FEBRUARY 2019
MUTUALLY
INCLUSIVE
FIT TO EXCEL How to Stay in Tip-Top Shape for Success STRONG INTEGRATED FINANCIAL GROUP • MODERN MUTUAL • EMPLOYER OF CHOICE • MODEL CORPORATE CITIZEN
Editors’ Message We’re focusing on wellness in this issue with tips to stay fit physically and mentally. We all work hard, so it’s really important that we take the very best care of ourselves. Also, our new Fairview location opened for business on February 4. We share some photos from the day. Be sure to check out ‘In Case You Missed It’ so you can stay on top of all the VM happenings. If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email at
vmcorporateaffairs@myvmgroup.com
Clover & Dayton
10 2019 Organisation Structure Update 2
CONTENTS 4
Fit to Excel
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Fairview – the newest feather in our cap
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Four tips to keep your mind sharp
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How to stay in tip-top shape for success
FIT TO EXCEL How to stay in tip-top shape for success
Drink up!
We get it. We’re all in – eager to make our targets and take VM to the next level for the benefit of our Members and clients. While we do this, however, we have to ensure we take care of ourselves. Eight hours in a chair in front of a computer, five days per week can take a toll on your body. From avoiding eye strain and tension neck syndrome to passing on those extra calories that co-workers leave invitingly on their desks, here are 6 tips that will help you stay healthy and in shape at work.
Drinking an adequate amount of water -- eight to 10 glasses every day -- can help keep you hydrated. Many foods are also good sources of water; fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon, and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated. That notorious 3 o'clock lull that many people feel at work can be due to dehydration, so drink lots of water. Set goals: Bring a 16-ounce bottle of water to work and try to finish it by lunch, and then fill it up again and finish that by 3 p.m. By 5 p.m., finish a third bottle.
Just say no The snacks that your co-workers so kindly place on their desk can add a few hundred calories to your daily diet if you're not careful, and they can leave you with unwanted pounds if you help yourself day after day.
Get up, stand up! One of the most important things you can do during the day to stay healthy and in shape is to exercise.
If it's out of sight, it's out of mind, so if you know someone has a candy dish on their desk, walk around his or her desk so you don't feel the temptation. Take a break, get a breath of fresh air, and skip the candy. Or, if you are hungry, have some fruit, like cherries or grapes.
Walking during lunch is a great idea. Not only are you burning calories, but you're de-stressing and refreshing. Find a walking partner whom you can depend on for a daily walk -- someone who will drag
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you out even if you claim you're too busy. If you really can't get out during lunch, park farther away than you normally do so you have a short walk to work in the morning and evening, or make it a habit to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
You want to make sure your neck isn't bent to the side for long periods of time. TNS can cause neck and shoulder pain, muscle tightness, and tenderness. So use a speakerphone, a shoulder cradle, or use a headset at work when you're on the phone.
Watch what you eat
I can see clearly now
Eating a healthy lunch is an important part of a balanced diet. But eating reasonable portions is an important part of your health. Eat a healthy lunch at work, but also practice portion control so you aren't consuming too many calories and then sitting in a chair all afternoon. Many times, it's not that you are eating unhealthy food, it's just that you are eating too much.
Eyestrain is another problem that can be encountered in front of a computer. It can cause headaches, difficulty focusing, and increased sensitivity to light. To prevent eyestrain, the distance to the screen from your eyes should be about an arm’s length away. You should also be able to comfortably read what's on your screen at that distance, without having to squint.
A real pain in the neck
If you can't read your screen from an arm's length away, simply increase the font size on your computer.
Tension neck syndrome (TNS) can occur when the neck and upper shoulders are held in a fixed, awkward position for long periods of time, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It can happen to people in the workplace who talk on the phone for a most of the day or type a lot.
This is a modified version of an article that was originally posted on webmd.com
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FAIRVIEW:
The newest feather in our cap Have you visited our new location at unit 33, Fairview Shopping Complex? The modern, technologically advanced location was opened on February 4 and is the product of great collaboration and dedicated effort on the part of our team members. Let’s congratulate the team and continue to demonstrate VM Excel in all that we do!
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4 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP
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We’re going after our targets with purpose and excellence. We’ll need our bodies and minds to be in good shape for all of our life goals. Here are four tips to keep your mind sharp. 1. Keep learning A higher level of education is associated with better mental functioning in old age. Experts think that advanced education may help keep memory strong by getting a person into the habit of being mentally active. Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication among them. Many people have jobs that keep them mentally active, but pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, or volunteering for a project at work that involves a skill you don't usually use can function the same way and help improve memory.
2. Use all your senses The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain that will be involved in retaining the memory. In one study, adults were shown a series of emotionally neutral images, each presented along with a smell. They were not asked to remember what they saw. Later, they were shown a set of images, this time without odours, and asked to indicate which they'd seen before. They had excellent recall for all odourpaired pictures, and especially for those
associated with pleasant smells. Brain imaging indicated that the piriform cortex, the main odour-processing region of the brain, became active when people saw objects originally paired with odours, even though the smells were no longer present and the subjects hadn't tried to remember them. So, challenge all your senses as you venture into the unfamiliar.
3. Believe in yourself Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when they're exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better when the messages are positive about memory preservation into old age. People who believe that they are not in control of their memory function — joking about ‘senior moments’ too often, perhaps — are less likely to work at maintaining or improving their memory skills and therefore are more likely to experience cognitive decline. If you believe you can improve, and you translate that belief into practice, you have a better chance of keeping your mind sharp.
4. Prioritise your brain use If you don't need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter's birthday party, you'll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things. Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys, and other items you use often.
This is a modified version of an article originally shared by Harvard Health Publishing
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!
2019 Organisation Structure Update is underpinned by our People Strategy.
In the President and CEO’s New Year Message communicated on January 2, 2019, we were advised that the VM Group would be engaging in an ongoing dynamic process in order to effectively position the Group for steady growth, leading to our goal of becoming a $6 billion entity.
As a result, our business model has been undergoing and will continue to undergo critical yet exciting changes for us to win. Some organisational structure changes aligned with the strategic positioning of the VM Group and our 2019 Business Plan have been implemented within the months of January and February this year.
A fundamental requirement for the achievement of all our goals is the mandate to improve our productivity as a Team. The President also referred to The Group’s sound strategy, which
These changes are as follows: 10
Group Investments and Treasury
Management position which will focus on increasing VM Group’s off balance sheet assets under management through aggressive business development and also develop and execute investment strategies. This position reports to Colando.
• As was previously announced, Devon Barrett, Group Chief Investment Officer (CIO) will lead a new Strategic Investments Team to focus on executing our objectives to expand through mergers/ alliances and acquisitions, raise additional capital for expansion and ensure the optimal management of our investments. Adam Harris joined the VM Group on January 1, 2019 as Assistant Vice President – Strategic Investments to support Devon with the mandate to identify, design and execute strategic partnerships and investments for the VM Group to grow this business line. In addition, a new support role of Analyst – Strategic Investments will be added to the Investments and Treasury Unit and will report to Adam.
In addition, there are some new positions that we will be filling across the Business aligned with the business plan objectives.
VM Money Transfer Services Based on the steady growth of VMBS Money Transfer Services and the evidence of remarkable solid performance and achievements in advancing the overall strategy of the VM Group, Michael Howard’s position of CEO - VMBS Money Transfer Services has been upgraded to the Vice President Level. Due to the planned expansion of VM Money Express locations, we will shortly begin the recruitment process to fill new positions required.
• The Manager -Treasury & Trading position held by Andrew Williams has been upgraded to Senior Manager, Investments & Treasury with responsibility for driving the performance of the Treasury Unit. Andrew and his team are tasked with ensuring that our investment management performance exhibits the highest risk adjusted returns within Jamaica. Andrew will continue to report to the Group Chief Investment Officer, Devon Barrett.
Customer and Brand A new position of Manager, Products has been introduced to report to Judith Forth Blake, Group Chief Customer and Brand Officer to focus on strategic product development to innovate and grow the suite of Products offered across the VM Group.
• The Assistant Manager Foreign Exchange (FX) Trading, occupied by Megretta Hall, has been upgraded to Manager, as greater focus is placed on increasing the number of initiatives to significantly grow the FX business lines for the VM Group with an aggressive growth target. Megretta will continue to report to Andrew Williams.
Business Banking In addition to his current responsibilities, Paul Elliott – Vice President, Sales and Service will lead a Business Banking arm to focus on designing and implementing sales plans to grow the business client portfolio. New roles have been created to grow and service this portfolio - a Manager-Business Banking and three Assistant Managers – Business Banking. As part of the talent management programme and in particular, the talent pool readiness initiative, Damian Nicholson and Rickardo Ellis, Senior Financial Services Specialists have been appointed to the roles of Assistant Manager – Business Banking. We are in the process of recruiting the Manager – Business Banking and the additional Assistant Manager – Business Banking position.
VM Wealth Management • Evette Bryan’s position of Manager, Treasury has been upgraded to Senior Manager, Treasury with responsibility for treasury management of Victoria Mutual Wealth Management (VMWM). Evette is tasked with bringing greater focus on the daily treasury management activities of VMWM, ensuring that the key business targets are achieved while attaining our risk and compliance framework parameters. In her new role, Evette will report to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer – Victoria Mutual Wealth Management, Colando Hutchinson. • VMWM will further strengthen the Asset Management arm with a Manager – Asset
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2019 Organisation Structure Update (cont'd) Card Services By mid-year we will be recruiting new positions for the launch and management of the new and exciting credit card business.
Safety and Security The area of Health, Safety and Security is a key area of focus for the VM Group from our Enterprise Risk Management framework. We have begun the recruitment process for the new position of Manager, Safety and Security. This position will form a part of the Office Services Structure and will report to Michael Neita, CEO - Victoria Mutual Property Services for the Security and Safety Portfolio and to Dayton Robinson – Assistant Vice President – Group Human Resources for the Occupational Health Portfolio. This role will direct the development, implementation and monitoring of
effective strategies to mitigate risk, maintain continuity of operations, and ensure that all safety and security requirements for the VM Group are met.
Group Human Resources As part of the talent management programme, Tanya Wilson and Nardia Gordon are rotating roles. Tanya will perform the role of Assistant Manager – Group Human Resources focusing on talent management and learning & development and Nardia is performing the role of Assistant Manager – Group Human Resources leading the team of HR Business Partners. Both Tanya and Nardia will report to Ava Baker, Manager – Group Human Resources. We are currently recruiting to fill the position of Manager – Group Human Resources vacated by Georgia Beckford’s retirement. This position will report to Dayton Robinson.
We are confident that these structural changes will provide the VM Group with a solid platform to achieve success through excellence as we collaborate on achieving our 2020 key results. We will keep you informed of further changes as they arise and encourage you to refer questions to your Manager or Senior leader.