‘Step out of your comfort zone in faith’
President and chief executive officer of Scotia Group Jamaica Audrey Tugwell Henry is encouraging female leaders to be resilient and maintain their indomitable spirit, despite the challenges of the roles they play.
In a recent fireside chat at the Jamaica Institute of Financial Services’ (JIFS) annual ‘Women in Finance’ breakfast forum, Tugwell Henry told women to value their worth and be assertive in their decisions.
Noting that women bring a multifaceted perspective to leadership, she indicated that they should also be inclusive and build authentic relationships. “One of the things about being a leader is that it is not only about you, it is about the power and dynamism of a team. Once you can work with a team, and have the support of the team, then the rest will fall in place,” Tugwell Henry said.
Tugwell Henry also registered that women should not filter into the cultural narrative that women do not support women. “In my own experience, I have been supported by several female supervisors and managers who believed in me and gave me an opportunity,” she reminisced.
“I have been supported by women and I continue to be supported by women — and I pay it forward in supporting other women because we rise when we support each other,” she added. Tugwell Henry in her presentation lauded other female leaders in the financial services industry who have led the way, including Joan Duncan, Rita Humphreys and Minna Israel.
Commenting on the positive shift that is taking place with female leadership in the industry compared to even a decade ago, and noting that approximately half of the CEOs leading deposit-taking institutions are women, the next step, she said, is to have more women in the boardroom.
In highlighting the lessons learnt through her journey from the classroom, as a teacher, to a leader in the financial industry, Tugwell Henry noted that the advice offered by both women and men along the journey was paramount to her growth and development. She reasoned that the guidance and mentorship helped her to function effectively in the sector.
“I knew absolutely nothing about banking, but I always saw this huge door and I just decided to step into it. I would encourage all women to take that approach,” Tugwell Henry said.
The seasoned financial services executive shared that one of her key values is respect, which propmted her to ensure that in every relationship she gave as much as she expected.
She explained that “building meaningful partnerships, collaborating with a wide cross section of professionals, and being a team player is a sure acceleration button in charting a successful career path”.
An avid promoter of self-belief and confidence, Tugwell Henry tells others “step out of your comfort zone in faith”.
“In all circumstances I always believe that I can do anything and that there are no limits to what I can do,” Tugwell Henry affirmed.
The JIFS Women in Finance breakfast forum saw over 70 women, from varying financial institutions within Jamaica and the Caribbean, sharing, engaging and motivating each other to succeed in the financial and business sectors. It was held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.
