ICBL 45 Years Anniversary Feature

Continue to strive for excellence

Statement from the Honourable Ryan Straughn MP, Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, to mark the 45th anniversary of ICBL.

IWISH TO TAKE this opportunity to congratulate the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) on their 45th anniversary of serving Barbadians in the insurance sector.

Over the past four and a half decades, ICBL has built a reputation as an industry leader and continues to offer a wide range of insurance options for Barbadians to secure their future. To strengthen your legacy, I encourage ICBL to enhance and adapt their product offering to meet the expanding needs of their Barbadian client base.

As we work towards ensuring long-term inclusive growth in Barbados, our focus is building strong human capital in order to take advantage of global opportunities. This social investment should be matched with adequate insurance protection, whether it be home, medical, life or investment options, which gives our people the best opportunity to transform Barbados into a world-class society by 2030.

Climate change and bluegreen investments

Undoubtedly climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. In particular, it poses the greatest threat to economies and people of small islands like Barbados. With the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters globally, insurers must adapt their product offerings to address these challenges.

I therefore encourage ICBL to seek out innovative ways to meet these challenges through investments in renewable energy sources and technologies, which will continue to pay dividends well into the future while being cognisant of the climate change crisis.

Whilst climate change is a challenge, it does offer many opportunities for green and blue investments. Our commitment, therefore, is to build economic and climate resilience across the country by 2030, which is inclusive and reduces the risk exposure for insurers in the long-term.

To achieve this, Government is developing a public asset insurance programme to accompany the climate financing strategy for the implementation of the public sector investment programme

over the next 15 years.

Reinsurance

The importance of the role of reinsurers cannot be understated at this time. It is becoming increasingly common for largescale disasters to put general insurers under extreme strain, particularly in climatevulnerable countries like Barbados where reinsurance rates continue to increase.

It is only through having comprehensive reinsurance that many insurers can sufficiently service their clients’ needs while remaining solvent during natural or manmade disasters on a larger scale. This is why we are building climate resilience through the Roofs-to-Reefs Programme.

Global opportunities

In a similar vein, I take this opportunity to encourage ICBL and other local insurers to seek out investment opportunities further afield to minimise risk and the effects of large shocks to the Barbados economy.

As a people, it is imperative that we adopt a global worldview and ensure our financial decisions are reflective of this.

By diversifying your investment portfolio and seeking out opportunities across the

globe, you can continue to deliver the best value for money for Barbadian consumers.

On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I wish the board of directors, management, staff, and policyholders of the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited a happy 45th anniversary.

RYAN STRAUGHN MP (GP)

Email: insurance@ultimate.bb

info@sirwatermgmt.com

CEO AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM:

(Seated from left), Gail Hinkson, AVP Human Resources; Goulbourne Alleyne, CEO; Camille Pereira, SVP Sales and Marketing.

(Standing from left), Glyne Pilgrim, Chief Financial Officer; Ian Clarke, VP Head Actuary; Rawle Knight, Chief Operating Officer. (SLD)

SUITE 3 CHARLTON HOUSE, WHITEPARK ROAD, ST MICHAEL Tel: 538-8740

Evolving even ahead of the curve

stories by NICK NUNES

“THE FIRST TIME I joined ICBL was in 1983,” recalled the current CEO, Goulbourne Alleyne. Stretching back through the annals of time, Alleyne joined ICBL 40 years ago as a clerical officer where he served for five years before transitioning to another insurance company.

After three years, he returned to ICBL in 1989 for three years before transitioning to another competitor. Eventually, in 2012, Alleyne again found footing at ICBL. There is a calling that beckons back towards the excellence of ICBL that cannot be denied.

“There is something about ICBL that has kept drawing me back,” said Alleyne. For all its time, ICBL has made a name as a proven ground of impeccable training that has elevated and entranced the majority that have been a part of its journey.

“Persons that are now in managerial positions within the industry, a lot of them, had their first job here,” Alleyne confidently acclaims.

Today, ICBL is competing with other insurance companies and has pressed to become more agile and efficient as well as being more conscious of the needs of the customers. In the space of 45 years, ICBL is still one of the leading companies in Property and Casualty Insurance (P&C) in Barbados.

“That didn’t happen by chance, obviously. It happened by hard work and commitment for all those persons who would have been part of the growth and development of the company over the years. And we have maintained that position up to 2023,” Alleyne professed.

For Alleyne, a lot has changed in the terms of how ICBL does business, specifically in the terms of their delivery. From the digitisation of processes and the simplification of processes, along with product enhancements, ICBL continues to evolve alongside and, maybe, even ahead of the curve.

whole aspect of ESG comes into the conversation,” he asserts.

For ICBL, there is so much evolution taking place that concerns every aspect of life that adaptation is integral to continued service. With the move to more digital transactions, cybersecurity becomes a very real component of discussion as well.

“I can see further developments happening in terms of product solutions going forward,” Alleyne said. “We have a great team. When I say team, it’s a team, from executive right down to all levels of staff. That makes it easy for any leader. They have confidence in a team and they know that the team has the ability and capacity to deliver on their particular area of expertise.”

Goulbourne Alleyne, Chief Executive Officer. (SLD)

When ICBL first found its roots, it was owned by the Government of Barbados. In 2007, the company was privatised. In terms of the change from being Governmentowned to becoming privatised, the structure has evolved in the way they do business.

“The pandemic was the catalyst,” said Alleyne, “to actually promote a lot of the digitisation that is taking place right now. Before, there was hesitancy and reservation. The pandemic has fastforwarded plans of our delivery of services. There are further enhancements to happen. It’s not only about how we deliver products but how we enhance our products and simplify our products for customers.”

According to Alleyne, “I think there will be further changes in terms of development. Where the future lies is moving away from reference to products to more reference to solutions. As everything grows and develops, risks change. There will be a need for new solutions based on the new risks that will be presented.

“I believe we will see new solutions. There is a lot of discussion around alternative energy. There will be solutions speaking around how we treat to insuring those alternatives. Then, obviously, the

For Alleyne, “My message to the employees of ICBL would be very simple. In terms of the vision that I have for the company and the scope of our brand recognition, going outside of Barbados is always a definite possibility. You will see a company that will be evolving and growing and developing further and obviously looking to enhance and enrich the experience of each employee within the organisation. With growth and development comes obviously additional opportunity.

“As it relates to the customer base, what they can expect from us is a forwardlooking company. We are looking to roll out products and solutions that will meet their needs and their demands and also to roll out a delivery of service which will make it easy for them to do business with us.

“Then, for our shareholders, we will continue to add shareholder value through optimising performance, operation efficiencies, and effectiveness throughout the organisation, to make sure the company remains relevant and sustainable for the future.”

Always ahead of the game

RAWLE KNIGHT HAS BEEN with ICBL for 21 years. Development has always been at the heart of ICBL, “It’s a lovely place to work,” affords Knight. As the COO for ICBL, Knight assures that ICBL has always had very good retention.

“I was privileged to have been employed in the area of risk management. Back in 2002, when I came into the company, it was not a discipline that was heavily thought of in Barbados in particular. There were a few banks in Barbados with a focus in this area, but in the insurance field, ICBL was the first company to have identified the need for someone in risk management,” he shared.

Knight spent seven years in risk management and spent that time transforming the risk management capabilities of ICBL in particular with respect to resilience to business continuity, planning and other disciplines in risk management. When a need for an asset in claims arose, Knight left risk and moved on to managing claims, which seemed to be a natural fit given his background as a police officer.

Knight remained in claims for seven years and was later promoted to assistant vice-president of operations. He then became the vice-president of operations before becoming senior vice-president of operations in 2020, and eventually chief operating officer in 2022. He was appointed to the ICBL Board of Directors in November 2022.

“ICBL is rich in history. It’s a place that I

recommend to any young individual who wants to have a progressive career path. Over the years, ICBL has produced some of the industry’s leading professionals, who subsequently assumed leadership roles in other organisations,” said Knight.

ICBL constantly strives to be a trailblazer and COVID was a perfect example. The company was able to transition to digital platforms with the full capability to work from home before the official lockdown announcement was made by Government.

“Our readiness was driven by effective risk management practices where the company regularly engaged in stress testing scenarios of its operating systems and processes, coupled with a very dedicated and knowledgeable information technology team,” said Knight.

“Customer experience is a passion of mine as our customers over the years have been very loyal to the company and have contributed to our success. I am satisfied only when we have happy customers.

‘Always There When You Need Us The Most’ is the slogan for ICBL. Whether it be hurricanes, auto accidents or health matters, ICBL prides itself on showing up and being there for our customers. That’s the test of an insurance company,” Knight said.

“ICBL has been around for 45 years and it intends to be around for 45 more. The board is all in and desirous of seeing the company grow, succeed, and expand. The future is very bright,” assured Knight.

RAWLE KNIGHT, Chief Operating Officer (GP)

Looking to bigger things in the future

N SEPTEMBER OF 2018, ICBL welcomed Glyne Pilgrim as their new chief financial officer. Pilgrim began his long tenure of over 20 years in the insurance realm in auditing before joining Guardian back when it was Caribbean Home.

“I came in at a time when the company was in transition. My role was to put a firm footing in terms of how the financial team operated, taking a look at the structure of what we were doing, and looking at the future,” said Pilgrim.

At ICBL the finance department is structured through four areas, financial reporting being a key one. ICBL publishes quarterly financials which necessitate a strong team in that field. Treasury management is also very important for an insurance company. For their vendors, Accounts Payable (AP) is also an important link in the chain. The fourth area is covered by investments.

According to Pilgrim, “What I’ve done as a part of my change process is twinning the Process Management with the AP team so that they can help in terms of doing process improvements.

“The asset management team is what we are now developing more assiduously with areas like pension management and investments for the business to make sure that we make decent returns. For an insurance company, it is always important to have stable and liquid-type investments. In the event that we are required to settle claims in a hurry, it is important that we have the confidence in our ability to settle. This ability to meet our financial commitments is one of the key areas of which we are very proud of at ICBL,” Pilgrim shared.

When Pilgrim joined, the Government had just taken a look at restructuring bonds and there was also the implementation of a change in standards through the International Financial Reporting Standard 9 (IFRS 9). However, ICBL has been able to

have on board stays with us. We provide results as much as possible

The company is still very strong. When I report at the end of a quarter, we let them know that our balance sheet remains strong and that our capital position is a very healthy one that is above what is required by the regulator,” he added.

ICBL, as an organisation, goes through annual plans that include looking at potential scenarios that can deeply impact its business model. Through these predictive scenarios, they identify what they would be required to do.

During Hurricane Elsa, for example, early numbers of calls jumped due to the damage but ICBL was able to respond appropriately to address the situation due to their rigorous planning and rehearsals for these types of scenarios.

One of the innovations brought on by COVID-19 was the ability to make payments to clients directly rather than relying on cheques which take far more time to be available. Getting clients

GLYNE PILGRIM, Chief Financial Officer (SLD)

Exciting times for ICBL

ONE OF THE NEWEST members of the ICBL team is Camille Pereira. Having joined ICBL in April 2022 as senior vice-president sales and marketing, Pereira is no stranger to the insurance industry.

With more than 20 years of distinctive experience, spanning many companies and Caribbean territories, Pereira brings a wealth of diverse knowledge to ICBL. Her most recent post was as vice-president of business development for a regional insurance company.

One of her main goals has been to grow ICBL’s customer base. For Pereira, it was a pleasant surprise in terms of the loyalty extended towards ICBL after all these years by the customers and the employee base.

“It’s nice to have a loyal customer base,” said Pereira, She added. “You also have a new group, a new age group coming up; they just do things differently. In terms of my own studies, it’s important to also keep up to date with what’s happening on the market. It is a new customer experience out there, we have to embrace the new demographic and think—what are the needs and the wants of this younger generation?

But I was actually thinking about when I did my first degree — Instagram and Facebook didn’t exist. You learned about the four P’s in marketing; there is so much more now to marketing and customer experience today.”

For customers, ease of doing business is important.

“As a Caribbean people, sometimes we still love to come into the branch and see our familiar faces and so forth. But the experience and reduced wait times for our customers is key. So, the least number of steps that you can do for these customers to enhance their experience and reduce wait times is important.”

In order to get all these experiences aligned, ICBL employs a cavalcade of people that work together seamlessly in order to provide their customers with an experience unlike any other. ICBL is a composite company; they sell both property and

casualty insurance (P&C) and life insurance. Though similar, these are different in terms of the selling and marketing of these groups.

ICBL has a back-office support team with several functions that support their online queries. Customers contact ICBL via social media and that is something they will continue to enhance and support because of tech-savvy customers. The Internet penetration in Barbados is very high. Customers can make contact with us at any hour in the age of the Internet and ICBL monitors these trends to respond appropriately.

“Although we have our branch office, with COVID, the landscape of our customerfacing operations have changed. We have one main head office right now, so the key is that we really optimise that team to perform at its best so that when a customer comes in, they can leave quickly,” said Pereira.

She added, “We have our life sales team. These are what we call our relationship builders. They are the ones who will form long-lasting relationships because life,

as you know, is a long-term business. It’s about engaging that customer for the next couple of decades. We want you, we appreciate you, and that’s where the agents come in.”

Today, ICBL knows that there is a need for synergy in sales and marketing.

“ICBL has really formed a great team where marketing works hand in hand with our sales team; it’s very collaborative and they are aligned. Both teams work closely together to ensure that we send the right message out to our valued customers ensuring we enhance our customer

experience at all times.”

For Camille Pereira, “We are excited to actually get the public on board with our 45th anniversary celebration. Our CEO has made sure that all the executives were aligned with the vision of embracing the future. It’s important to have a mix of creatives, especially the young ones, because they are creative in bringing the future forward. Forward thinking will ensure that we continue to embrace the future and chart ICBL forward to be the leading insurer in Barbados.”

CAMILLE PEREIRA, Senior Vice-PResident Sales and Marketing (SLD)

MARKETING DEPARTMENT: (From left), Tyson Thompson, Rosemary Boyce, Camille Pereira, Corey Layne. Inset right, Ross Pitt – Customer Intelligence Data Analyst. (SLD, GP)

The spirit of giving back

EVER SINCE ITS INCEPTION , one of the things that have always mattered to the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) is to give back to the community. It is a pillar in the strategy in terms of their marketing. It is not just about creating the brand, it’s important for the company to give back to the community in which they serve.

The company focuses on youth, sports, culture, health, and wellness. In the last two years alone, some $120 000 was collectively donated to the Salvation Army, The Barbados Cancer Society, The Barbados Diabetic Foundation, The Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Barbados Red Cross, and The Challenor Creative Arts & Training Centre. Additionally, they regularly donate to the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs in Barbados.

In 2019, ICBL created their Junior Spelling Bee competition and it has been a major staple in their youth activities. There has been a partnership with Starcom Network over the past two years.

The Spelling Bee is the cornerstone of ICBL’s corporate social responsibility. ICBL believes that literacy is very important and that investing in primary school children is a worthy endeavour to curate.

The Junior Spelling Bee was developed out of a desire to positively influence the culture of reading in youth. At ICBL, youth development is a key strategic pillar. The company recognises the importance of preparing children with a competitive advantage. Enhancing their reading capacity goes a long way to achieving that.

IN GIVING BACK to the community, ICBL focuses on youth, sports, culture, health and wellness. In 2019, the company created the Junior Spelling BEE competition and it has been a major staple in their youth activities. (FP)

As their Integrated Security Solutions Partner, we salute the stellar contribution ICBL has made over the years.

Understanding client’s needs

IAN CLARKE JOINED the ICBL team as vice-president and head actuary in one of the most unique times that businesses around the world have endured. In the midst of the pandemic, Clarke began his endeavours in April 2021. “It was an absolutely intriguing opportunity,” he shared.

At the time, ICBL had already been in the fray of hybrid work where few people were entering the building. “Even within the executive team, it took a while before I had actually met everyone in person,” he added.

In speaking about his role at ICBL, he pointed out that the actuary is the individual charged with pricing insurance products and quantifying and managing the liabilities associated with new and existing business. As a composite company, ICBL sells Property and Casualty Insurance as well as Life Insurance. A major reason for Clarke joining the ICBL team was to grow their relatively small Life Insurance segment.

“ICBL did not have a qualified life actuary previously. The life area was underserved in terms of technical resources. When I joined, my vision was to build the company’s first fully functioning actuarial team. The first phase was restructuring what the existing resources were doing day to day. The junior actuarial resources were pulled in several different directions that weren’t necessarily actuarial in nature. So, part of the initial process was establishing an idea of what an actuarial team should do within an insurance company and providing the tools for those individuals to reach their full potential,” he added.

“We have junior team members working towards being fully qualified actuaries. They support our day-to-day reporting and product development functions in addition to trying to progress their studies. The actuarial qualification is itself a selfstudy programme. Many universities offer support for the first few exams, and most employers offer some level of study support. It is a series of 12 or 13 exams overall,” said Clarke. “I became fully qualified in 2020. I left university in 2009 and qualified in 2020, so it took me about 11 years. It was a tough journey, humbling at times and balancing personal and professional commitments was extremely challenging. I’m thankful to have seen it through and extremely grateful for the support, guidance and mentorship I received along the way.

“When I joined, ICBL did not have an actuarial study programme, but it is now seen as a necessary tool for student development. In rolling out a competitive programme, as we have recently done, we are positioning ICBL as a place of choice for local actuarial talent.”

The study programme combines time off, financial support for study materials

and exam costs, and coaching sessions. There are also merit incentives for passing exams along the way. ICBL is now training actuarial talent and providing opportunities for career progression within the field.

The long-term goal for this programme is to have an internal team that can manage all required actuarial functions. “Establishing in-house technical expertise improves operational efficiency and allows us to support strategic planning in real-time, in addition to a host of other knock-on benefits,” said Clarke.

Speaking to strategy, Clarke said, “Due to the pandemic, the availability of disposable income for the everyman has declined.” As a result, the team was forced to re-evaluate their product suite and develop a stronger understanding of the needs of today’s clients.

“Clients are now looking for products which address certain things. We have a situation where the options to save are very limited in our own local context but also in a global context as well. Clients are looking for products that can provide some level of savings to them and I’m not just referring to savings that accrue to their relatives in the event of death. Clients want to see products with living benefits, investments that can be accessed and enjoyed during their lifespan,” Clarke shared.

He continued, “Another major element of shifting client needs is the desire for income security after retirement. Clients are looking for products that can ensure that when they leave the employment arena, they can adequately support themselves without having to rely on less secure channels.”

ICBL is establishing a suite of products to address the needs of individuals planning for specific retirement goals, such as retiring early, maintaining a certain level of income in retirement, or augmenting other retirement streams of income.

“We have a very insightful and technically adept research team at ICBL; niche identification is a key feature of our market research. Once we have these insights, we can leverage them to reach out to clients and educate them as to what their needs could be in the future,” said Clarke.

Part of the team’s strategy is to focus, not just on the individual client but on the needs of the family as well. “If a young person has a child, ICBL has products that allow them to save for when that child goes to university. Our sales model is all about educating our clients while understanding their current and future needs, allowing them to chart their best path forward; we have the products to support them on the entire journey. At ICBL, you are our partner for life,” shared Clarke. (NN)

CONSULTING ENGINEERS PARTNERSHIP LTD (CEP)

Extends congratulations & best wishes to on the occasion of their 45th Anniversary.

Established 1955

CHARTERED ENGINEERS

Consulting Structural, Civil, Environmental Engineers & Project Managers

Tel: (246) 426-5930

Email: concept@caribsurf.com www.cep.com.bb

We are pleased to have worked with you over the years and wish you continued success.

UNDERWRITING, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCIAL SALES, AND INSURANCE SPECIALIST TEAMS:

(Back row, from left), Russell Clements – Insurance Specialist, Sonia Bovell – Senior Underwriter, Jo-Anne Bryan – Insurance Specialist, Sherry Sobers - Commercial Sales & Business Development Specialist, Mitchell Blades – Commercial Sales & Business Development Specialist, Landu Coppin – Group Insurance Specialist (Front Row, from left), Gaylene Riskbrook – Insurance Specialist, Althea Hoyte – Business Development Associate, Nakira JnCharles – Insurance Specialist, Deborah Skeene – Underwriter.

SALES TEAM: (From left), Kendal Ince – Unit Supervisor, Ronda Marketing, Karen Thompson-Straker, Rosma Gibbs, Krystal White,

TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS: (From left), Adrian Belgrave, Kareem Herbert, Keisha Best, Ross Brathwaite, Denis Lambert, Corey Forde, Danielle Bradshaw-Bromes, Sean Gooding, and Adrian Small. (SLD)

P&C CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM:

(Back row, from left), Kesi Prescod – Assistant Manager, Tenille Alleyne, Derricka Douglas, Zarina Julien, Deah Bowen, Leilani Haddock, Denmarie Alleyne

(Front row, from left), Lorna Cummins, Bernice Small, Kaiela Wall, Latoya Best, Sabrina Headley – Senior Alicia Brathwaite, Mary Roach, Rhea Mapp-Bynoe – AVP. Inset right at top, Jason Gibbons, at bottom, Davien Branker. (SLD)

(SLD)

FINANCE TEAM:

(Back row from left), Glyne Pilgrim – CFO, Ryan Spooner, Danisa Craigg, Raheem Small, Cherisse Greene, Katherine Alleyne, Matthew Blackman, Kyle Cobham, Mechelle Pierre.

(Front row from left), Donnette Howard, Nicole Garnes – Senior Manager reporting and Planning, Alanna Marshall, Shanice Worrell, Shamara Gill. Missing – Jerry Jordan, Senior Manager Cost Management. (SLD)

Ronda Keizer, Rhandell Walker, Natalie Harewood, Elva Nurse, Fabian Holligan, Melanie Johnson, Camille Pereira – SVP Sales and White, Shodia Yarde, Clyde Barnett, Lisa Marshall, Reneece Haynes, Natasha Licorish – Unit Supervisor. (Pictures by Lennox Devonish.)

Julien, Nicole Cummins, Nyandra Clarke, Senior Underwriter, Sharon Morris,

GOVERNANCE/LEGAL DEPARTMENT:

TECHNICAL UNDERWRITING UNIT:

BRANCH SERVICES TEAM:

(Back Row), Rhea Mapp-Bynoe, Jenila Atherley, Sabrina Headley, Vicky Harris, Corey Alleyne (Front Row), Shanice Brathwaite, Deandra Alleyne, Rochelle Phillips. (SLD)

HUMAN RESOURCES AND FACILITIES TEAMS: (Standing from left), Shawn Kissoondath, Felicia Marshall, Elizabeth Greenidge, Christopher Cox (Seated from left), Lisa Brathwaite-Graham, Gail Hinkson, Alicia Cheltenham. (SLD)

ASSET MANAGEMENT TEAM : (Front Row), Katrina Hunte, Sean Yearwood – AVP Investments, Sharon Headley. (Back Row), Dionne Best, Lea Payne, Paul Watson, Danisa Craigg, Licia Cumberbatch. (SLD)

(From left), Renaldo Weekes, Keanna Brewster, Andwele Sandiford. (SLD)

(From left), (Back row), Stacey Hall, Cynthia Greenidge, Back row (Third row), Greg Sargeant, Joy Coppin, Rayshon Chassang (Second row), Carolyn Griffith, Jodie Grant, Bernadette Lloyd (Front row), Pamela Lowe – AVP, and Ian Clarke VP. (SLD)

CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM

(From left), Xavier Chapman, Rhea Mapp Bynoe – AVP, Meshalle Griffith, Antonio Boyce, Kesi Prescod – Assistant Manager, Xavi Jones, Earlene Walrond, Dadrian Medford, Shani Best, Sherrika Pinder, Jamar Cheltenham. (SLD)

THE ICBL OMNIPLUS, ROADSIDE EMERGENCY TEAM:

(From left), Jamal Lewis, Fabian McCollin, and Chad Sobers. (SLD)

CLAIMS TEAM:

(Back row, from left), Javere Brathwaite, Jerahmeel Gilkes, Ryan Thornhill, Troy Greaves, Jamar Mayers, Jadan Bradshaw, Dean Bradshaw (Front Row, from left), Lisa Williams Marcus, Jessica Arthur, Deborah King – Claims Manager, Shanesha Bourne, Krystal M. White. (SLD)

CEO’S OFFICE

(From left), Vanna-Lee Fields – Internal Auditor, Gouldbourne Alleyne – CEO, and Natalie Belgrave –Executive Assistant. (SLD)

Here for you when you need us most!

ICBL HAS ALWAYS been a beacon of excellence in the working world of Barbados. Many of the ICBL crew have enjoyed long-lasting relationships with the company, a testament to the work that the company does to retain and reward staff.

Gail Hinkson, assistant vicepresident for Human Resources at ICBL, has been with the company for more than 22 years. “I started in a supervisory role approximately 22 years ago. Since then, I was promoted to assistant manager, then manager and now the current position that I hold. So I would definitely say that ICBL is somewhere that you can develop, whether it’s in HR, or any other business area,” shared Hinkson.

“Our turnover is very low and several employees have been with the company more than ten years. If I should describe working at ICBL, it feels like a home away from home because of the people,” she added.

The HR Business Unit (HRBU) at ICBL consists of three core HR professionals, as well as the Facilities Management and Payroll Teams and the medical and health services administrator.

Part of what makes ICBL such a remarkable place to work is the investment in their employees. The company puts a great emphasis on the well-being of their employees. This was exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During COVID our focus was making sure that our employees were safe. The company’s protocols response was established and overseen by the medical & health services administrator, “Nurse Lisa” who was the in-house czar. As a result of the ICBL established protocols and supporting systems, there was not a single in-house spread of the virus,” said Hinkson.

“The company arranged care baskets for staff members who

contracted COVID. That decision in 2020 extended into 2022. The baskets contained flowers, fruit, energy drinks, painkillers, and general items of comfort that people would need and appreciate during that time.

“When we worked remotely in 2020 and 2021 and hybrid in 2023, we sought ways to continue engaging staff and fostering community. We planned staff engagement activities to get people to come back together for example, three summer movie nights at the Globe Drive-In, securing the entire facility for ICBL staff and families. We also provided afterschool nanny services for the children of employees, to ensure the children remained distanced and followed protocols as their parents catered to our customers.”

Making the ICBL experience safe and enjoyable for the employees is paramount to the purview of the HRBU. (NN)

Gail Hinkson, Assistant Vice-President for HR. (SLD)

Keeping the ship in shape

THE ICBL BUILDING stands out on Roebuck Street with its vibrant purple against white façade and everyone in Barbados knows exactly where it stands. What seems like any other building, belies a machine that is well-oiled and far greener than one would imagine.

Being green at ICBL falls under the purview of Shawn Kissoondath, the facilities manager. He is a fierce advocate for monitoring and maintaining the efficiency of the building and caretaking for all those who utilise the facility.

ICBL is very serious about its green journey and has been constantly flexing their eco-awareness since 2014 when they started acquiring green certificates through partnerships with Green Business Barbados, even before the Government began talks of green initiatives.

As a matter of pride, Green Business Barbados even boasts, “Since their initial approval in 2014, the Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) has outstandingly portrayed what it means to be a green business. The corporation has significantly invested in and implemented

several measures, especially in ensuring energy and water conservation and management, and employee well-being and productivity.”

ICBL has also been certified by the Future Centre Trust. In 2022, at their previous assessment of their green endeavours, ICBL achieved Tier 4 and is hoping to garner Tier 5 in the very near future. “Our practices in the building reflect that,” said Kissoondath.

“From 2014 till now, we have continued to build on what we had already – adding more processes and putting more policies in place to minimise our carbon footprint. We decided to put in what it called occupancy sensors so that lights are only on when a room is occupied. Also, we upgraded all of our washrooms to have low full toilets, metered taps, other low-flow fixtures, and high-speed hand dryers,” he added.

ICBL has gone even further to monitor their waste stream in order to minimise the volume that is sent to the landfill. This is achieved through their recycling programme. The ICBL building is fitted with recycling bins throughout and especially around major eating areas. They also have

ICBL IS VERY SERIOUS about its green journey, investing heavily in energy and water conservation and employee well-being and productivity. (GPs)

a recycle centre collection point outside of the main building where staff is encouraged to bring recyclables from home to utilise.

“All of our recyclables go to SBRC. We know every month how many kilogrammes of bottles or paper we are recycling. ICBL also owns the neighbouring building which has solar panels on its roof and this year we are placing panels on the ICBL roof as well as starting the initiative to build solar carports,” assured Kissoondath.

In February 2022, ICBL purchased their first electric vehicle. This vehicle is used for their messenger as he undertakes the most miles on behalf of ICBL. “We have hope in future to replace more vehicles with electric or hybrid options. We already have a charging port for the electric vehicle. The last vehicle that we brought on, on lease, is a hybrid as well,” he said.

As facilities manager, Shawn Kissoondath is responsible for the optimal running of the ICBL arena, making sure there are no breakdowns, and seeing to the well-being of the employees and customers that pass through the doors.

“We are in the initial stages of

implementing a building management system. This will utilise computer software so that, once I have Internet, I can access the system from anywhere in the world. It allows me to monitor the generator fuel, I can turn on and off AC systems, and programme systems to be timed on and off,” shared Kissoondath.

With the new system, he will be able to monitor every electrical aspect of the ICBL facility. Keeping an eye on energy use is extremely important in the world today. Especially for Barbados, so is the issue of water management.

“As it is now, every rain that falls on this roof goes into our tanks,” asserted Kissoondath. “We have two grey water collection tanks that are roughly 4 000 gallons. That is used for irrigation and for washing cars.

However, we are looking to see how we could use the sink water from the washrooms as grey water to be used to flush toilets. This will aid in limiting our water usage from BWA. We are always looking at ways to chart a path ahead,” he added.

SHAWN KISSOONDATH, Facilities Manager (SLD)

Beyond the call of duty

ICBL IS A COMPANY comprised of people that are driven by and towards excellence. Passion for purpose and customer care has brought ICBL through 45 years of being at the top of the insurance industry in Barbados.

One of the most passionate stalwarts at ICBL is Lisa Brathwaite-Graham, the medical & health services administrator for ICBL Her journey in the medical field began more than 20 years ago as a registered nurse. Starting out as a bedside nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, BrathwaiteGraham realised she wanted more.

She graduated from college with the Peggy Rickinson’s Award for Excellence in Nursing, and after two years of working at QEH, she asked what more she could do. So she enrolled at the University of West Indies Cave Hill while working at the hospital. Eventually, she withdrew and instead applied to UWI’s Mona Campus for a Bachelor’s in Nursing.

“I knew I had something to offer,” said Lisa Brathwaite-Graham. So, she did her Master’s in Public Health. “I recognised, at that time, my interest in research and teaching,” she added.

“Once I finished my Master’s, I was working at the University and a position

opened at ICBL, and I applied,” said the fervent seeker of progression. In November 2012, she joined ICBL to satisfy the requirements for medical onboarding of life insurance clients.

She shared, “I got involved with HR, and within short order, I was serving the staff.” From there, she was tasked with developing the easyWELLNESS Programme for ICBL Brathwaite-Graham continued to develop the programme over the years.

In 2018, ICBL decided to create a growth path for her substantive talents. This was when her job title became nurse administrator. Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, executive chairman of QEH, met Brathwaite-Graham during a symposium where Brathwaite-Graham lectured.

A few short weeks afterwards, the first case of COVID arrived in Barbados. That very evening, Brathwaite-Graham was sitting in QEH’s board room as a part of the team serving to fight this menace. She served with the QEH team for six months to prepare, plan and chart a course through the unknown waters of a brand new pandemic as the chair of the Nursing Response Committee. Her efforts awarded her a plaque for her contribution during this chaotic time.

“The ICBL team supported me greatly with whatever I needed while I was there,” assured Brathwaite-Graham. While at the hospital for the latter three months, she also designed new processes for ICBL’s medical onboarding insurance process.

Brathwaite-Graham oversaw the creation of the training and protocols that ICBL staff had to undergo before returning to the office. Due to her efforts, at no point did COVID-19 spread through the ICBL offices.

Keeping the staff safe and healthy has always been a part of the mission of ICBL Designing the Wellness Programme not only aided the team at ICBL but also filtered towards clients of group medical insurance.

“Exploring prevention is always the first step. I look at the full person. I look at what the full person needs. People need to know their numbers. So, we’re going to look at your every organ. We test every major organ. We look for colon cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and we run a comprehensive examination. In this examination we run a full blood count, assess coronary risks via lipid tests, conduct an HbA1c to assess risk for diabetes, and then we record blood pressure readings, and the body mass index—that’s a full screen, searching your body for disease. All of this is called easyPrevent,” BrathwaiteGraham informed.

“Should we find disease, you are then sent for coaching—that’s easyCoach. Here is where you are guided back to wellness. Then, there is easyWork which involves education. easyMinute involves 60-second blocks of information and the Nurse Knows came out of that, giving me a voice in social media,” she added.

The last aspect is easyFit, where movement is key. Each of these processes was first offered to staff before being

offered to clients of ICBL. When a new client in group health is onboarded, they are offered this complimentary service which is covered by the plan.

Brathwaite-Graham also hosts the ICBL 15-minute radio segment on Voice of Barbados 92.9 every Monday at 9 a.m. From health tips to insurance information, the ideal of educating the public is woven throughout each facet of ICBL

“A large part of what I do here at the company is Personal Injury Medical Case Management. I thoroughly enjoy this as I provide service to customers who have been injured because of motor vehicle accidents or injured parties within our employer’s liability portfolio. I walk with you to ensure that you get the best care, and I help you navigate the care system and get out,” she added.

It’s no surprise that Brathwaite-Graham garnered the award for Employee of the Year for 2021. She concluded, “There’s a journey ahead of us and I think we all have to have the right attitude as we walk it; one that is positive because we’re all headed somewhere and it’s somewhere great if you’re with ICBL.” (NN)

Lisa Brathwaite-Graham, Medical and Health Services Administrator (SLD)

THE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF BARBADOS LIMITED (ICBL) is one of the few companies that exist today with a reputation for true excellence. This remarkable trait is epitomised not only through the longevity of their customers but in the fervent loyalty of their team. Pamela Lowe, assistant vice-president Underwriting, celebrates 32 years with ICBL this June.

Initially, she began her insurance journey with a subsidiary of an American company that was serviced by Life of Barbados. Lowe’s very first introduction to the world of insurance was in sales at life insurance before going into group medical claims. It was in this position that ICBL sought her services as supervisor for medical claims.

“ICBL was very different and very dynamic in that claims for group medical were also attached to group life, pension, creditor life – it was very broad. Not just claims but underwriting,” shared Lowe.

“Everything exploded at ICBL; it was a lot of responsibility but it was very exciting and the atmosphere was such that, even though there was a lot of work, you never felt that you were being pressured. It was a very nurturing environment. I would have been mentored by some really great people that I worked with over the years,” she elaborated.

Lowe reports that, over the years, there has been training in all aspects all the time. This has fed the growth of ICBL. Lowe asserts that at ICBL, inclusion was the key to progression. Even juniors within the company were present at meetings to ingratiate novices in knowledge through observation. In 2008, ICBL took the plunge to diversify into the market of individual life and health by offering creative products that showcased their power.

In her time, Pamela Lowe has been a part of the building of clientele for individual life and health products. In that time, clients have been with ICBL longer than her extraordinary stint. Corporate clients have remained with ICBL for decades due to their pride in being flexible and compromising towards customer needs. For Lowe, that may be ICBL’s biggest asset.

Today, Pamela Lowe is still involved with the group medical and group life arena of insurance. However, her involvement in technical underwriting has grown with her involvement in insurance on the P&C side of the continued expansion of ICBL

Lowe impressed, “I just want to say one thing. I want to just thank all our clients for being with us, for believing in us for all these years. And, also, to welcome the new ones to come in and to embrace and welcome them to the ICBL family.” (NN)

PAMELA LOWE, Assistant Vice-President Underwriting, 32 years of service. (SLD)

Operational excellence a must

FOR 45 YEARS , ICBL has been charting the course to the future. The streamlining of business practices, improving of efficiency, offering competitive products, and placing the customer as number one have always been a part of the primary practice at ICB L

Rhea Mapp-Bynoe has been with ICBL for the past four years, but had been a part of the industry for more than ten years prior with a large regional carrier of insurance. Today, Mapp-Bynoe is the assistant vicepresident of Project Management and Operational Excellence.

Through Projects and Operational Excellence, ICBL focuses on ensuring that the processes, the people, the technology and the customer experience align to deliver on the immediate as well as the long-term strategic vision of the organisation. This is supported by enhanced data analytics and data-centric decision-making and makes for a more holistic approach.

In describing her role within the organisation, she said: “Initially, my role was focused on projects, automation and efficiency. Once we started COVID, the operational excellence side of the role became more integral. This included direct support to our customer servicing teams and ensuring that our omni-channel structure worked efficiently.”

Before COVID, like most other companies, ICBL’s business model was mostly based on an in-branch experience. At the time, there were multiple ICBL branches that accounted for 90 percent of their customer service; that transitioned to telephone and email communications. Mapp-Bynoe and her team spent a lot of time looking at achieving ICBL’s rigorous standards in this new means of business. Trying to achieve a 24-hour customer turn-around time was one of the big challenges they overcame during the initial stages.

The method of communication changed, but customers still expected as close to immediate or a real-time response as if they had walked into the branch and left with their issue resolved. According to MappBynoe, “We focused on ensuring that we

could support their needs. We trained reps across all areas of the business to address the customer requests in a timely manner and the timely resolution helped our customers with the change by ensuring that they had that seamless experience, although it was by phone or by email.”

Mapp-Bynoe is constantly collaborating with other departments within the organisation to enhance ICBL’s customer experience. Ensuring that the teams are equipped with the solutions and tools to consistently measure our service delivery. Through data analytics, ICBL continues to gain a better insight into the customer journey at each touchpoint, whether online, telephone or in branch. This created a need for projects such as the online chat feature, a customer request management system, robotics and process re-engineering that Mapp-Bynoe has pioneered at ICBL. Many of these projects allow for customers to have greater efficiency and self-service.

For Mapp-Bynoe, “As we created more functionality for customers’ self-service, it drove us to ensure that our internal operations aligned through improvements in our process and service model.

“Modern day project management in many organisations has evolved into an operational business excellence space because over time it’s difficult to separate, especially as we get into transformation through process automation and customer service improvements,” said Mapp-Bynoe.

Successful project implementation requires streamlining people, process, applications and performance metrics to successfully achieve the long-term objectives. As the organisation transformed, Mapp-Bynoe’s role has evolved into day-today management of retail operations and support services for life, health and general insurance.

“From our values of continuous improvement, we are constantly looking at what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, how we can improve it, what technology do we need, what training do we need. There are always new options and opportunities for improvement,” Mapp-Bynoe asserted.

Surprise award indeed a blessing

ASSISTANT MANAGER OF PENSIONS Lea Payne has been with the Insurance Corporation of Barbados (ICBL) since June of 2019, not an incredibly long time by most standards, but long enough to make a magnificent impression nonetheless.

Having been at ICBL for just shy of four years, Payne manages third-party group pensions. With external million-dollar

clients, she curates their portfolios, ensures that everything is being done above board and in accordance with compliance, while also reaching out to the stakeholders to let them know how their plan is performing, addressing administrative issues, and how ICBL can solve their problems.

It’s a lot to take on but, according to Lea Payne, she has most definitely enjoyed her

time at ICBL. “ICBL has really enhanced my customer service skills and also my communication skills. I know in COVID we weren’t really getting to see a lot of persons but still being able to reach out to our clients via phone and ensure that the brand is still out there, that we’re still doing a positive job and to just, in those difficult times, reach them and let them know we’re still here.”

Even in the digital age, where everything is virtual, ICBL is still a call away. And Payne prides her team on running everything correctly and smoothly. This is why she was named Employee of the Year for 2022 at ICBL

“It was unexpected because COVID was a very different time. Performing to the max or being recognised for giving that extra effort, when everybody is giving their extra effort to get their head around this unknown thing is, was a blessing,” said Payne.

“Who doesn’t like recognition?” emphasised Payne, “Before I came on, we had a client who was disgruntled and wanted to leave. When I heard that, I worked with her to turn that around and she stayed with us and remains.”

ICBL retaining customers and living up to their warranted loyalty is due to their collaborative nature and teams working in conjunction to facilitate an admirable output. The collaborative aspect of the core values of ICBL speaks to each facet of the organisation that strives to impress and live in line with integrity, continuous improvement, collaboration, and courage.

Having integrity enough to address shortcomings and being bold enough to bring in extra aid is a courageous act. These are also the means to forge forward towards continuous improvement. For her efforts, Payne was awarded with a trophy to commemorate her gumption, a cruise, Cave Shepherd cash, and an extra week of paid vacation.

For Payne, “My near future is definitely staying with ICBL and helping to continue with positive brand awareness. Broadening and expanding my horizons with ICBL through things like the Registered Retirement Savings Products is high on my list. ICBL sees my worth and I see their worth. I would always recommend ICBL to anyone because the company helps advance you and I really admire that.”

LEA PAYNE, Assistant Manager of Pensions. Employee of the Year 2022. (SLD)