Susan A. Olde OBE, Philanthropist, Mentor and Advocate

Susan A. Olde OBE

Susan A. Olde OBE has spent more than two decades giving back to causes around the globe.  She is a philanthropist, mentor and advocate.

Mrs. Olde has been honoured by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has named her to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her philanthropic endeavours before, during and after Hurricane Ivan’s impact on the Cayman Islands.

Susan A. Olde OBE married Ernest Jacob Olde IV in 1991. They have two children, Erika Jane Olde, Ernest Jacob Olde VI and one grandchild Charlie Louise Olde.  Mrs. Olde spends her time in the UK, Canada and the Cayman Islands close to her family.   Mr. Olde was the founder of Olde Financial Corporation, a discount stock brokerage firm, which was later sold to H&R Block in 1999.

Latest News

Read the latest stories about the charities and organizations Mrs. Olde supports.

Giving back to the community she loves

From donating meals to school children to supporting a variety of cultural institutions, Mrs. Olde’s contributions impact the lives of others.

Relief & Support

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit the Caribbean Islands hard.

To assist with disaster relief and the alleviation of poverty throughout the Caribbean, Mrs. Olde founded the IAMCO Charity. For almost two years, IAMCO— thanks to generous personal involvement and contributions from Mrs. Olde—worked on the restoration of East End, beginning with the distribution of food, tarpaulins and generators to residents. By August 2006, 114 households had been repaired, 45 major reconstructions had been completed and a number of residents had been supplied with materials to do their own repairs. The organisation has positively affected the lives of many in Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Grenada and Monserrat, to name a few.

“I hope that many other individuals, foundations and corporations will follow Mrs. Olde’s example, and show how much they care about Cayman, especially at a time when our community was in need of so much more help to assist in the recovery process.”

Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy CMG
former Governor of the Cayman Islands

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Susan A. Olde, OBE

The Arts

Mrs. Susan A. Olde OBE is currently the chairperson of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI), the country’s leading visual arts organization which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since 2005, Mrs. Olde has served on the NGCI management board and has been a driving force for preserving the artistic heritage of the Cayman Islands, while creating new opportunities for artists, through her support for the museum. In 2015, the NGCI Art Fund was established, with the support of Mrs. Olde, to fund major acquisitions of works by local artists. In July 2016, Mrs. Olde launched the Chairman’s Circle Initiative, a new tier of National Gallery membership, aimed at generating funds to support NGCI education and outreach programmes. Mrs. Olde was also instrumental and supported the creation of the NGCI Collection Guide Book, The Art of The Cayman Islands – A Journey Through the National Gallery Collection, which highlights the permanent collection and provides a comprehensive history of art of the Cayman Islands.

Mrs. Olde is a member of the Board of Honourary Directors of the Royal Opera House (ROH), Covent Garden. She currently supports Antonio Pappano’s role as music director of the ROH, and is involved in its current “Open Up” initiative. She has also supported the Bryan Hymel Scholarship at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.

“Mrs. Olde is a true philanthropist who is deeply committed to providing opportunities to further arts and culture in the Cayman Islands. It is a pleasure to work alongside someone with such a dynamic vision.”

Natalie Urquhart
The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

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Susan A. Olde, OBE

Education & Youth Development

In 2003, the Olde family gifted St. Ignatius Catholic School a music building to honour the late Ernest Jacob Olde IV. Mrs. Olde has served on the school’s board and established the first mainstream learning support center in the Cayman Islands, spearheaded by Dr. Yianoula Alexikas-Lannigan PhD, of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Mrs. Olde also served on the board of  the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards (YCLA), and has been involved in education initiatives with Millfield, Somerset UK; Kellogg College, Oxford, UK;  Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK;  University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA; KidsCan, New Zealand; and the Cayman Islands Little League, Cayman Islands.

“Mrs. Olde has done a lot for the local community and is deeply respected in the Cayman Islands. She is very personable and generous, and it is a real pleasure working with her.”

Su Mander
Literacy is for Everyone (LIFE)

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Susan A. Olde, OBE

Medical Research & Intervention

Mrs. Susan A. Olde OBE has financially supported medical research in part due to her own personal fight with cancer, but also based on the tremendous impact cancer has had on many of her friends and family. She has worked closely with the Mayo Clinic through her support of the Division of Rheumatology and Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and her contributions have advanced kidney cancer research at the Mayo Clinic. She also served on the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center Leadership Council.

Mrs. Olde is a founding Board Member of the charity Have a Heart Cayman Islands, which facilitates life-saving cardiac procedures for children in a state of the art hospital in the Cayman Islands. The charity is committed to saving children’s lives throughout the Caribbean and around the world, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, sex or religion. All of the money raised by the charity goes directly to supporting health care for children.

“Mrs. Olde is a humble person and isn’t looking for a lot of recognition. She wants to make an impact and do something good for humanity.”

Barbara Flasch
The Mayo Clinic

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Susan A. Olde, OBE