BRIAN Frazer joined the VM Group family in September as deputy CEO, VM Wealth Management Ltd and VM Investments Ltd, with over 20 years’ experience in the financial services — in trading, treasury, asset management, risk management, compliance, corporate governance, operations and product development. Frazer took a moment to take Career & Education through his career journey. Get to know him by checking out our Q&A below:

Q: When did you become interested in finance?

A: My interest in finance started in high school after making the choice to pursue business subjects for my external exams. There was one radio programme hosted by Dr Leahcim Semaj in the early 1990s that stands out in my mind in relations to sparking my interest in finance. The programme had a financial literacy segment which I would listen to religiously to hear about what was happening in the financial market and he would sometimes invite the top leaders from the financial sector as guests on the programme. My interest in finance and investment carried over from high school to university, when I opened my first investment account which was a unit trust account, hence today, all these years later, I have no hesitation in recommending this product for persons who are new to investing.

Q: What was your first work experience like?

A: My first job after university at the age of 23 was as a management trainee with the ICD Group as an accountant at one of their subsidiaries, West Indies Home Contractor (WIHCON). It was a good lesson for me as it gave me an appreciation of accounting and its importance in the world of finance very early in my career; however, after two years on the job, I came to realise that accounting was not my passion and when a position opened up at their investment subsidiary, I requested a transfer to pursue my call with destiny in the finance world. My first job in investments was as a risk analyst and compliance officer at Sigma Investment Management Limited which was the investment arm of the ICD Group at that time.

Q: What do you consider your proudest professional achievement?

A: Over the years I have led and contributed significantly to numerous initiatives including product launches, acquisitions, integrations, and system implementations; however, there are two projects that I am most proud of, both of which took place at my previous place of employment. The first was the launch of a regional fund which involved four Caribbean territories including Jamaica and up to this year before I left, it was still one of the company’s most profitable products. The next project that I am proud of was the building out of the asset management business in Trinidad which is currently a key part of the growth of the company. I have been blessed to work on several fulfilling projects with some talented team members and I am looking forward to continuing this trajectory at VM Wealth where I was greeted on my first day with a number of exciting initiatives to grow the business.

Q: What’s the most valuable life lesson that you learned over the past 10 years?

A: One of the most valuable life lessons that I have learned over the past 10 years, which has been further reinforced during the past two years living with COVID-19, is the importance of being deliberate about investing time towards maintaining important relations with family and friends. In the past I have been guilty of spending many hours dedicated to my career and volunteer work while not allocating adequate time towards maintaining important relationships that are usually taken for granted. I have made a conscious effort to work on this over the years.

Q: What is your greatest passion outside of finance?

A: My greatest passion outside of the nine-to-five job is contributing to the development of the next generation of investment professionals through mentorship and other volunteer work. I also firmly believe in financial inclusion and contributing to an increase in the financial literacy of our people.

Q: Why did you decide to join the VM Investments Limited team?

A: Prior to joining the VM Group I would have met with both the president and CEO of the VM Group, Courtney Campbell, and the CEO of VM Wealth Rezworth Burchenson, who shared their vision for the VM Group and for VM Wealth, respectively. It was obvious to me from those discussions that the company is on a transformational path, and I took the decision to join the VM team to contribute to the growth of the organisation, while growing professionally. I would have bought into the vision that was shared and I saw where I could contribute to VM’s growth story based on the experience and expertise that I bring to the table. In summary my primary reason for joining VM Wealth was because there was alignment in the objectives of VM and my career objectives.

Q: What are your medium- and long-term goals for the business?

A: My main goal over the short to medium term is to support the team in executing our business initiatives to grow VM Wealth while navigating the current market conditions. Over the long term, my goal is to contribute to making VM Wealth a leading investment firm in the region by delivering on our 2028 vision to be the place to work for high performers; number one in customer service; number one provider of financial education; number one provider of cutting-edge solutions; number one fund manager; and Jamaica Stock Exchange stock of the decade.