Theola Moore-Bruce – Empowered to Embrace Equity

EQUITY is a word that carries more than one meaning for Theola Moore-Bruce. As a Capital Markets Manager at Sagicor Investments, the first meaning of equity that comes to her mind is in relation to the stock market — that is, the value of an investor’s stake in a company. And as a leader, Moore-Bruce is also passionate about equity in the other sense of the word — fair and impartial treatment of others regardless of gender, nationality, race, background, or any other differentiating factor.

“Equity, especially gender equity, is very important to me because I know that it has been instrumental in allowing me to have access to the things that were necessary for me to be where I am today — such as an education,” Moore-Bruce shared as she sat down with All Woman ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD).

Being held under the theme #EmbraceEquity, IWD aims to raise awareness of the need for greater action to include women in critical areas of life and business, particularly in the digital age. Moore-Bruce shared her educational and career journey as a positive example of how with support and equitable opportunities, women are able to capitalise on their full potential and add great value to families, businesses, and societies.

“One of the first real examples of equity I had was as a child, seeing both my parents being able to thrive in their chosen careers. I grew up in a very large, close-knit family in Trinidad, and my mother taught at the school that my sisters, cousins and I attended, while my dad worked in the oil sector,” she shared. “This empowered me to have big dreams for my own future — and at the time my dream was to be the governor of the central bank.”

While her impetus as a child to achieve this dream was a juvenile one — to be the one whose signature goes on all the bank notes — she soon discovered that she had a real knack for numbers and an interest in finance, as well as the sciences.

“So, my A-Level subjects were math, physics, and economics, because at that point I was still undecided about what field I wanted to go into. I’m very grateful that the education system was equitable enough to allow us as students to explore our interests in that way,” she said.

After being accepted into the University of the West Indies actuarial science programme in Jamaica, Moore-Bruce moved to Jamaica to pursue tertiary studies. After obtaining her bachelor’s, she returned to Trinidad to begin a career in country’s National Insurance Scheme, then after a year became an examiner with their central bank.

In 2015, Moore-Bruce returned to Jamaica, this time for good. After getting married, she sought to continue her career in Jamaica’s financial sector. She applied and received offers from Jamaica’s central bank, as well as a few private entities. Having already developed vast central bank experience, however, she decided to move into a new direction — investments.

Over the next few years, Moore-Bruce furthered her education as an actuary and began her master’s degree, and started her family. In 2020, just before the beginning of the pandemic, she started her current role at Sagicor Investments Jamaica Limited.

“I came to Sagicor Investments as assistant manager – Capital Markets, and was promoted to manager in the unit in early 2022,” she shared. “I really enjoy my job here, and I am happy to be in an environment that values equity and diversity and is always looking for new ways to improve its team members and the industry.”

Moore-Bruce is also keen on embodying the quality of equity in how she relates with others.

“Something I’ve always been passionate about is making the world more beautiful,” she said. “That means having empowering relationships with those around me and creating a space for everyone around me to live their most beautiful lives. As a leader, parent and community member, I always do my best to operate with fairness and impartiality, so that the next generation of men and women can have access to greater opportunities to develop themselves, and create a better world for us all.”