One month after news was leaked of Dr Toppin’s appointment, the WICB confirmed yesterday that the new CEO will take office from February 1, 2007.

Dr Toppin is at present the general manager of Duraplast Inc., a Barbadian recycling company which manufactures roofing tiles.

He replaces fellow Barbadian Roger Brathwaite, who resigned from the post last March.

“Having followed, with interest, the progress of West Indies cricket from as far as I can remember, I consider it a great honour to have been chosen as CEO of the WICB at this critical time,” remarked Dr Toppin in a WICB news release.

“The performance of the team is on the upward curve, and I will do all in my power to put the policies in place which will ultimately lead to the return of the West Indies cricket team to the top of the World standings.”

Dr Toppin has had heavy involvement in cricket in Barbados. He is a member of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), and still plays club cricket on weekends.

He was also a good enough player to have been invited to trials for the Young Barbados side back in the 1970s at the same time as Desmond Haynes, Wayne Daniel, Alvin Greenidge, and Thelston Payne, who all went on to represent Barbados and West Indies.

Dr Toppin boasts that in his first trial game “after bowling my first eight deliveries, I had taken four wickets for one run, and was on a hat-trick twice”.

Professionally, Dr Toppin held the positions of Director of Research, Sugar Technology Research Unit in Barbados, and he was an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati in the United States.

Dr Toppin has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati, and six years ago, he made the transition from scientific research to top management in the private sector where, as General Manager of Duraplast, he has been responsible for the growth in its local market share.

He has also overseen its successful expansion into the region with exports of durable roofing tiles to Antigua & Barbuda, the Cayman Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States Virgin Islands.