BABC Miami
Supporting and Growing UK-US transatlantic business relationships in Miami for over 30 years.
Come and join us at our next event!
Why join us?
BABC Miami members enjoy access to business, trade, and social events around the Miami area and beyond. Our events include business talks with expert presenters, seminars, and business and social networking events, signature events such as our holiday party and King’s birthday celebration, and regular events organized together with partner organizations such as European and other allied chambers of commerce. We also facilitate access to British-American Business Network events, including the annual Transatlantic Business Conference including roundtables, plenary sessions, and networking receptions featuring business executives and government representatives involved in trade and investment on both sides of the Atlantic.
Membership Options
There are three membership options available to suit your needs
Upcoming Events
Take a look at our events below. We'd love to see you!
POP-UP IMAGE GALLERY
Have a look at our image gallery
Trustee Members
Without the Trustee Members the BABC would struggle to exist. They support the organisation in many different ways and we are proud to spotlight them below.
Tansy
Jefferies
Future-focused technology, driven by human insights and innovation, empowers your progress with confidence and clarity.
Peter
Hart
Explore our international banking expertise, designed to unlock future opportunities worldwide.
Christine
Alden
Our Florida government relations team features distinguished former members of the Florida House of Representatives.
Emilio
Vazquez
Cost-effective and efficient business banking solutions tailored to support your growing company.
Jennifer Holt Estrella
We offer strategic immigration consulting and visa services to support all business immigration needs.
Board Members
BABC Miami is run by the members, for the members.
President
Catherine Garrido
GIS
Education
Catherine Garrido
GIS
Catherine is originally from England and started her career in education working for the University of Manchester. After 17 years in Manchester, she moved to Florida, joining Manchester Business School – Americas Campus, where she recruited for their Global MBA programs.
Following MBS, she joined the business school at the University of Miami, working with their MBA portfolio, and eventually moving into Executive Education, helping design and build bespoke education programs for global companies in South Florida and across Latin America.
Catherine then moved into fundraising, joining the team at the Jackson Health Foundation. Working across all of the Jackson Health System hospitals and services, building relationships with donors and developing corporate partnerships.
In April 2021, UK leadership from the Global
Institute of Sport, started developing their first US campus at Inter Miami CF,
and appointed Catherine as their Regional Director for the Americas. Leading business development across the region, and overseeing compliance and operations for on campus delivery of GIS programs. She also works with marketing
and recruitment teams based in the UK at GIS campuses in Manchester and
Wembley, London.
Catherine was appointed President of the British
Americas Business Council Miami in January 2024 and has been involved with BABC Miami for over 10 years. She is also an alumnus from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Miami program, graduating in 2016 and receiving the Carlos Arboleya Community Service Award.
Catherine is mum to two teenagers and a keen runner, having run the Miami half marathon for the past 10 years!
Vice President
Lisa Shephard
ALTUS-WRX
International Hires
Lisa Shephard
ALTUS-WRX
Lisa has been based in Miami for eight years and brings a wealth of global experience, having lived and worked across Europe and Asia. With a background in leading and building international talent functions, she now focuses on helping
businesses expand into the U.S. through her company, ALTUS-WRX. Lisa specializes
in GTM strategy, market testing, building traction, and supporting companies in
establishing and scaling local teams.
Treasurer
Jonathan Fagbohungbe
CONSULTANT
Consultant
Jonathan Fagbohungbe
CONSULTANT
Jonathan Fagbohungbe is a finance professional with a proven track record in financial analysis, asset management, and banking, specializing in client solutions. He holds a B.S.B.A. in Economics & Finance from the University of Central
Florida. His expertise includes managing complex transactions, building strong
client relationships, and driving strategic portfolio growth.
Jonathan previously held roles at Citibank, where he contributed to improving
efficiency in client onboarding processes. He also gained significant
experience in global collateral trading and settlement as a Senior Client
Service Delivery Analyst at the Bank of New York Mellon.
Jonathan’s personal values reflect a blend of Nigerian, British, and American cultures, which shape his approach to both business and life. A passionate music
enthusiast, he grew up playing the piano and violin, and now curates’ music for
himself, DJing in his free time. He is also an avid follower of UK football.
Committed to continuous growth, believes in the importance of personal and
professional evolution.
Secretary
Patrick Hart
Cargo Crafters
Freight forwarding
Patrick Hart
COMPASSS
Patrick is a Brit born and raised in Hong Kong. Initially visiting Miami in 2021 for a business trip, he soon found himself splitting time between London and Miami, before making the move permanent in 2023 - the same year he tied the knot to Ashley, the real reason Patrick moved to Miami! As the founder of a freight forwarding business, Patrick navigates the complexities of global logistics while occasionally hitting the golf course and enjoying weekends in the
Keys.
Board Member
Christine Alden
Buchanan
Attorney
Christine Alden
Buchanan
Christine J. Alden is a shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a full-service national law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh. She is based in their Miami office.
Christine is a Past President and Chairwoman of the British American Business Council of Miami (BABC) where she remains a Director. Christine is in her 29th year of practicing Immigration Law, and a frequent speaker on the topic. Christine is a Past President of American Immigration Lawyers Association’s South Florida Chapter (AILA South Florida), a chapter of over 1000 immigration attorneys and has served on the AILA South Florida Board in various Officer and Director roles from 2013 to 2021.
Christine remains active in AILA South Florida as Chair of the Congressional Committee, charged with advocating for common sense and fair immigration reform and as a member of the Customs and Border Protection Liaison Committee. Additionally, she has been appointed by AILA National as the Chair of AILA’s Distance Learning Committee, Business Webinars for the 2024-25 term. She also serves nationally on AILA’s Custom and Border Protection Liaison Committee and AILA’s Standing Committee on Political Engagement. She is the recipient of AILA’s Presidential Commendation awards in 2024 and 2020 for her outstanding commitment and voluntary service to the organization.
Christine is a graduate of Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she was the Research Editor of the Law Review. She attended college at the University of Florida and earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance.
Christine was born in the United Kingdom of British and Jamaican parents and has lived in both in England and Jamaica as well as in Texas and Florida. For the last three years, Christine was recognized as a leading Immigration attorney in Florida by Chambers USA.
Board Member
Tansy Jefferies
RSM
Accountancy
Tansy Jefferies
RSM
Tansy is RSM’s national transfer pricing leader; she provides
transfer pricing advisory, compliance and controversy services to domestic and
multinational companies.
Tansy collaborates closely with international RSM member firms to provide seamless services to RSM’s globally-active clients, which entail assisting clients with end-to-end transfer pricing services, including structuring, planning and operational transfer pricing, as well as overseeing large-scale global transfer pricing documentation projects. Tansy also provides transfer pricing audit defense and controversy services and has assisted taxpayers to navigate successfully through various tax authority audits. Tansy is also a frequent speaker at national and international conferences.
In addition to Tansy’s transfer pricing role, she also serves as the office leader for RSM’s Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach offices.
Prior to joining RSM US, Tansy spent four years with RSM’s UK member firm in London where she advised clients on individual, corporate and international matters, with a particular focus on developing tax efficient structures for clients in order to mitigate their exposure to UK tax.
Prior to joining RSM’s international network, Tansy was a
manager at a Big Four firm in the UK, where she is qualified as a UK Chartered
Tax Adviser.
Board Member
Carlos Hawker
MEMBRANE LABS
FinTech
Carlos Hawker
MEMBRANE LABS
Chairman and Immediate Past President of the British American Business Council (BABC) in South Florida, has been instrumental in strengthening UK-US trade and investment since 2018. Currently leading growth at a prominent technology firm, he has held senior roles at global financial institutions, investment firms, and international law practices, including HSBC and BlackRock. He holds a Master’s in Banking, Corporate, and Finance from Fordham Law School and has completed executive programs at Harvard Law School and MIT Sloan School of Management
in the South Florida Real Estate industry, Madeleine has made her mark as a top
agent and broker. Her solid perspective of what is happening in the market
along with the cutting–edge resources offered by Compass are the ultimate combination for success.
Board Member
Anapaula Lagarriga
SISU COACHING
Business Coaching
Anapaula Lagarriga
ACTIONCOACH
Over the last 14 years, Anapaula has helped over 500 business owners
and executives achieve their goals taking them, their teams and their business to the next level. Her clients have achieved double and triple-digit growth in profitability, accomplished through improvements in m i n d s e t , sales, marketing, team training, systems development and strategic planning. She helps business owners grow from a strengths based and cognitive behavioural approach to development of a results-driven and profitable team, allowing the business owner to focus on the areas that they excel at and be the leader. Anapaula is confident in her ability to help decisive and innovative business owners and executives, she will only offer to coach a business if she can guarantee results.
As an ActionCOACH, Anapaula belongs to a network of over 1,000 business coaches in over 80 countries. With this network of brain power, along with her Master’s studies in Developmental Psychology at TC Columbia University, Bachelor degrees in Business Management and Psychology from University of Miami and 14 years experience as a Certified Business and Executive Coach, Anapaula is skilled at breaking down complex issues into simple steps, and has the tools to help her clients succeed. She also has certifications in Conversational Intelligence, Positive Intelligence and Red Team Training.
Board Member
Peter Hart
HSBC
Relationship Manager
Peter Hart
HSBC
Peter Hart is a senior finance professional with over 30 years of experience in the
U.S., U.K. and European finance markets. He is skilled across multiple disciplines including corporate and commercial relationship banking, as well as securitization, structured and leveraged finance.
In his current relationship management role, Peter leads corporate banking coverage for HSBC’s Large Corporate clients and prospects in the Florida market and is responsible for managing client credit exposure, product suite and returns.
Prior to his appointment at HSBC in 2012, Peter was based in New York for 11 years where he spent 6 years as a Senior Vice President and senior originator of Lloyds
Bank’s flagship securitization conduit. In this capacity, he was tasked with originating, evaluating, negotiating and recommending complex and highly structured transactions for Lloyds’ corporate clients.
The first 9 years of his career were spent in Lloyds’ head office in London where
he was responsible for overseeing the design and delivery of senior debt
structures for leveraged transactions across the U.K. and Europe. Before this appointment he was a Relationship
Manager to the bank’s Energy and Resource clients.
Membership Options
Individual Membership
$250.00 / Per Annum
- Membership for up to 1 person
- Member discounts on event tickets
- Access to all BABC and European Network events
- Opportunity to attend BABC chapter events in other
cities at member pricing
Business Membership
$500.00 / Per Annum
- Access to all BABC and European Networking events
- Opportunity to sit on the BABC board
- One email blast per year
- Opportunity to sponsor and host events
- Up to 2 tickets per event at member price
- Opportunity to attend BABC chapter events in other
cities at member pricing
- Invitation to speak at an event/panel.
Trustee Membership
$1800.00 / Per Annum
- Access to all BABC and European Networking events
- Company logo prominently displayed on BABC Miami website and at all events
- Two email blasts per year to BABC Miami membership
- Opportunity to present one Business Breakfast Topic and Speaker
- Option to sit on the Council’s Board of Directors
- Website link to Company’s site
- Preferential event sponsoring opportunities
- Up to 6 tickets per event at member price
- Opportunity to promote your company once each year at a Council event
- Opportunity to list company promotions on website
- Preferred seating at Council events
- Opportunity to attend BABC chapter events in other
cities at member pricing
Any more questions?
Phone
+1 954-356-5772
President@babcmiami.org
About us
BABC Miami All Rights Reserved
Contact
Catherine Garrido
+1 954-356-5772
President@babcmiami.org
copyright 2025 @ All Right Reserved.