Paulette Simpson, the Deputy Chair of both the Windrush Advisory Panel and the Windrush Commemoration Committee in the United Kingdom, will be made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award, for her service to the Caribbean community in the UK. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will honor the influential Jamaican at her 2020 Birthday Honors. Simpson will be among 1,494 individuals who will receive the Queen’s honor this year. Ninety-six of these will be conferred with the CBE.
Simpson currently serves as the deputy managing director of JN Bank in the UK. This is the first Caribbean-owned bank in the UK and was launched in London on October 8, 2020. She has been part of the Jamaica National organization since 2002. She also works in the UK for The Jamaica National Group, which owns JN Bank, and will continue there in her role as Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy. In addition, she is the executive director of The Voice, the only black national newspaper in Britain and a subsidiary of the JN Group where she provides strategic management support.
Simpson is originally from Walderston in Manchester and attended Manchester High School. She was named to Powerlist’s roster of the most influential people of African and African Caribbean heritage in Britain in 2018 and 2019. The yearly UK Powerlist is published by Powerful Media. She is considered to have a major role in maintaining Jamaica’s ties to the Diaspora in the UK. Simpson is a passionate advocate who is very active in her community, helping various charities throughout the UK with their efforts to improve the lives of Jamaicans in the UK and on the home island.
Speaking to The Gleaner newspaper in an interview in 2018, Simpson stated that she saw herself as a “builder of relationships,” noting that “relationships are critical to everything that we do.” She believes good relationships can ensure that people receive value and appreciate actions taken jointly. “Networking is about knowing people and creating opportunities for people, “ she added.
