Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman was appointed the thirteenth Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force in January 2022. With a distinguished career spanning 32 years, she has served at various command levels, earning the trust and respect of the soldiers she leads.
Vice Admiral Wemyss Gorman’s journey is marked by many firsts—she was the first female officer to serve on a Jamaican naval ship and the only woman to achieve Flag Rank in the Jamaica Defence Force. Her steady leadership continues to inspire confidence within the military, maintaining high morale across the ranks. Vice Admiral Wemyss Gorman reflects here on her career journey and sources of inspiration, the evolving security landscape and leadership within the Commonwealth, current and emerging security threats, and the importance of building resilience and embracing diverse perspectives in security leadership.
Can you describe your career journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in international security?
I’ve had 32 rewarding years of service to my country. When I started out at 19 years old; women were not serving in many of the combatant roles that they are now, giving stellar service in and as a result, being able to work in a non-traditional role while actively experiencing how it is intertwined in international security has been memorable, challenging and satisfying.
How do you see the evolving security landscape influencing leadership roles within the Commonwealth?
The evolving security landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. Leaders everywhere are tasked to be more agile, flexible and forward thinking to tackle the complex threats of climate change, cyber security and transnational crime (to name a few). These evolving issues require leaders to be strategic in planning for and mitigating threats while seeking to develop the capacity and tools within the security apparatus of their respective countries to ensure that they are successful in their efforts. It also presents an opportunity for leaders to be collaborative and adaptive not just in military preparedness but also in diplomacy, technology and sustainable development; especially in relation to the creation of innovative infrastructural solutions for added resilience as security forces respond to the sometimes unpredictable yet tangential effects of climate change such as public order or mass migration.
What do you believe are the most pressing security threats facing the Caribbean Region and the wider Commonwealth?
Climate Change, Cyber Security and Transnational Crimes that create far reaching effects that have outpaced some Caribbean Countries ability to effectively respond to.
How can the security sector build greater resilience to address these challenges?
This requires a multi-faceted approach. Investing in advanced technologies and training of additional human resource that will be able to detect and respond to cyber and transnational crime. We must also continue to enhance collaboration across national, regional and international borders; sharing intelligence, resources and best practices to stay ahead of the evolving threats. In addition, for climate related challenges; resilience means developing infrastructure to withstand environmental shifts while integrating sustainability processes into our security strategies. Ultimately partnerships between Government, Private Sector and Civil Society are the keys to building long term security measures as it benefits all sectors of society.
Finally, how important are diverse perspectives in security leadership and how does that impact organizational effectiveness?
Diverse perspectives in leadership in any organization is beneficial. If we consider the gender perspective; having the ideas and input of both genders will lead to a more robust and holistic consideration in operational and strategic planning which leads to greater organizational effectiveness.
This interview was conducted as part of a unique feature on female security sector leaders in Commonwealth Caribbean to be published in the upcoming Commonwealth Security Review 2024/25. Vice Admiral Gorman joined Rhea Reid-Bowen, Tonya Ayow, Kisha Sutherland, and Velma Ricketts-Walker for the panel feature, showcasing thought leadership and a security first outlook across the five outstanding leaders in security.
Caribbean Leaders in Security Panel:
Rhea Reid-Bowen
Director, Strategic Services and International Affairs
Regional Security System (RSS)
"Our security discourse and “fraternity” will be enriched by the insights of other developmental partners in public health, ICT, environmental science, inter alia at the operational and academic level to name a few."
Tonya Ayow
Deputy Executive Director
CARICOM IMPACS
"The Commonwealth can serve as a platform for collaboration on emerging threats such as drug trafficking from the Caribbean to Africa or human trafficking victims moving through the region. These are evolving threats that require collaborative leadership across the Commonwealth."
Kisha Sutherland
Director, Asset Recovery
Regional Security System (RSS)
"focusing on hiring quotas or identity politics in security roles, as seen in some global examples, can detract from the goal of building effective security frameworks. It’s important that we maintain a Caribbean perspective in our security planning rather than just following external agendas."
Velma Ricketts-Walker
CEO
Jamaica Customs Agency
"The evolving security landscape has created greater awareness, agility and responsiveness of security leaders to threats and risks. Leadership must be strategic and intentional, utilising multi-dimensional strategies or specific approaches."
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