WITH just over a month before Safia Cooper takes the reins of entertainment and business conglomerate Pulse from her father Kingsley, she is vowing to continue on the path he cleared for the past three decades.

Pulse, which operates the renowned model agency, as well as several other business entities, will see the younger Cooper assuming the role of CEO come January 1.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, the 35-year-old Cooper notes that being the eldest of two children, the thought of running the family business at some point has always been part of her psyche.

“Naturally, I was very excited, and immediately the magnitude and just how critical a move of this nature was certainly did hit home. Large shoes to fill. This succession plan has been a matter of discussion and serious consideration for quite a while. It’s time of actualisation was only to be determined by the business cycle, with regards to the state of immediate projects, those to come, and the future plans of our chairman,” she said.

Cooper, Pulse’s current director of sales and marketing, says it will be more of the same with her touch, once she takes over.

“The model agency will continue to play a pivotal role in the Pulse business. Our diversity may give the impression to persons looking on that we are not as focused on our model agency, but this is not so. At the same time, in the last couple of years we have expanded our real estate business and now have shop and office rentals and a storage facility at Trafalgar Road, restaurant rentals, function space, and other facilities at Villa Ronai, with short- and medium-term residential space to come on stream within the next 12 months. Of course, we still maintain well-known events such as Caribbean Fashionweek and the Caribbean Model Search. We have also successfully produced the Color Festival in Jamaica and, though not our core, we also operate clubs and lounges,” she notes.

She hints at some new projects to come on stream over the next two years, but is keeping details on those close to her chest at this time.

Any major changes?

“None at this time,” she responds.

For Cooper, who has been sitting at the feet of her father for the past three years, one can never be one hundred per cent ready for a move such as this, but she is very optimistic about the future. She states that to take over Pulse one needs a strong skill set.

“Working with intangibles in creative business, especially one as diverse and as uniquely organised as Pulse, one needs ruthless focus, extreme efficiency, a relentless drive for success, be continuously innovative, and possess a bit of ‘super heroism’. I see my strong features as a zero fear of hardwork, a great capacity to multitask, the ability to execute against plan, a strong sense of commitment to excellence, and being result-oriented.”