Professor Lloyd G. Waller is Professor of Digital Transformation, Policy and Governance and Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at The University of the West Indies, Mona. He previously served for ten years as Director of the Centre for Leadership and Governance, where he advanced research, policy engagement and capacity-building in leadership, public policy, governance, institutional strengthening and national development. Professor Waller holds a PhD in Social Policy, with a research focus on electronic tourism methodologies and their application to development; a Master of Science in Sociology of Development; and a Bachelor of Science in International Relations. His interdisciplinary training has shaped a career devoted to examining how technology, public policy, institutional reform and innovation can be used to advance development, particularly in small states and developing economies.
He has worked with several international and multilateral organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme, where he was responsible for the Information and Communication Technologies for Development portfolio and supported resource-mobilisation initiatives. This work contributed to the establishment of the Cisco Networking Academy in Jamaica, expanding access to internationally recognised digital and networking skills. His international-development experience has included work in digital inclusion, institutional capacity-building, resource mobilisation, technology-enabled development and the application of ICT to social and economic transformation. At the national level, Professor Waller served as Chairman of the Board of eGov Jamaica Limited, the Government of Jamaica’s principal ICT implementation entity and a predecessor within the country’s evolving ICT-authority framework. In that role, he provided strategic oversight of major elements of Jamaica’s public-sector ICT and digital-government portfolio. His work supported the modernisation of government systems, the expansion of digital public services and the strengthening of national ICT governance.
Within The University of the West Indies, he has also served as Digital Lead for The UWI’s Digital Transformation Project. He played a central role in conceptualising and initiating the programme and in mobilising institutional support for a coordinated, university-wide approach to digital transformation. His leadership has helped guide efforts to modernise institutional systems, strengthen digital infrastructure, improve service delivery and create a more integrated and technology-enabled university. Professor Waller is also Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, a global think tank headquartered at The UWI, with a growing network of offices and partnerships across the United Arab Emirates, North America, Africa and Europe. Through the Centre, his work supports governments, destinations and tourism-industry partners in preparing for, managing and recovering from crises. This includes strengthening institutional readiness, coordinating crisis response, protecting destination reputation, safeguarding livelihoods and accelerating recovery.
He played a significant leadership role in helping tourism destinations navigate the COVID-19 shock, supporting safer reopening, policy coordination and longer-term resilience across destinations worldwide. His work has also helped to broaden the global tourism-resilience agenda beyond disaster response to include digital disruption, public-health emergencies, climate risks, misinformation, cybersecurity threats, supply-chain instability and other emerging shocks.
Professor Waller was awarded Jamaica’s national honour, the Order of Distinction, Commander Class, in recognition of his contribution to globalising tourism resilience and implementing successful destination-resilience solutions. He works with governments, civil-society organisations, international businesses, academic institutions and multilateral organisations to support tourism resilience, digital transformation and broader development reform.
With more than 150 publications, his scholarship is generally concerned with transforming developing economies by improving productivity, inclusion, institutional effectiveness and resilience through smarter public services, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and data-informed decision-making. His work bridges research and implementation, connecting academic analysis with practical solutions for governments, organisations, industries and communities.
Professor Waller serves on national and international boards, committees, advisory groups and think tanks. He provides strategic advice on tourism resilience, digital transformation, generative artificial intelligence, innovation, ICT for development, crisis management, institutional reform, resource mobilisation and strategic governance. Across these roles, his central professional focus is the use of policy, technology and institutional leadership to create more inclusive, resilient and development-oriented societies.
