Limited (JNIP) later re-named Jamaica Promotions Corporation Limited (JAMPRO) as Director for Public Relations and Advertising.
Between 1983 and 1986 Mr. Shaw was responsible for JNIP’s Marketing and Overseas Offices. This gave him responsibility for promoting investments worldwide, with offices in the United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
In 1986 Mr. Shaw resigned his position with Government and became a Merchant and Marketing Consultant. Mr Shaw widened his scope to the political sphere when he joined the Jamaica Labour Party in 1987.
Mr. Shaw was appointed to the Senate in 1989 and served as Shadow Minister of Information and Culture, Shadow Minister of Public Utilities and Transport as well as Shadow Minister of Industry and Commerce. In March 1993 he was elected Member of Parliament for North East Manchester. Since that time Mr Shaw has been MP for North East Manchester for six consecutive parliamentary terms.
In September 1995 he was appointed Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
He was appointed Shadow Minister of Finance and served as General Secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party and has been a Deputy Leader of the JLP from 1999 to 2013. In September 2007
Mr. Shaw was appointed Minister of Finance and the Public Service under the JLP administration and later assumed the portfolio of Planning.
Following the JLP’s defeat in 2011 Mr. Shaw was appointed as Shadow Minister responsible for Finance, Planning, Growth and Economic Development on January 19, 2012.
In 2013 Mr. Shaw was conferred with Jamaica’s national award of the Commander of the Order of Distinction in the field of public service.
In 2014 he was appointed as Shadow Minister responsible for Finance and Planning.
In 2016 Mr Shaw was re-appointed Minister of Finance and the Public Service under the JLP administration.
In 2017 Mr. Shaw was given the prestigious award of “Regional Finance Minister of the Year for the Caribbean” by Global Markets, the official newspaper of record at the IMF/World Bank, EBRD, ADB, AIIB and IADB annual meetings.
Mr Shaw was also bestowed with the prestigious award of “Man of the Year” for 2017 by the Jamaica Observer Newspaper.
On March 28, 2018, Mr Shaw was appointed Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.
Following the general elections of September 3, 2020, Mr Shaw was appointed as Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce on September 13, 2020 – a new ministry named under the JLP Administration.
On September 15, 2021, Mr Shaw was given oversight responsibility for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
