FORTY-five years ago, when Goffe Spencer started out as a filing clerk with a fledgling insurance agency, he never imagined that he would have lived to see the company being merged with another to become Life of Jamaica and later, Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited.

Now 63, Spencer is Sagicor’s longest-serving employee and was recently recognised for his years of service to the company.

He expresses amazement at how quickly time has passed since he started working in the sector in 1970.

“I have witnessed all the changes, the developments, the mergers and the growth of the company while serving as a filing clerk, mailing clerk, accountant, middle manager and now as an accounting officer who is primarily responsible for bank reconciliation of the company,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

In addition to corporate changes, Spencer has gone through a lifetime of personal experiences while at Sagicor. He got married, raised three children, experienced the death of his first wife after 25 years of marriage, and remarried three years ago.

“It is a wonderful feeling to have been given the opportunity to not only serve the company consistently over the years, but to have been given life for so many years…I am happy to have been here from the start of the company and can talk all about it,” he said.

Two years shy of becoming retired, Spencer said his role as accounting officer is more challenging than his first job as filing clerk, but he wouldn’t trade it.

“It was exciting back then with my first job being a filing clerk,” he said.

“My (current) job is challenging; bank reconciliation is a very challenging area. We have to do a lot of research to ensure that the entries are booked and all the entries are received. However, at the end of each day, I still love my job and I enjoy what I am doing,” Spencer continued.

When asked why he has remained with Sagicor for 45 years, he said: “Sagicor is a nice place to work… I have been given good opportunities.” And good opportunities, he said, is what employees need to focus on for their staff members to be comfortable and remain with them.

Spencer has previously won long-service awards for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service.

— Ainswoth Morris