Shornda Cadore’s Story: A Journey of Empowerment

By Klysha Best

For Shornda Cadore, the journey from Grenada to the global stage has been a long one. Born and raised on the “Isle of Spice”, she left to pursue her education in the United States, building a distinguished career in the corporate world.

Today, she is the Vice President of Procurement for the Americas at Alstom, a global leader in sustainable mobility. Her professional journey has taken her to the highest levels of international business, earning her recognition as a 2024 Railway Age “Women in Rail” honoree. But despite her success, her connection to Grenada has never wavered.

“I got educated in the US, and I’m now able to come back and kind of lift as I climb,” Cadore explains.

Cadore currently serves as the Chairperson of the Grenada Airports Authority, a role that keeps her deeply connected to the island’s infrastructure and future. She is also a Co-chair of the Grenada Diaspora Advisory Council (GDAC), actively working to channel the expertise of Grenadians abroad back into national development.

At Grenada Diaspora Homecoming event, Cadore’s presence was a testament to the event’s core mission, which is to reconnect and mobilize the nation’s global family. The  series of events, including business forums, cultural celebrations and a marketplace, is designed to harness the skills and passion of Grenadians worldwide for the country’s long-term development.

“Events like this, for me, especially as one who is a Grenadian on a regional board, but getting the opportunity to give back, there’s a renewed sense of purpose for what we do,” she said.

Cadore, who now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, emphasizes that technology has dissolved the barriers of distance. Living in the diaspora no longer means being disconnected.

“In light of the technology that’s available, in light of the Zoom and the Teams, it truly is just seamless,” she says. “We’re in a global world, and everything is just integrated and interconnected, so you really don’t even feel it.”

Her message to other Grenadians abroad is that there is a place for you to contribute, and it’s easier than ever to do so.

“For those who are reluctant and thinking, ‘Oh, well, how can I give back a little bit more?’ It’s so easy to contribute,” she says. “All you have to do is just be willing and give that time.”

However, Cadore stresses that the most critical element is consistency.

“You can give back and be one step in and one step out, but it’s the consistency of giving back that is the element that is really critical to making an impact,” she says.

For Cadore, the current administration, which came into power four years ago, has been instrumental in creating a welcoming environment for diaspora engagement. She notes that there is now a deliberate effort to not only celebrate those already contributing but also to invite others to step forward.

“One of the things that they allowed and truly try to promote is for more Grenadians to come back and give back,” she says. “Just walking in and saying, there’s still room for others to come.”

Her own story is proof that the door is open. From the boardrooms of Alstom to the board of the Grenada Airports Authority, Shornda Cadore is a powerful example of how Grenada’s diaspora is not just watching from afar, they are actively building the nation’s future, one consistent step at a time.