Q10 – Marlene Street Forrest managing director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange
This week’s Q10 features Marlene Street Forrest managing director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), an avid reader who prides herself on having read all the novels written by Jane Austen. Under the Port Antonio-native’s stewardship, the JSE is ranked by financial media company Bloomberg as the best performing stock exchange in the world, and in 2016 she was conferred with the honour of the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander class in recognition of her outstanding leadership in the growth of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.When she’s not managing JSE, she has a book at hand or is creating stories with her grandson about the quirky King Wallawallah, a character they created.
Q10: What is that one outstanding characteristic you believe you possess?
STREET FORREST: I think the ability to share love. While I can be shy, I actually love people and I also listen well.
Q10: If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs—such as food and water—were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?
STREET FORREST: I would want to have my phone, that’s the truth as I read everything on my phone, and I probably would want to have some sharp instrument, like a knife to protect myself and peel anything.
Q10: What is it that you love about your job?
STREET FORREST: Everything. My job is fun, it’s difficult and can be challenging but what I love most about it is the fact that it is ever-changing. My job is almost like a project on an ongoing basis and I like when things start and it stops and you can assess it, evaluate it and see how successful it is.
Q10: What is one quote or mantra that you live by?
STREET FORREST: It’s a quote from my mother and she always says: ‘What you call luck is simply pluck and doing things over and over; Courage and will, and perseverance and skills— are the four leaves of luck’s clover.’ It means that you really have to get into whatever you’re doing, as things won’t fall down from the sky to you. It’s not always about brightness but it is really about putting your hands to the wheel.
Q10: If you weren’t the managing director of JSE, what would you be doing?
STREET FORREST: Farming — I would be doing all sorts of farming. I would be looking after goats, sheep, fish, I just really enjoy farming. When I had taken a break from the corporate sector, I went into farming. My husband farms as well. I’m still going to do farming when I retire, not just farming but with value added, because people farm and get a little frustrated about it because what a farmer tends to get is the short end of the stick. So if I’m doing callaloo, I would can it and package it, so you get the value added, something like that. Whatever I’m doing, farming will have to be a part of it.
Q10: What is a piece of common business advice that you oppose?
STREET FORREST: In terms of people, there is always this encouragement that the rolling stone gathers no moss, but I actually believe that it does. And as a result of that, I believe people must spread their wings and get experience because it is that which anchors you to the job. You’re able to give back more when you have experience.
Q10: If you were to compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?
STREEET FORREST: What came to mind immediately as you said it was a goat. I think they’re interesting and intelligent and useful in all ways. In terms of food and just cropping if you have a farm. Have you ever seen the eyes of a goat and how it looks at you? They have personality.
Q1O: How do you spend your free time?
STREET FORREST: I read a lot. The last book I read was As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. It delves into how the results you get are really dependent on how you frame your objectives, what you put into the brain and how it comes back out, either positively or negatively. It’s a very good book.
Q10: If you could go back and give your 21-year-old self a valuable piece of advice, what would you say?
STREET FORREST: I would say at 21, I would find a little bit more time to enjoy me. I would also travel the 14 parishes, just to get in touch with myself, while being in touch with Jamaica. You just put in your diary, ‘I’m going to visit Hopewell, Trelawny, this week and I’m going to visit so-and-so next week’, because you don’t have the time to do it afterwards. I don’t think that it would change where I am dramatically, but I think it would provide a little bit more in-depth memory of things.
Q10: What are you learning right now?
STREET FORREST: It’s really about all the new changes in the financial sector — digital assets, cybercrime — things applicable to the job and for the expansion of JSE.
— Abbion Robinson