Our Leadership
Meet the innovative leaders of The Barriffe Insurance Group who are devoted to making healthcare and coverage more affordable and accessible to rural Jamaicans.
Barriffe Insurance Group Leadership
Meet the individuals who seek to inspire change and innovation while supporting our mission for “A Healthier Future for All Jamaicans.”
Shane S. Scott, PhD, MS
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Shane S. Scott, PhD, MS, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Barriffe Insurance Group (BIG), LLC, an international company working to strengthen healthcare access, innovation, and sustainability in Jamaica.
Through a unique expatriate-partnership model, BIG connects Jamaicans abroad with family members at home to expand health coverage and shift the culture around insurance and preventative care. Today, members of the Barriffe family in Oracabessa, St. Mary, Jamaica are already covered through the BIG system.
A Jamaican-American, surgeon-scientist, and social advocate, Dr. Scott is recognized for his thoughtful and innovative leadership. His work is driven by personal experiences with delays and inefficiencies in Jamaica’s healthcare system, inspiring him to create solutions that improve affordability, access, and health equity for low-income and uninsured Jamaicans.
Before founding BIG, Dr. Scott served as Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of the American Association for Black Physician Scientists (AABPS) and as a National Delegate for Medical Education with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Dr. Scott completed his PhD through The Ohio State University Medical Scientist Training Program and is completing his final three months of medical training. He holds degrees from Brandeis University and Boston University and is a frequent speaker on health equity, leadership, and innovation in healthcare.
Tonya Little-Chalmers
Tonya Little-Chalmers is the Director of Operations at BIG. She oversees BIG’s day-to-day operations and finances.
She brings nearly 20 years of experience in operations and customer service, including serving as a Team Leader with Regus Management Group in New York and Atlanta, where she managed operations across 15+ centers, trained over 100 employees, and handled client billing and financial issues. Her work focused on solving operational problems and supporting businesses and their teams.
Tonya travels to Jamaica four times a year and has built strong relationships in Oracabessa, St. Mary, where many community members consider her family. She supports local health initiatives and educational programs for children and joined BIG because of her commitment to Jamaica and its people.
At BIG, Tonya helps connect Jamaicans abroad with family members at home to expand access to healthcare across the island.