Ms. Kathryn Dinspel-Powell has been a Deputy Chief Officer (DCO) at the Ministry for Financial Services and Commerce since 2021 with responsibility for the Trade and Commerce Unit (TCU). TCU provides policy/strategic advice and legislative reform/development services in relation to the following entities/ subject areas: the Department of Commerce and Investment (DCI); the Cayman Islands Intellectual Property Office (CIIPO); the National Maritime Affairs Secretariat (NMAS); the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI).

As a member of the Ministerial Portfolio Committee (MPC), she works collaboratively with the Chief Officer and other members of the senior leadership team to successfully implement and monitor outcome-based budgeting and project portfolio management across the Ministry, to ensure the cost effective and efficient delivery of the government’s priorities.  

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree, both from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada prior to joining the civil service in August of 1995 as an addiction counsellor. 

During her public service career of almost 30 years, she has been fortunate to hold several supervisory, management and leadership positions in entities within both central Government as well as a statutory authority, becoming a DCO in 2009. 

In addition to completing training and certifications in records and information management; human rights; complaints handling and resolution; mediation, project management; strategic planning; business process reengineering; and procurement and contract negotiation and management, she also completed the Executive Certificate in Global Leadership, conferred jointly by the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of the Cayman Islands. She also completed executive coaching training with Kim Ades, founder of Frame of Mind Coaching and Shirzad Chamine, CEO of Positive Intelligence.

As the Cluster Manager for Support Services in the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), Ms. Dinspel-Powell served during a number of activations including the COVID-19 pandemic, for which she earned the Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honour. 

In alignment with her passion for developing young Caymanian women in the service, she volunteered as a Mentor in the one-year pilot of the Dept. of Counselling Service’s Mentorship Programme, launched in September 2022.