VM Group launches ‘Yaad and Beyond’ campaign for diaspora

GEORGIA, United States —Revered as one of the most formidable financial institutions across Jamaica, the Victoria Mutual (VM) Group has embarked on a campaign to further strengthen its financial solutions to Jamaicans in the diaspora, primarily in the United States (US), Canada and the United Kingdom (UK).

Coined 'Yaad and Beyond, The VM Group Financial Link-Up', the campaign kicked off in Decatur, Georgia, USA last Thursday with senior executives headed by Group Chief Executive Officer Courtney Campbell leading a team to meet with Jamaicans at the Courtyard by Marriott for the 'Georgia Edition'.

More than 150 Jamaicans filled the room to be informed about VM's suite of financial products and how they can benefit.

Campbell said for the rest of September, the VM team would be participating in a ministerial investment mission in New York, USA and Toronto, Canada, leading towards the ending of September. The mission is being lead by the government’s agency JAMPRO.

Campbell said the objective behind this move is to ensure that non-resident Jamaicans have the knowledge about what's happening in the various markets, especially in Jamaica and the investment opportunities that exist. These, Campbell said, include investing in real estate; the stock market; bonds; unit trust; and how members can create and preserve their wealth.

"VM Group is committed to financial education. Our purpose is to empower members globally to achieve financial well-being. Empowerment starts with knowledge, so over the years, we have developed several initiatives aimed at bringing financial education to our members wherever they are in the world," Campbell explained.

Campbell expounded: "The diaspora market is important for us. We are leaders in the diaspora market and we intend to widen that leadership. Thirty per cent of our mortgage portfolio is for non-resident Jamaicans. That shows that we take the diaspora seriously. We are committed to helping Jamaicans residing overseas to buy properties in Jamaica and to invest in Jamaica, generally."

Speaking on the matter of the remittance market, Campbell said VM Money Transfer Service accounts for 14 per cent market share of all the inbound remittance flows coming into Jamaica.

Remittance inflows to Jamaica remain significant, totalling approximately US$3.49 billion in 2025, according to Bank of Jamaica data. Inflows have continued to grow in 2026, reaching approximately US$1.78 billion for the first half of the year.

Beyond educating and informing the various communities VM Group serves, Campbell said VM has been a pioneer in serving Jamaicans in the diaspora, noting that VM was the first financial institution to establish overseas representative offices in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. Presently, the VM Group has representative offices in New York and Florida, and Brixton in the UK, which collectively boast the largest concentration of members of the Jamaican diaspora in the US and the UK.

Campbell added that VM has also established a 'Diaspora Hub' on its main website, which is specifically curated for non-resident Jamaicans to access all the information about the VM Group's products and services. Leighton Smith, who resides in the UK, has been appointed chief diaspora markets officer and manages VM Group's diaspora affairs globally.

The VM Group holds assets valued at over J$250 billion and operates 16 branches islandwide with nine subsidiaries. Campbell has been at the helm for the past 10 years.