The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago announces the appointment of Colin Lucas to the post of Chief Executive Officer with effect from October 1. On his acceptance of a three-year contract, Lucas is set to fill the position held by Allison Demas since 2003 and who demits office in keeping with her planned departure on September 30.

No stranger to the sector, Lucas brings with him a wealth of experience in the cultural industries as a musician, composer, COTT member, and three-time Board director of COTT. He is well known for being the leader and musical director of the band Sound Revolution for over 14 years, but may be best remembered as the composer and original performer of the undying soca ditty, "Dollar Wine."

In 1990, Lucas went on to pursue his musical interests as a solo performer after a brief stint with the band TAXI, subsequently adding to his credit the Pan Trinbago /Pan Kaiso Monarch in 2000 and 2001. He won that title with his 2000 composition "Pan Is Mine" and again in 2001, with "Real Pan Jumbie."

Lucas is an honours graduate in management studies and the holder of an MSc in accounting from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine and Mona Campuses, respectively. He brings to COTT his business acumen and critical thinking skills that are recorded in his corporate success stories at the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and, as well, the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost).

At the Port Authority, Lucas was the appointed Chief Executive Officer from 1997 to 2004, and as he notes, his success entailed "leading the organisation through seven years of unprecedented prosperity."

Eager to broaden his executive experience, in 2006, Lucas went on to become the first local Managing Director of the TTPost, with his leadership resulting in a 25 per cent growth in revenue during his three-year tenure, and the organisation being assessed by an independent poll as the best performing Public Utility in T&T for 2007 and 2008.

Of his foray into music he says, "With early encouragement from a musically gifted mother and a musically challenged father", his interest "grew from early involvements with the St Crispin's Anglican Church choir and with the St Mary's College band, to semi-professional ventures with the likes of international reggae star, Freddie McGregor."

Lucas takes up duty at COTT from Monday, September 14, for a handing over period with Demas until the end of the month. During his early months as CEO, he will benefit from Demas' presence, whom the COTT Board has retained on a short-term consultancy as part of the organisation's anticipated successful transition.