Our Team

Michael Lee-Chin is the Chairman of Portland Private Equity and sponsor of AIC Caribbean Fund; founder and Chairman of the Portland Holdings group, a privately held investment company, which owns a collection of diversified operating companies; and Chairman of NCB Financial Group Limited.

Toni is an investment partner at Portland Private Equity, working closely with portfolio companies to drive operational improvements and support growth strategy development. Toni also serves as co-lead of PPE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, supporting the firm’s mission of promoting inclusion within the firm and across our portfolios. She has amassed over 15 years’ experience in credit risk, investment and commercial banking. Prior to joining Portland Private Equity in 2019, Toni was head of Corporate Underwriting and Portfolio Management at National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited. Toni holds both a B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in Economics from the University of the West Indies.

Robert Almeida is a Managing Partner of Portland Private Equity and helped launch AIC Caribbean Fund. He is an accomplished businessperson with a strong background in corporate strategy and operations. He was formerly an executive at Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest retailer, and led the creation of a direct bank at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He has served on the boards of Columbus International Inc. (cable and telecommunications), Kingston Wharves Limited (port operator), and Advantage General Insurance (general insurance). He currently serves on the boards of NCB Financial Group Limited, Clarien Bank Limited, and several subsidiaries of Portland Holdings Inc.

Joe Vescio has over 30 years of experience in negotiating, structuring, and closing a wide variety of transaction types. He is a Managing Partner of Portland Private Equity, in addition to his investment origination and portfolio company responsibilities; he looks after the financial operations of AIC Caribbean Fund and PCF II Fund. Vescio founded a successful valuation practice earlier in his career and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator by training.

Pedro has over 15 years of Investment Banking experience, having advised clients on more than 40 M&A, Capital Markets, and Debt transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $40 billion. He is an investment partner at the firm, and a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Prior to joining Portland, Pedro led the UBS and Citibank investment banking divisions in Colombia and CAC. Pedro also worked for over 8 years as part of the IB teams at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Stephens Inc. in New York. He currently serves on the board of Merqueo and as an observer on IGA. Pedro holds an MBA, Magna Cum Laude, from Babson College.

Douglas Hewson has over 25 years of private equity and venture capital experience. He is a Managing Partner of Portland Private Equity; prior to joining AIC Caribbean Fund, he was responsible for co founding and leading two successful investment management firms. At PPE, he has primary responsibility for investor relations, is a board member of Grupo IGA, Productive Business Solutions, Merqueo, and an observer to the board of Clarien Bank. He is a member of PCF II Fund’s Investment Committee and is involved in all aspects of AIC Caribbean Fund and PCF II Fund’s management. He is also a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at PPE.

Ricardo Hutchinson has over 17 years of experience in the Caribbean financial sector. He is an investment partner at the firm. Prior to joining Portland Private Equity, he worked with some of the Caribbean’s leading financial institutions where he successfully closed several capital market transactions. He currently serves on the boards of Productive Business Solutions, Diverze Assets, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, and Tropical Battery. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of The West Indies and is a CFA Charterholder

Hülya has been an international sustainability expert for over 15 years. At Portland Private Equity, she is the Partner responsible for the evaluation, guidance and monitoring of portfolio companies’ environmental, social and diversity performance. Hülya co-leads the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and is also responsible for impact approach and assessment. She has consulted for the World Bank and DEG evaluating the E&S performance of financial institutions. Prior to joining PPE in 2016, Hülya worked for PwC Germany advising companies in improving their sustainability performance, and evaluating international development cooperation projects.