A young girl’s dream of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in marketing eventually landed her an employment opportunity close enough to what would eventually become home. On her daily walks along Parkington Plaza at around midday for that job, she would often catch herself imagining herself clocking in at the building next door that was then branded with the iconic claret Victoria Mutual Building Society logo. Her constant words of “one day… I will work there” were only met with ridicule from her former colleagues. However, Jody-Ann Smikle steadily manifested the reality she wanted for herself and in 2012, she joined the VM Group as marketing promoter.

Smikle’s story, which two weeks ago culminated in her being awarded the top honour as the President’s Awardee at the company’s I AM VM awards ceremony, is one that resonates with resilience, determination, and unwavering ambition. It’s the Jamaican story – values honed in the concrete jungle of Spanish Town with a single parent upbringing; strong ethics, education and hard work as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.

Raised by a single mother after losing her father early in life, Smikle’s upbringing instilled in her a sense of perseverance and a drive to make the most of every opportunity presented to her. While home was never the most financially stable place, these early struggles taught her the value of hard work, delayed gratification, and the importance of seizing every chance to better her circumstances. These values would later become the guiding principles that shaped and continue to shape her journey towards success.

“I wanted to work at VM because I wanted to buy a house, because I thought that’s what VM was about, because at the time I was not sure what else VM did. But when I started working as a promoter, I said this is just a foot in. I aimed to be the best promoter because I wanted to do more at VM,” she said.

Smikle consistently exceeded expectations and seized every opportunity for advancement. This later allowed her to transition to the role of a student worker and then to a customer service representative in the branch, which led to a defining moment in her professional journey.

“A pinnacle for me being at VM was my involvement in a system upgrade project while I was working as a customer service representative. This experience exposed me to new skills and cross-functional collaborations within VM Group. It also paved the way for building key relationships and exposure to other roles in the group.”

Beyond her work, Smikle always had the conviction to serve through volunteerism, and offered her services to the VM Financial Education to Empower (FETE) Programme to support young individuals with mentorship and financial education training and inspire them to reach their full potential.

“I was still working in the branch, and I remember calling the programme lead every day to cross train in communications, and she eventually had me volunteering with the VM FETE Programme during its inception. I saw myself in the youth ambassadors for the programme because I remembered where I was coming from. I got a chance, so I wanted to give others the opportunities to get a chance, and Sophia Lewis, then assistant manager, communications, took a chance on me.”

Smikle also credits her success and growth to other strong women whom she was blessed to have in her corner. Women such as the group’s former human resources lead for projects and initiatives Merlette Lawton, and her lecturer, Carole Brown-Rowe, played instrumental roles in shaping her leadership style and instilling in her a sense of compassion, excellence, and resilience. Chavanie Bright, manager for products – group customer and brand was another name she added to the list.

“I met Chavanie Bright in December 2021, and she believed in me and pushed me when no one else believed in me. During our product management meetings, she would always give me focused recognition and highlight my efforts, and this was how I got to finally use my marketing degree when I got the opportunity to cross train with the group’s retail marketing team.”

When her stint with the marketing team ended, Smikle returned to the branch as a customer service representative, but that was not where she intended her story to end. So, in January 2023, after seeing an internal vacancy for innovation quality analyst, Smikle applied and was selected. This post showcased her versatility and agility in adapting to diverse challenges. She now spends most of her days testing software applications for VM Group and ensuring that products meet the quality of what is required by stakeholders.

Smikle’s dedication and passion for continuous improvement were recognised at the awards ceremony when she received two awards, the Team Member of the Year for her department and the prestigious President’s Award presented by Group President & CEO Courtney Campbell, a testament to her exceptional contributions and outstanding performance. The President’s Award is presented to an outstanding team member who personifies excellence, commitment to service, volunteerism, and exemplary leadership. They also embody the group’s core values of member focus, integrity, teamwork, innovation, and excellence.

“Manifestation was a key part of my starting point here and I still employ that strategy. Because I wrote on my vision board that I wanted to win the Team Member of the Year Award, and that was the highest point I imagined. When I got that award, I was happy, but when I heard my name for the President’s Award I immediately started crying, I was overwhelmed with joy, thinking that finally the hard work paid off.”

Looking towards the future, Smikle envisions herself as a successful professional, devoted mother, and empowered leader, who values work-life balance and meaningful contributions to society. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of hard work, a relentless pursuit of excellence and the belief that every challenge is an opportunity for growth and development.