JSE chooses new leader
Morrison steps up as Street Forrest prepares to exit
Published:Wednesday | September 10, 2025 | 12:10 AM
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, JSE, began the transition to new leadership on Monday, closing out a two-decade run by Marlene Street Forrest, who twice took the Jamaican stock market to world leader status.
Her replacement, Livingstone Morrison, whose career background has mainly been in central banking and a long-time director of the stock exchange, became CEO of Jamaica Stock Exchange Limited on Monday, September 8.
However, Street Forrest’s tenure will run to September 30, when she officially retires and demits office as managing director.
Morrison, a chartered accountant, was once deputy governor of the Bank of Jamaica, and was most recently adviser to the governor of the Central Bank of Belize.
He has also served the JSE in the capacity of director, former deputy chairman, and former chairman of the exchange’s Regulatory & Market Oversight Committee.
Morrison comes to the position at a time when the stock market is struggling to regain past glory. The rout of the market by the pandemic resulted in a bear market, and the stock market is still trading near those lows from five years ago due to global events that continue to roil capital markets worldwide. The JSE Combined Index, at 329,181 points, is performing just 1.3 per cent better than the pandemic-era low.
Additionally, the exchange has unfinished business initiated under Street Forrest’s tenure. Outstanding are plans to allow shorting, introduce digital or tokenised assets and the trading of foreign stocks.
Efforts to reach Morrison for an interview were not immediately successful.
Both he and Street Forrest have been recognised with national honours for their contribution to the financial landscape, in 2020 and 2016 respectively. Additionally, Street Forrest, who joined the JSE in 2000, became its general manager in 2002 and managing director in 2017, will be conferred with another honour – the prestigious Order of Jamaica in October.
Morrison’s strategic insight, regulatory depth, and unwavering commitment to Jamaica’s economic progress make him ideally positioned to lead the exchange into its next chapter of innovation and inclusive growth, building on the extraordinary foundation established by Dr Street Forrest,” said Steven Whittingham, chairman of the JSE in a statement announcing the appointment.
“As I conclude my tenure, I do so with the assurance that the Exchange will continue to expand its horizons as there is a team that is capable and fully committed to its growth and development,” Street Forrest said.