Group COO @ Proven Group Ltd

Style Observer (SO) What’s your middle name?
Tennyson Arnold (TA) Conrad.

SO: Describe Tennyson in a few words.
TA: Bold, an optimist, sociable, family-oriented, speed demon (cars), tennis fanatic, fitness junkie, ‘professional foodie’ and music lover.

SO: Cheers! What are you drinking?
TA: Appleton Estate Rare Old Fashioned

SO: What do you miss when you’re not in Kingston?
TA: A strong sense of belonging and comfort. A change of scenery is always good but there’s truly no place like home!

SO: Were you appointed mayor of Kingston, what would get your immediate attention?
TA: Road infrastructure. Jamaicans have had to battle with the endless numbers of potholes, uneven surfaces and unending road repairs for far too long.

SO: What’s your favourite thing to do in Kingston?
TA: Eat out with family and friends. It truly never gets old for me to bond with loved ones in this way.

SO: Where would you take a first-time visitor to Kingston?
TA: Susie’s Bakery for breakfast — wide array of Jamaican breakfast cuisine options and the quality is good and most importantly, consistent. PeppaThyme for lunch — the best jerk food in Kingston, lots of variety and consistent high standard for taste; Mystic Thai for dinner — great décor, customer service, food and overall vibe; and finally, CRU bar for drinks — good mixologists and the music is always on point!

SO: You have travelled extensively. Which countries really impressed you and to which would you repeatedly return?
TA: South Africa, Bali, Greece, Iceland, Japan, France, Thailand, Spain and Singapore. I would return to Bali, South Africa, Greece and Spain, over and over again, because of each of their depth of culture, landscapes and of course: Food!

SO: What would you love to bottle and take back from your travels?
TA: Glacial meltwater from Iceland! Leaps and bounds the best quality water to consume on Earth.

SO: As the head of a household of three females, what changes would you like to see in Jamaica?
TA: A drastic reduction in and sustained control of crime and the implementation of sexual offenders registry as a key deterrent.

SO: You recently celebrated your 40th birthday. What’s on your vision board for the next five to 10 years?
TA: Healthier lifestlye — I’ve become more and more conscious as I’ve gotten older but there is still way more for me to adopt and learn.
Expanding our real estate portfolio which is a key part of creating generational wealth for my family.
Do more mentorship and charity work. I strongly believe in the immeasurable value of good mentorship, especially having benefited so much from it throughout my life.
Charity because I believe it is everyone’s responsiblity to always be willing to help those who are less fortunate, that’s one way that we can truly make this world a better place.

SO: What are your creature comforts?
TA: Quiet time in the hills — nothing relaxes my mind more and gives me clarity of thought. Also massages are extremely therapeutic for me not just physically but mentally.

SO: Which cologne are you currently splashing?
TA: Creed Royal Oud.

SO: What was your last bit of retail therapy?
TA: Tailored shirts from Spokes Apparel — Dexter Huxtable is simply the best!

SO: Driving with the family from Kingston to Montego Bay, what’s on your play list?
TA: A mix of soca (yes, I’m a fairly recent convert), reggae and pop music.

SO: Who’s your favourite reggae artiste?
TA: Beres Hammond — timeless music of the highest quality from such a talented and versatile singer.

SO: Which entrepreneurs locally or internationally inspire you?
TA: Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison and Nick Tinch. Each very different in style but identical in terms of mindset which has led to their respective successes.

SO: Share with us the title of the last book you read.
TA: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S Dweck. One of the best books I’ve ever read! I’ve always believed that attitude determines altitude but this book took me to whole new level of enlightenment with having a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed one.

SO: Finally, what’s your personal credo?
TA: Believe. Everything changes for the better when you truly believe in yourself.