Durrant Pate/Contributor

Founder of micro-financer Access Financial Services Limited (AFS) Marcus James has returned from his self-imposed one-year leave of absence.

Effective Tuesday, July 1, 2025, James, who is also majority shareholder, returned to the boards of AFS and its American subsidiary of Embassy Loans, as an executive director. In the meantime, Michael Shaw, who replaced James as chairman, will continue to serve as chairman of both entities. 

Prior to this appointment, Shaw served as lead independent director.

Although James was on leave, he continued to serve on the six-member AFS board. 

His departure in July last year came amid his legal battle with his ex-wife in Jamaica and Broward County, Florida. A legal order from the Jamaican Supreme Court over a year ago restricted James from disposing of or transferring, charging, diminishing in any way his assets held in the name of Springhill Holdings Limited or Aeric Investments Limited. 

Springhill is the holding company through which James directly owns 47 per cent of AFS’ ordinary shares, the largest block ahead of Proven Group.