SHANE Warren is the manager, client partnership at JMMB Ocho Rios Branch.

AW: Describe your early life.

SW: My early life started in the rural farming community of Catadupa, St James. At five years old I migrated to St Ann with my mother Yvonne Thompson and during the early years I attended Golden Grove All-Age School. After successfully matriculating to Ferncourt High School I sought to pursue further studies at Moneague College. I also possess a bachelor’s degree in professional management from Nova South Eastern University, and I am currently a CFA [Chartered Financial Analyst] Level 1 candidate.

AW: How would you introduce yourself to the world?

SW: I am a people-oriented person who is open to new experiences and always eager to serve. As such, I enjoy challenges and strive towards exceeding goals and expectations that I set for myself. I extend this passion for continuous self-development to others, always charging and motivating people. My philosophy is to constantly seek opportunities to improve and achieve greatness in others.

Each day is invoked by my passion and purpose. I love what I do — empowering others to make a difference in their financial, professional, personal, or spiritual lives.

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

SW: Connection, experience and hope are my vested contributors to a positive rebound. I seek to connect with a good support system of family, clients, team members and friends. Spiritual connection is also imperative in my daily life as I have learnt that God’s strength is made perfect in his weakness. Resilience is not developed on our own. When we walk with the Lord and trust in his name, we can rely on him for the strength we lack.

Coupled with connecting with others, I utilise learning from past experiences to guide me as one cannot change the past but can always look forward to a bright future with hope.

AW: Who or what would you say is your current motivator?

SW: My mother is my role model as she has continuously inspired and motivated me from my early years to seize opportunities from everyday interactions. Although life was riddled with hurdles and financial constraints, as a single parent she endured the challenges because of the hard-working and amazing person she is. I appreciate her working domestic jobs seven days per week to send me to high school and college. The hard work has motivated me to become who I am today. I can attest that hard times and battles can be conquered with dedication. The inspiration from my mother has aided in my growth and development, which is what has fuelled my passion to help others to realise their dreams.

AW: What would you say is your best career achievement to date? Name someone you’ve impacted.

SW: My transition from a loan officer at a major financial institution to an expert financial advisor and now team leader at JMMB. The most profound impact is a client who approached me seven years ago for a financial consultation. After the consultation we were able to participate in a vision board activity to further visualise the goals and timelines. With my expert advice and client care, I was able to guide the client to achieve all their financial and personal goals through introducing the various solutions offered by my company.

AW: What was your first job and how did that propel you to where you are today?

SW: My first job was immediately after completing college, where I was employed at a financial institution for over 10 years. I was exposed to customer service, supervisory management, and sales. This exposure has groomed me in effectively nurturing relationships due to the various demographics, culture, and tasks I was exposed to.

One of the most important experiences that I can recall vividly was when I received my first paycheque, which was an exciting moment. The first paycheque propelled me to believe that I can be a productive member of this society through managing my finances. Today I use each opportunity to promote financial literacy as I believe in helping others to be financially better off.

AW: What do you love most about your work?

SW: What I love most about my job is the organisational culture at JMMB, which is built on the concept of love. My personal value of love is intimately aligned with the values expected in my past and current roles. I work in a fun-loving environment that makes clients and team members feel appreciated and acknowledged. My previous and current roles help me to connect with team members and clients and enables me to contribute to a larger purpose.

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

SW: •Prepare for success through education. Utilise every opportunity to learn.

• Be transparent and maintain integrity in every interaction

-• Select a mentor or coach as education will assign a role, but gaining wisdom from the experienced will give you a competitive edge.

• Be confident. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and be persistent about your goals. Command your presence with confidence and shine.

AW: What is one myth about investing that you would like to dispel for women, particularly?

SW: One myth I would dispel is that women are [more] risk-averse than men. I believe women are knowledgeable and as such they are aware of the various risks. Women tend to prefer peace of mind by requesting more research and also taking longer periods of time to make decisions. Once women have adequate information they will take calculated risks and invest.

AW: Tell us one out-of-the-way, interesting thing about yourself.

SW: One would not believe that although I work in the financial sector, gardening/farming is my next love. My green thumb grows anything that goes in the soil, from orchids to food produce. I still maintain the family tradition by returning to St James to actively plant and reap produce. Farming is in my bloodline and I don’t mind wearing water boots or even falling a few times on the terrain.