My greatest desire all my life has been to continuously improve and grow myself, and help others to do the same. This heartfelt longing for the betterment of myself and those around me complements my natural inclination toward seeking knowledge.
My journey toward continuous learning has developed the faculties of strategic thinking, coaching, and a sense of professionalism in me. Today I carry these traits forward as the head of the national organization in Jamaica responsible for facilitating national growth and development. I have the pleasure of working hand in hand with COOs, business owners, GMs, unions, policymakers, and international partners in over 250 organizations within the private and public sectors spanning many industries.
Growing up in an environment where I was exposed to various international cultures and norms, I cultivated a perspective of compassion from an early age. In my heart, I firmly believe we are all flesh and blood, hence there is more that unites us than that which divides us. Being naturally gifted in math and science, the medical field offered me the opportunity to combine my aptitude for logic with a human-centric approach. But within my first month at medical school, I realized I did not have the funding available to become a pediatrician. That is when I switched to studying industrial engineering, where I could apply my unique talents to learn how to integrate systems and people for greater efficiency and reduced stress.
I was initially drawn to finding gaps or areas for improvement in companies at my first job in Jamaica within the Business Improvement Unit, to which I was drafted before graduating from university. Working at the upper echelons of governance since the start, I learned how to develop a plan of action and facilitate the necessary processes involved in closing those gaps.
While I am confident in my ability to enter a company, review their policies, programs, and capabilities to get right down to seamlessly creating flexibility and agility in the face of costly deficiencies, I would not have gotten to where I am today without my international experiences. By undertaking an extensive productivity program and serving as an operational improvement consultant at a Japanese company, I merged my prior knowledge of operations improvement and studied how to customize and increase productivity beyond the high Japanese standards.
Drawing from the industrial and systems knowledge I accumulated in Japan, the hotbed for operational brilliance, I now make it a point to always go to “Gemba” or the shop floor, enlisting and empowering those who work within the system/organization to improve operations continually. I could not wait to impart the knowledge I gathered overseas and the capability to work with people at all levels, to create better ways to produce efficiency gains for businesses back in Jamaica.
It still puts a smile on my face to think back to the time I implemented my knowledge at an organization in Jamaica where they were able to raise 2.5 million USD of savings in one year through my handcrafted improvement methodology. I now aim to recreate this achievement within every organization I am involved with by building frameworks that yield results.
I was only 16 years of age when I met my soul mate who later become my husband and moved to Trinidad to study Industrial & Systems Engineering. But no matter where I went, I have always been blessed with a rich community around me. Gifted with a flair for art, I leverage my creativity to surmount my fears and charge ahead into the unknown with a jovial disposition and an honest outlook. That is why, even as a mother of two, I decided to pursue the Energy Management Certification.
Although this program has a high failure rate for a reason, failure is just another stepping stone toward excellence to me. I initially missed the passing mark for this program, yet against the advice of my superiors, I retook the exam and received one of the highest scores in its history.
Being the reliable result-oriented person in the room always looking at the most effective and efficient way to get things done excites me. It is my greatest honor to be able to help businesses do the right things the right way. Graduating with honors for both my 1st and 2nd university degrees in Industrial Engineering, despite the odds of being a woman of color in a male-dominated field, and an international student in two different countries, I am proud to have persevered toward my goals in the face of many challenges.
My experiences and community have taught me that whatever I do should come from a place of love! My mother always said the food comes out best with a splash and a dash of love. This heart-centered approach has allowed me to be flexible and relatable in my work. I remain committed to reengineer any problem by converting complexity into simple solutions for clients and having fun while doing it.