Spotlight

OOften there are persons who are critical to us achieving seemingly impossible or complicated tasks. They help with a smile here, a joke there, no complaints and are reliable beyond compare. We’re taking some time to get to know - Suzette

Burley, Head of ICT Sales – Business Solutions

DigiBuzz (DB): What has been your professional experience with Digicel Business?

Suzette Burley (SB): My experience with Digicel Business has been one of enlightenment and growth. I have been able to learn from my peers to prepare for leadership. I have also learned how to be a leader and develop people to meet the companies objectives as well as their own personal goals.

DB: What would you like your next professional achievement to be?

SB: Balance of people management, strategy and innovation

DB: What do you like most about yourself?

SB: I have been told that I am tenacious in the pursuit of personal and team success

DB: How do you balance your career and family?

SB: When I started at Digicel I had a young son, so I had to determine what was most important each day in order to balance my familial duties with my work duties. Sometimes, because of how dynamic my work environment is, I’d have to call upon my family and friends when I couldn’t be present. Setting my priorities and surrounding myself with a strong support group are what kept my work-life balance stable.

DB: What’s a fun fact about you that many people may not know?

SB: I’ve flown an airplane before.

DB: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about your job?

SB: People management is most challenging. Managing a diverse team comes with its challenges but it is also the team’s biggest success as we are able to create a synergy that compliments each other. Most rewarding is when I am able to see personal growth in the individual I am managing.

DB: Who/What motivates you?

SB: I am motivated by my family. We are close knit and I get satisfaction from being a goal getter in every aspect of my life.

DB: What advice would you give your teenage self?

SB: Don’t be afraid to fail, step out of your comfort zone. This is when you will realize your true potential.

DB: Complete the sentence: The most important thing I learned about myself so far is….

SB: ...how resilient and adaptable I am. I work in a very dynamic environment that requires me to pull on various skills to excel. Very often at the end of a work week I am in awe of just how much professional gymnastics had to be done to make it all happen.

DB: What is your favourite part of being on the Digicel Business management team?

SB: 79% of the Digicel Business Management team are women and there are no glass ceilings. We all have a voice, we are treated equally and we all have an opportunity to create waves.

DB: If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose and why?

SB: It may seem cliché but Oprah Winfrey. Her evolution as a successful black business woman has been epic. She has been able to transform herself several times to become a leader in her own right and has created a legacy that will have generational change.

DB: What advice would you give to someone who wants to work within your team?

SB: Buckle up for an exciting ride. Within my team you will be challenged but supported, stretch beyond your comfort zone, however you’ll be able to grow. Hard work and determination is required but you will be rewarded.

DB: What is your motto or personal mantra?

SB: Live in the present, Learn from your past and Plan for your future!