FirstStars let their brilliance shine

CIBC FirstCaribbean inducted 10 star employees into its regional Hall of Fame during its recently held inaugural FirstStars Annual CEO Awards Ceremony.

Two of them, Jacqueline Bascombe, Senior Manager, Applications Data Wealth and Corporate, Barbados and Justin Pierre, Private Banker, Cayman Islands, each received the Award of Distinction.

The other inductees are Farrah Brathwaite, Sales Specialist (Barbados); Shalla Brathwaite, Client and Engagement Analyst (Barbados); Caryl Fontaine, Sales Specialist (Dominica); Tiffany Pinder, Senior Relationship Manager, Sales and Platinum Banking (Bahamas); Michael Roach, Sales Specialist, (Antigua); Carolyn Roberts, Senior Manager Credit and Corporate Investment Banking, (The Bahamas); Nedra Woodside, Corporate Manager, Corporate investment Corporate Banking (The Bahamas) and Kerrin White, former Business Development Officer who was recently promoted to Platinum Manager (Cayman Islands).

Chief Executive Officer, Colette Delaney said they “exemplified living the bank’s brand behaviours and Client first standards”, and had “either exceeded sales targets, delivered excellent client service, showcased innovation, or supported the bank’s corporate social responsibility programmes” and in many cases had done more than one of these.

She expressed gratitude to them for what they had done for CIBC FirstCaribbean over the past fiscal and noted, “to read the stories of how you got here is a study in client focus – being responsive, being advocates for our clients and collaborating with others to deliver excellence.”

The bank’s Chief Administrative Officer, Neil Brennan, spoke in a similar vein and told the high achievers: “Your deep commitment to our corporate behaviours of agility, collaboration, integrity, ownership and urgency will no doubt continue to drive you toward even greater achievements.”

Challenging the FirstStars, he said: “Spread all of the qualities that caused you to be awarded for excellence to those around you.  Choose a colleague and mentor them, seek to ignite in them the same passion for excellence and exceptional service that has driven you to great heights so far… talk to your teams about what you do and why you do it and what drives you and why you believe it is so important, inspire them to emulate you.”

Brennan added: “Spread your attitudes and dedication to all the people around you. I want you to look at the qualities you possess, the attributes that you have, and the dedication that you have shown to the bank that has led you to be recognised for this achievement and I want you to spread those qualities.”

The ceremony also heard from the winner of the 2020 Award of Distinction Lian Richards who said that winning the award was an indescribable feeling, since people came to work daily giving of their best but expecting nothing in return but their salary, therefore to be awarded for one’s hard work was a dream come true. Richards also said she knew the level of work needed to become an awardee.

Referring to a quote from former United States, First Lady Michelle Obama, Richards urged her colleagues to encourage others to reach for the stars, “don’t slam the doorway of opportunity” to them, she said, as she implored them to “reach back and give other folks the same chances that helped you to succeed.”

The FirstStars Annual CEO’s Awards is a revamped recognition scheme for employees which the CEO said was done in keeping with the bank’s march towards digitalisation, and was a comprehensive recognition programme. The event was held virtually under the theme, “Let Your Brilliance Shine”. (PR)