Roger Grant

Centre Director, Scotia Private Client Group

Share with us your earliest memory of Kingston.

That would be fishing off the Palisadoes road with my father. I don’t recall actually catching anything but vividly remember enjoying the father-son time.

Did Roger the child see himself as a banker?

No, as a child I saw myself as a daring astronaut off to find and explore new worlds, but as I got older and reality set in, I found myself being drawn to numbers and, by extension, finance. I enjoy being a banker because I am able to apply my love of finance to the joy I get from interacting with and helping people.

Is today’s banker different from one 20 years ago? If so, how?

Today’s banker is very different from the banker of 20 years ago. A banker can no longer sit behind his or her desk and expect to get business. Today’s banker has to be out in the field, meeting clients and getting a better understanding of their business and personal needs. Today’s banker can no longer use a “one size fits all” approach; he or she has to be flexible with the solutions that they offer while at all times managing the risk exposure to their bank.

Banking is super-competitive, especially in the arena of private banking. What is your bank’s and, by extension your, competitive advantage?

The Scotia Private Client Group has a unique competitive advantage: We call it “the team of experts’ approach”. We have assembled a group of some of the finest advisors in the industry and through them we are able to leverage our global platform and offer to our clients the best in customised banking solutions, investment advisory services and wealth structuring.

What’s the profile of today’s banker, meaning: Who would you recruit and why?

Today’s banker has to be well-rounded. Of course, having expert knowledge of banking products and regulations is a must, but they also have to be customer-focused, internally driven and, above all, have the ability to ascertain from a client their needs and proactively find creative solutions to satisfy those needs.

Humour us and hazard a guess about the profile of a banker 50 years from now.

As technology continues to change how we do business, I suspect that 50 years from now many of the day-to-day needs of a client will be fulfilled by an automated application. With that being said, I believe that persons will always need qualified financial advice and the role of the banker will remain that of providing guidance and solutions.

Which four words best describe Roger Grant?

Ambitious

Driven

Outgoing

Creative

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be and why?

Having more flexibility in my life. I put family above all and would like to be able to have a better work/life balance that will allow me to spend more quality time with them.

Share five places in your travel black book.

I regularly visit my siblings in the States, but in addition, I consider myself to be a true West Indian and have visited Nassau, Bahamas; Port of Spain, Trinidad; Bridgetown Barbados; and Georgetown, Guyana. (I wouldn’t mind heading back to Trinidad for some shark and bake!)

Share with us the title of the last book you read.

Winning by Jack Welch.

What cologne are you splashing?

Issey Miyake Sport.

Who’s your favourite recording artiste?

It is, has been and forever will be Sade! She is the perfect person to unwind with after a rough day, along with a fine scotch and a good book.

Share with us your last big splurge.

Purchasing some new dive gear. I am an avid scuba diver and try and do it as often as I can. I really enjoy our underwater beauty and one of my biggest hopes is that Jamaica will start to see the necessity of protecting and preserving our coral reefs.

If you could choose four business tycoons to brainstorm with, who would they be and why?

Mark Zuckerberg because his company changed the face of social networking.

Jack Welch because of his success with General Electric.

Richard Branson because of his flair for business.

The late Steve Jobs because of his creativity.

Were you given six months to transform Kingston, Jamaica, what would be a few of your major undertakings?

If I were given the opportunity to transform Kingston, I would focus on developing and preserving our cultural heritage sites. I recently had the pleasure of touring the Trench Town Culture Yard on Lower Street in Trench Town. I was amazed to learn of the number of notable Jamaicans who either used to reside in the area or had some connection. It is through the preservations of these sites that we will be able to maintain our connection to our cultural history and display our rich cultural diversity to our visitors.

Finally, what’s your philosophy?

I think Aristotle said it best: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” I simply strive for excellence in all that I do.