Lititia Myers-Gray – Born to lead

HER bio reflects the super business brand she has built — Lititia Nicola Myers-Gray, president and CEO of Beryllium Limited, has over 15 years’ experience in effective leadership, strategic crisis management and financial management within diverse industries including business process outsourcing, currency management, security, and information and communication technology.

“Her career history is synonymous with transformation and results,” it reads, adding that, “she has used her keen financial acumen, customer centric and team orientation and championing of technology as an aid to efficiency, to ensure organisational success”.

But there’s much more to Myers-Gray, as All Woman found out, the Mt Alvernia High, Northern Caribbean University and Florida International University (FIU) alumna was also a primary and high school track athlete who participated in beauty pageants, and believes wholesomely in delivering. A champion of female leadership development, she enjoys mentoring current and future corporate female leaders, and with an MBA from FIU, she also has lifetime membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, which represents the top five per cent honours society for MBA programmes.

We had a chat with Myers-Gray, to discuss her life, goals and motivations.

AW: How would you introduce yourself to the world?

LMG: I am Lititia Myers-Gray, a wannabe swimsuit model, undercover carnival lover, professional dancer in my head, and the president & CEO of Beryllium Limited. An intense introvert with big dreams, I live to do as much as I can for as many as I can for as long as I can.

AW: In one word, describe yourself.

LMG: Resilient

AW: What would you say is the root of your resilience?

LMG: My mindset management. This takes time and targeted effort. I process negative thoughts and emotions in a very specific way. I give myself an hour a week to feel sorry for myself. That is the only time I spend on pity for myself. The rest of my time is spent on moving forward and solving problems. Over time, this becomes natural, and I bounce forward from setbacks instantly.

AW: What did you want to do with your life at age 12?

LMG: An international track athlete! I was a track star through primary/preparatory school and halfway through high school. I attended Catherine Hall Primary and Supreme Preparatory in Montego Bay. I was awarded Champion Girl each year. I also participated in Western Champs as well as the Inter-secondary Schools Boys’ and Girls’ Champs in the 100m, 200m and 4×100 relay events. I changed direction at age 16 to modelling — I even participated in Miss Jamaica World in 2001. My studies became my ultimate priority quickly and my focus shifted to my career in corporate.

AW: What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

LMG: My independence and my son Alexander. I have a very supportive husband, Captain Garth Gray, he is amazing! But I stand by my advice to all women, maintain your independence and guard it with your life. There is nothing more liberating than a woman with the financial freedom to live the life she chooses. I grew up around very strong and independent women. For as long as I have known my grandmother and my mother they have been working, even to this day! I saw them working every single day, seven days a week, no matter the struggles, challenges, or barriers, they were always working, and they were independent. That is how I was socialised; I know nothing else.

AW: How do you lead through change (Guardsman Armoured into Beryllium)?

LMG: Moving a company from good to great takes years. It requires a top to bottom culture change that is in line with the direction of transformation required. I built a team that can execute the change and vision and we accepted radical candour as a team. The world is changing faster than before; to win, we must embrace a mindset that our company must move faster and be more agile than everyone else. That is the only option and that is our culture at Beryllium.

AW: What do you love most about your work?

LMG: No two days are the same in my world. My job is challenging, and I love the thrill that comes with overcoming every single one of those challenges. I love my team and how well we collaborate and challenge each other every day. I think the most catastrophic situation a CEO can face is having a team that tells him/her yes to everything. My team challenges me, and we debate fiercely. With this environment, winning is natural. I also love that I can influence change that improves the lives of our team members.

AW: What do you value most about the culture you are fostering and the vision you have for Beryllium?

LMG: We are building an organisation that fosters continuous growth and improvement for all staff members. Our culture is a performance-driven culture, as the company grows and expands, our team will also grow, improving their lives intellectually, emotionally, and financially. I want to improve lives in a big way, over time sharing the company’s success for all staff across all levels of the organisation.

AW: What is your greatest fear?

LMG: Mediocrity. Being great and delivering unprecedented results is the only option.

AW: What is your advice to young women who are looking to pursue a career in your field?

LMG: Be flexible with your career goals and have an open mind about which field you want to be in or which company you want to work for. Focus on self-growth and learning as much as possible, very early. Extraordinary success is never achieved in a straight line. The real and big opportunities are messy, risky, and confusing. Be bold, find those opportunities, and go after them. Deliver unprecedented results repeatedly that shock everyone.

AW: What do you do when you’re not working?

LMG: My days are long — an average of 13-15 hours per day are spent working. For the time I have left, I spend with my family exploring our island and enjoying our beaches, mainly on weekends. I attempt to cook for my family at least once per week, some weeks I accomplish this, and I enjoy it. I work out five to six days per week with my personal trainer Rose Tavares-Finson. I also read for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.

AW: What does self-care/unwinding look like for you?

LMG: A day at the beach reading in solitude.

AW: What is your go-to thing for motivation?

LMG: At any point in time, I am reading about six books. Each day I choose one and read a few pages. Each time I read I take something away that adds value to me and my journey. My go-to books for quick inspiration are Grit by Angela Duckworth or Pressure is Privilege by Billie Jean King.