Championing Small Island Resilience on the Global Stage
Dr. Angus Friday, former Ambassador of Grenada to the United Nations and the United States, and former Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)—the official negotiating body representing 39 small island developing states—has dedicated his career to advancing sustainable development and climate resilience for some of the world’s most vulnerable nations.
A respected leader in international diplomacy, climate policy, sustainable finance, and ocean-based economies, Dr. Friday has played a critical role in elevating island priorities on the global stage. His diplomatic leadership not only positioned Grenada as a pioneer in the blue economy but also helped mobilize global attention and resources for small island states navigating the complex challenges of climate change.
Advancing Blue Economies and Climate-Smart Innovation
Throughout his career, Dr. Angus Friday has held several influential roles, including serving as the World Bank’s Ocean Representative, where he worked to integrate sustainable ocean-based economic strategies into the development priorities of coastal and island nations. In Grenada, he led the creation of the country’s Blue Growth Master Plan and chaired its Fiscal Responsibility Oversight Committee. He was also instrumental in conceptualizing and advancing Grenada’s Climate Smart Capital City initiative, one of the first of its kind in the Caribbean, designed to combine urban development with long-term climate resilience.
In addition to his policy and diplomatic leadership, Dr. Friday is the Executive Chairman of Atlantean Ltd., a London-based company developing Azuros, an AI-powered platform designed to unlock sustainable financing for island and coastal developing nations. By leveraging data and technology, Azuros aims to help governments and investors identify high-impact opportunities that advance resilience, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
Building Public-Private Partnerships for a Sustainable Future
Building on this track record, Dr. Friday recently joined the Island Resilience Partnership (IRP) as Co-Chairman. In this role, he is helping to drive public-private-philanthropic partnerships that strengthen resilience across island regions. Most recently, Dr. Friday co-hosted the Island Resilience Summit at EarthX in Dallas, Texas, where he brought together Ambassadors and senior government officials from the Pacific and Caribbean with family offices, investors, and private sector leaders to develop partnerships aimed at advancing resilience and prosperity on the frontlines of climate change.
The Summit was co-hosted with Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly for the Kingdom of Tonga, who also serves as Co-Chairman of IRP. Together, they are leading a growing movement to ensure island nations have access to the partnerships, financing, and innovative solutions needed to secure a sustainable future.
In addition to his leadership at IRP, Dr. Angus Friday serves as Vice Chairman of Global Resilience Partners, an international advisory firm that develops high-level cross-sector partnerships to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. Global Resilience Partners is co-hosting the upcoming Nature Summit in partnership with the Government of Panama during the United Nations Global Climate Week, providing another platform for island nations to engage with global partners on scaling solutions for resilience and prosperity.
Dr. Angus Friday also brings valuable private sector and governance experience through his service on several corporate and non-profit boards, including Republic Bank (Grenada), Glenelg Spring Water Inc., Sargas Ltd., and the Island Montessori School. His decades of leadership across diplomacy, finance, technology, and sustainable development make him one of the world’s most respected voices driving scalable climate solutions and impact-driven partnerships around the globe.
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