Suzette Ramdanie-Linton’s professional game plan

SUZETTE Ramdanie-Linton is the assistant vice-president for branch distribution at VM Group. Here’s how she has managed to achieve a dynamic and successful professional track record.

AW: Having served in several key roles in various financial institutions, how were you able to successfully get to those points in your professional career?

SRL: I entered the financial industry in 2004 and I’ve since found that this is where my passion is. My background is actually hospitality management and, interestingly, I’ve found that this has helped significantly in my financial career development. The passion that I have for the financial industry has led to my successive growth over the years, having worked in different capacities, including business development, branch manager, regional manager, and now assistant vice-president for branch distribution.

Mentorship has been another key contributing factor to my success. I had the privilege of starting my career in the financial industry, working alongside a strong and supportive female leader, who was well known and respected but, more importantly, was very generous is sharing her knowledge. She along with two other women became my mentors, and they have all contributed to my personal, spiritual, and professional growth and success. To balance this dynamic I’ve also had the privilege of working with strong male leaders who have offered guidance and support, especially throughout my journey with the VM Group. In essence, my success has been attributable to having people in my life who have consistently pushed me to grow and excel, including my family who have been very supportive.

AW: How do you handle challenges in your work life?

SRL: If there were no challenges, life would most definitely be boring. Every day there is at least one new challenge to overcome, and I look at these challenges as gifts. There is a unique sense of fulfilment when these challenges are overcome. One of the best ways I work through the various challenges is through the power of collaboration, both in my personal life and professional life. In the work environment I find that collaboration with key stakeholders across the business assists greatly in finding solutions when you work with a great team that is solution oriented, it makes it easier to handle these challenges. It is important to always remain calm and rational, think through challenges before you act on them. The support of your team is also critical, and I greatly value the input and support of my team.

AW: You’ve been a critical part of transforming the VM Building Society to a modern mutual by leading the transforming banking initiatives. What was/is your approach like undertaking this revolutionary change?

SRL: At VM, our members and team members are at the centre of everything we do. The initiatives being undertaken for the Transforming Banking Programme of Work play a key role in upgrading and improving the level of service we offer, especially within our branches. This is an ongoing process and is being achieved by listening to the voices of our members and team members, identifying their major pain points and working on fixing those pain points. This involves great collaboration as we ensure that throughout the development and implementation of initiatives we get continuous feedback, especially from our team members who are interacting daily with our members and with our processes.

AW: What key factors drive you on your path for continued success and self-development?

SRL: I am highly self-motivated and have a genuine love and care for people. I enjoy seeing people succeed in life and I’m very happy when I’m a part of that success. My self-development is my responsibility and I approach it with vigour, enthusiasm, and a drive to excel in everything I do. Added to that, I’m always willing to go above and beyond to get the job completed.

Striking the right balance in life between my various duties is also a significant part of my self-development. I am very civic oriented; I am a justice of the peace, currently serving as the president of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica for the St James Chapter. I am also a Rotarian and have served in many positions, including assistant district governor. In finding the right balance to contribute to my self-development, I also enjoy spending time with my family, and I try to do so as often as I can. But it would be remiss of me not to mention my strong faith and my decision to always put God first.

AW: What advice would you give younger people looking to you for support in their professional development?

SRL: Have at least one mentor who is involved in your professional development, who has experiences to share with you and who can guide you through difficult circumstances. Ensure that you have set meetings with your mentor, no less than once per month. Additionally, know what you want out of life and design your plan around your success. Stay focused on your goals, both professionally and personally, and try to live a balanced life – outside of work, spend time with friends and family, become an active member of your community, focus on your health and participate in activities that can help you to de-stress. Also, remember that you are who you surround yourself with, so stay away from negativity and negative people; instead, surround yourself with positivity and positive people; people who are genuinely in your corner and who will cheer you on, especially through your failures, because there will be failures. As Albert Einstein said, “Failure is success in progress.”