Mrs. Latoya Richards-Franklin provides strategic and technical leadership at the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, overseeing its Technical Directorate under the guidance of the Permanent Secretary. She offers expert advice on a wide range of portfolio matters. 

She holds a Bachelor of Economics and International Relations and a Masters of Economics with specialisations in Game Theory and Monetary Economics from the University of the West Indies. She is also certified in Change Management by Prosci Canada and is a Project Management Professional accredited by the Project Management Institute. 

Mrs. Franklin began her career at the Ministry in 2011 as a Senior Economist in the Policy, Planning, Project Research division. She has since held senior roles including Senior Director at the Cabinet Office, Senior Director of Project Management and Technical Services at the Ministry of Justice, and General Manager of the Caribbean Alternative Investment Association. 

Her contributions include co-authoring the Special Economic Zone Policy and the MSME Entrepreneurship Policy. She played a lead role in creating the Programme Management Framework for the Trade Facilitation Programme and establishing committees such as the Legislative Review and Technical Committee for Capacity Development. She also manages staff development initiatives and oversees high-level documents including ministry papers and cabinet submissions.