April-June 2013
the gkfg beat
GKFG hosts first Online Staff Conference! FGB wins awards from Global Banking and Finance Review and Citi Bank Meet Steven Whittingham, FGFS’s New President
GETTING to know
our leaders
Meet
Steven Whittingham FGFS’ new President
Name
Steven Neal Whittingham Years at Grace
Since midMay 2013
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Where did you work before coming to FGFS? I was the Managing Director of The Antilles Group formerly Cool Petroleum Limited, the Shell Licensee in Jamaica. Why did you decide to come to FGFS? I got a lot of exposure to the GK way of doing things as a director of JIIC, and so when I was approached about applying for the position, I considered it an exciting opportunity. All my experiences with GK had been positive and the opportunity to become President of FGFS at such an exciting time was something I couldn’t pass up.
If you passed him in the hallways, you would probably wonder who this young, tall, handsome gentleman was. He might smile, and engage you in a brief conversation, before you both went your separate ways, and you’d be left with the impression that you just met someone who is confident, well learned, and interested in what people around him have to say. You would have just met Steven Whittingham, the new President of First Global Financial Services, and if he’s made quite an impression on you already, you wouldn’t be alone. His team members have nothing but good things to say about him, and we are expecting great things from FGFS under his stewardship. So we sat down with Steven to ask him a little about himself, what his vision is for FGFS, as well as some other things that may surprise you.
What do you hope to see FGFS accomplish in the short term? What is your long-term vision for the company? Short term, I want two things. Execute on our new business model and to ensure that we continue to build a positive, productive and pleasant working environment for the team. Long term, I want FGFS to become the premier Asset Management and Corporate Finance service provider in the Caribbean.
What do you like to do in your free time? Spend time with family. Watch football, especially the English Premier Leauge and in particular Arsenal. Running, I enjoy going for a 3 mile run a few days a week. Travel, I really enjoy going to new places. Movies, love watching movies and television series (multiple episodes back to back). Do you have a favorite food? No favourite food per se, but I am a real foodie. I really enjoy trying new things. For example, I enjoy watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network. Every time I’m in a North American city I always go to at least one of the restaurants that have been featured. In terms of traditional cuisines, I enjoy Italian. What type of music do you like to listen to? I literally listen to everything. I have a very eclectic musical palate. Of course I enjoy old time reggae, 90’s dancehall and today’s reggae. But can’t really manage today’s dancehall. I listen to pop music because I have to try and stay with it. Tell us one surprising thing about yourself. I don’t like to eat rice. People always find that strange. Do you consider yourself a technology ‘buff’? Do you tweet, are you on Facebook, or do you just not have the time? I consider myself a tech buff, but social media hasn’t really been my thing. I’ve got a ton of apps that I can’t live without and always have some gadget with me. I’m seriously considering becoming more active on twitter. What’s your personal philosophy/what quote would best describe you? You have to be in it to win it. You shouldn’t be afraid to make tough decisions, take a calculated risk or to take a stand on a particular issue. Players don’t win games by sitting on the sidelines. What would you like to see GKFG accomplish within the next five years? Significant international growth. I want to see GK waving Jamaica’s flag even higher on the global stage. Who inspires you and why? World leaders (past and present) who, irrespective of their political views, have been able to convince their people to embrace change. This characteristic is
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extremely rare and so special. For example, Nelson Mandela, etc. There are more controversial people who I won’t bother to mention. As a leader, I try very hard to be able to get people to embrace change. What’s the biggest lesson that you have learnt in your time working elsewhere, and how will you apply it to your new position? Take care of your team and they will take care of you! I make a concerted effort to reach my team, understand their concerns and develop plans to best equip them to do their jobs. I’m confident that these efforts will positively impact the performance of the business in the future.
FGB wins awards
from Global Banking and Finance Review and Citi Bank
It was award season for First Global Bank this quarter, as our favorite homegrown bank swept up awards on both the local and international scene. In April, Global Banking and Finance review presented FGB with awards for Best Online Banking Platform Jamaica 2013, and the Best Banking Customer Service Provider Jamaica 2013. The Global Banking and Finance Review Awards aim to recognize companies that are prominent in particular areas of expertise and excellence in the global financial community. Winners are selected by a judging panel, and evaluated to ensure that they meet the specific criteria for awards in the selected category. Maureen Hayden-Cater, President of First Global Bank, expressed her appreciation for the awards, saying, “This recognition clearly demonstrates that First Global Bank is clearly on the right track to becoming a world class organization. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, and this award is testament to the fact that we are doing something right. Our staff members live by the GraceKennedy mantra ‘We Choose to Care’,
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and we demonstrate this daily in our personalized customer service. In addition, we are very proud of our online banking platform, Global Access, and consider it to be the best in Jamaica, so it is gratifying to be recognized by such a major organization.” But FGB wasn’t about to stop there. Shortly after, First Global Bank won yet another award, this time from CITI Group. CITI gave FGB their 2013 Performance Excellence Award for leadership in the payments space. Basically, this was given because of FGB’s high rates in Straight-Through Processing via their state of the art international electronic payment processing.
GKFG hosts first Online Staff Conference! On May 20, 2013, GraceKennedy Financial Group staff members gathered in their various meeting rooms, lunchrooms and conference rooms, to watch and participate in the very first GKFG online annual conference. The excitement was palpable, as this was the very first conference that all staff members would be able to participate in. While previous GKFG conferences had been held before, attendance had been restricted to senior team members, as the cost of hosting the entire staff grouping was prohibitive. Over the weeks leading up the conference, the excitement was building, as several teasers were sent out which tested employee’s puzzle solving abilities, as well as gave them information about date, time and viewing locations. On the actual day, GKFG CEO, Courtney Campbell, gathered the heads of the various SBU’s together at 73 Harbour Street, where the broadcast would be done live. The format was fairly simple, beginning with a drama piece starring our very own Hollywood stars, Courtney ‘Brad Pitt’ Campbell, Andrew ‘Matt Damon’ Leo-Rhynie and Junior ‘Will Smith’ Graham. This then segued into the more serious business, as our CEO updated staff on the performance of the GKFG group in 2012, as well as plans for 2013. The floor was then opened for questions and answers from staff members, who had the chance to send in their questions before the event, or during the event via email.
Finally, awards were presented to the companies who had performed exceptionally well during 2012. The list of winners is below:
• Highest Return on Equity: GraceKennedy Money Services • Most Improved Return on Equity: Allied Insurance Brokers • Highest Percentage of Revenue Growth Vs. The Previous Year: JIIC • Highest Productivity: GraceKennedy Money Services • Highest Customer Satisfaction: Allied Insurance Brokers and First Global Financial Services (tie) • Innovation: GraceKennedy Money Services • Outstanding Execution: Allied Insurance Brokers • Corporate social responsibility: GraceKennedy Money Services for the I-Pledge programme • Company of the Year: GraceKennedy Money Services
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Thanks to everyone who participated, and we look forward to an even better conference next year!
Western Union I-Pledge programme
going strong in its 5th consecutive year The Western Union I-Pledge Programme kicked off its fifth consecutive year this April, as Western Union, through GraceKennedy Remittance Services, continues its drive to encourage primary school students to read more and improve their literacy skills. In addition to the usual Western Union Reading Week and Debating Competition, there was a new facet to this year’s initiative with series of Teacher Workshops that were held in St. James and St. Catherine, geared towards providing guidance on how to identify children with learning disabilities. During the week of April 15 to 19, 2013 leaders in Government, opposition, business, media, sports and entertainment, as well as the staff at GraceKennedy, interacted with children and their teachers within nine (9) schools chosen from 3 regions during the official
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Western Union Reading Week. The launch took place at John Rollins Success Primary School in St. James on April 11th, under the theme “Read Today, Lead Tomorrow.” In addition, the Western Union Debate Series Finals was held on June 13 between Ascot Primary and Marlie Mount Primary, at the GraceKennedy Head Office. The winners were Ascot Primary, and they received a brand new school library valued at JMD$300,000, courtesy of Western Union. Earlier this year, Western Union provided computers for 13 primary schools to enhance their information technology programs. Western Union will be spending approximately JMD$15,000,000 towards education through these various initiatives, this year.
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JIIC and AIB go Mobile! It seems as though just about everyone has a smartphone these days. Companies are taking advantage of this trend, by designing mobile apps that ensure that their customers can access their services from their phones. GraceKennedy Financial Group is known for innovation and creativity, and we certainly weren’t about to let this mobile trend pass us by. And so, earlier this year, JIIC and AIB launched their mobile apps for Blackberry. We asked both companies to tell us a little about their apps.
JIIC: What prompted JIIC to design the app? JIIC Mobile is more than just a claims App for Blackberry. Instead it complements the lifestyle of clients and potential clients alike. It allows them to quickly view their policy information, submit a claims report and get in contact with emergency services, all while on the go. What features make the app worthwhile? The most notable feature about JIIC Mobile is our Get Gas feature. This allows you to view the most budget- friendly or closest gas station to your current GPS location. How long was it in development? JIIC Mobile had been in development for approximately one year before its launch in June 2013. What has the reaction been like so far? Reaction to the application has been mostly positive with users especially liking the Get Gas Feature and the ability to view their policy information from the comfort of their Blackberry device. What are the plans for iOS and Android? Already in high demand, the IOS ad Android versions will be launched by end of 2013
Allied Insurance Brokers: What prompted AIB to design the mobile agent app? We wanted to offer convenient access to up-to-date information to our clients. Also, given the current technology trends, mobility and flexibility creates value for customers which leads to customer loyalty. What features make the app worthwhile? The app allows clients of AIB the following features : •View their active policy information • View account balances • View claims • Report an accident • Location services - offers quick access to emergency services like wreckers, hospitals and police (*feature available to non-aib clients) • Fuel finder – ability to find the cheapest gas prices (*feature available to non-aib clients) How long was it in development? The app was in development for approximately one(1) year. What has the reaction been like so far? We officially launched the app on July 16th 2013. The reaction has be good with one twenty-six (126) downloads from the Blackberry App Store to date. What are the plans for iOS and Android? We are currently in development of the Android app and hope to release it by the end of the year. The iOS will follow after.
GraceKennedy Financial Group Corporate Communications Department 69 ½ Harbour Street Kingston Tel: 932-3148/932-3137 Email: gkfgcorporatecommunications@gkco.com
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