Ambassador Carlton Masters is a Principal and Cofounder of GoodWorks International, LLC, the consultancy dedicated to linking the potential of the emerging markets of Africa and the Caribbean to the promise of viable and profitable commercial relationships and ventures.    Together with The Honorable Andrew Young (aide to Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S.  Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of the City of Atlanta and Member of Congress); ;  and The Honorable Hamilton Jordan (Chief of Staff to the White House for President Jimmy Carter); ;  he formed GoodWorks International, LLC in 1996.  

Ten years later, in October 2006, Mr.  Masters was appointed Ambassador to the first Special Envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on African Diaspora Relations.  Formed in 1975, ECOWAS is a regional organization of 15 West African nations.  

In representing the firm’s clients, Ambassador Masters works tirelessly and closely with  government and private sector leaders in both North America and Africa, fostering ever-­stronger economic and political ties between the two continents.    In developing business opportunities, Ambassador Masters and GoodWorks interact closely with the World Bank, OPIC, US Ex-­Im Bank, and other multilateral institutions.    Because of the important role that U.S.  foreign policy plays in U.S.-­African business, Ambassador Masters further interacts with top officials from relevant government agencies on a regular basis.  

Ambassador Masters spends a substantial amount of his time in Africa working on behalf of clients.    His recognized expertise and experience allow him to operate at the highest level of national leadership, regularly meeting with numerous Presidents as well as at ministerial and bureaucratic levels.    His primary mission in these interactions is to develop an understanding of the investment opportunities available in each country, in addition to understanding ways in which U.S.  expertise can serve to improve the efficiency and productiveness of the public and private sectors.  

Under his leadership, GoodWorks served as hosting entity for a regional conference of the National Summit on Africa.    The Summit was extremely well-­attended by government leaders such as Speaker Newt Gingrich, Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, and Assistant Secretary of State Susan Rice.    The attendees also included African leaders including the President of Cote d’Ivoire and the former President of Tanzania.  

Ambassador  Masters  was  the  Chairman  of  the  Southern  Africa  Enterprise  Development  Fund  (SAEDF),  a  $100  million  dollar  investment  fund  appointed  by  President  Clinton,  a  member  of  the  Council  on  Foreign  Relations,  a  member  of  the  boards  of  directors  of  the Africa-America Institute, The Corporate Council on Africa, The Breton Woods Committee, 100 Black Men of Atlanta and many other affiliations.

Ambassador Masters enjoyed a distinguished and successful career in international banking. He spent over 17 years in a senior executive position with Bank of Montreal in financial centers across North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, and was appointed Agent General and Deputy Minister of Trade to the United States on behalf of the Government of Ontario, Canada. Ambassador Masters is a native of Jamaica. He lives in Miami, FL.