CHIEF human resources officer at GraceKennedy Financial Group, Marcia Henry Lawrence, began her professional journey with an academic foundation in economics and management and initially pursued postgraduate studies in economics before an unexpected opportunity changed her direction.

After joining a consultancy firm as an associate consultant, she worked on her first major project, a human resources (HR) assignment in the shipping industry. This sparked an interest in a profession she had not previously considered.

Her career subsequently took her through insurance, the airline industry and a utility company before she joined First Global Bank as assistant vice president, serving the bank, investment company and the then central services unit. This breadth of experience across industries, businesses and cultures has shaped her business-oriented approach to HR.

As Jamaica observed Human Resource Management Week October 4–10, Henry Lawrence highlighted that the profession is often misunderstood. Far from simply solving workplace problems or “extinguishing fires”, she sees modern HR as integral to business strategy.

“My role is about identifying, developing and empowering the best talent so that people can achieve their potential while enabling the organisation to achieve its goals and objectives,” she explained.

That responsibility is becoming increasingly complex.

Technology, artificial intelligence, changing employee expectations and a greater emphasis on mental well-being and work-life integration are reshaping the workplace. Younger employees are clear about what they expect from their employers. They value career development, flexibility, mental health, meaningful experiences and organisations whose values align with their own.

“The days of blind loyalty are largely over,” Henry Lawrence observed, noting that employees are increasingly assessing what an organisation offers in return for their talent.

Employers must therefore understand what drives their people and focus on the levers that will have the greatest impact, applying the 80:20 principle rather than addressing every issue with equal intensity.

Technology is another important part of this changing landscape. Henry Lawrence rejects the idea that automation should automatically be viewed as a threat. Routine and repetitive jobs may increasingly be automated, she acknowledged, but this also creates an opportunity to redirect employees towards higher-value work requiring judgement, creativity, critical thinking and decision-making.

“We can actually start to extract the value from their degree programmes,” she said.

Within GKFG, preparing employees for this shift has included programmes in digital literacy, AI tools and related technologies, supported by online learning and micro-learning opportunities.

However, Henry Lawrence believes that preparing people for the future requires more than individual training initiatives. Talent development must be coordinated and connected across the organisation rather than occurring in silos.

The same principle applies to leadership and succession.

According to the GraceKennedy Financial Group chief, the group invests in leadership development, while career conversations within the annual performance review process help shape individual development plans and identify opportunities for future growth.

When identifying potential leaders, she looks beyond technical ability. She looks for critical thinking, initiative, resilience and people who never stop learning and can think and plan ahead.

Her leadership philosophy is straightforward:

“A good people leader is someone who empowers their team and allows them to thrive while still holding them accountable.”

For Henry-Lawrence, empowerment must be supported by trust. Leaders must listen to employees, especially when making difficult decisions, and be fair and transparent about what can and cannot be done.

“People may not always agree with a decision, but they are more likely to trust the process when they know they have been heard,” she explains.

“Not walking the talk” is, in her view, one of the quickest ways to destroy that trust. For her, leadership therefore requires more than setting direction. It requires consistency between what leaders say, what they do and the experience they create for their people.

Leading with Purpose

Marcia believes purposeful leadership begins with focusing on results rather than measuring commitment by presence or how busy someone appears. At the same time, leaders must recognise that employees are evaluating the overall experience they receive in exchange for their contribution.

“Work has become more transactional: I offer you my talent, and you provide me with the best experience, i.e. growth, wellness and balance.”

For her, this means creating an environment where employees can perform, develop and contribute meaningfully, while also acknowledging that they have responsibilities and aspirations beyond the workplace.

This emphasis on substance over appearance also reflects her personal leadership style.

She describes herself as an introvert. She does not necessarily seek the spotlight, but she is fully engaged in whatever role she is playing and committed to making a meaningful contribution. Her preference for substance over visibility reflects her belief that leadership is demonstrated through commitment, consistency and impact, not simply through prominence.

That same grounded approach extends into her personal life. Family and friends would describe her as a straight talker, loyal, committed and goal oriented. Colleagues may be surprised to learn that she loves to cook. She generally tries not to take work home, even if that sometimes means working extended hours in the office to get things done. She reserves weekends for family and enjoys trips into the countryside.

To women aspiring to executive leadership, her message is clear:

“Never let anyone dim your light. Be self-assured and confident in what you do.”

She encourages women to approach their careers with optimism and to learn from difficult experiences. She believes it is important not to become so focused on the destination that we overlook the value of the journey. The experiences and lessons gained along the way often prepare us for the next level.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of her own journey has been seeing people she recruited as junior employees progress into senior roles.

“I am extremely proud of how they have grown into their own and have advanced their careers.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to be remembered not simply for the position she held, but for the difference she made to the business and to the people she had the privilege of serving.

She wants her legacy to be one of embracing change, welcoming new ideas, and helping to move the organisation forward, while creating a positive, engaging, and enabling environment where people can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and be their authentic selves.

Ultimately, leadership is not only about what you accomplish yourself. It is about creating the conditions for others to grow, contribute and realise their potential.