BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — For the second-consecutive year a Jamaican team member of Sagicor copped the group’s Employee of the Year award.

Philip Bond, assistant manager, business development, Sagicor Jamaica, won the prestigious title at the insurance and financial giant’s Group Annual Awards, held at Frank Collymore Hall in Barbados on June 18.

Bond follows in the footsteps of Kirk Shaw, assistant manager – facilities and records management, Sagicor Jamaica, who had won the award last year.

The event was a return to the in-person format which was replaced by a virtual presentation due to the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2019.

Held under the theme ‘Legendary: Recognising the past, celebrating the present, shaping the future’, the event was also broadcast live on the company’s YouTube channel for all team members across the entire group to view and cheer on their colleagues.

Nominees from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dutch Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean, Belize, and the USA flew into Barbados to attend the ceremony. There, they shared the spotlight with several legendary members of the 181-year-old Sagicor family, with many stalwarts who were recognised for their contribution to building the foundation that Sagicor stands on today.

One such honouree was Dr Patricia Downes-Grant, former president and CEO of Sagicor Life Inc, who was celebrated with a tribute read by Robert Trestrail, current president and CEO of Sagicor Life Inc. Additionally, a video tribute from her former peers recognised her for her outstanding contribution to the company, for which she has been described as a trailblazer and one whose impact on the success of Sagicor and its people will never be forgotten, a release from the company said.

In his feature address, Group President and CEO Dodridge Miller said, “When we think of legendary, it is not intuitive for us to think of a local company, and yet Sagicor’s long history of strong performance and significant contribution to the communities in Barbados and the wider Caribbean have been nothing short of legendary.”

He said that the history of Sagicor “is replete with legendary decisions, activities, and contributions”, noting that over the course of its history Sagicor has not only survived but also thrived.

“In the last 100 years we have experienced and overcome two world wars, two pandemics, multiple global financial crises, and an economic recession at least once every decade. The foundation has been well laid, and we are counting on the new generation of Sagicorians to rise to the occasion and continue the long tradition of commitment to community and leadership that our company is known for,” he said.

Group Manager of the Year awards went to Paula Araujo-Wilson, manager – employee benefits, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Cathy-Ann Beckles, manager – digital and social media marketing in the Marketing, Communications and Brand Experience Department.

The top sales advisors from across the group were Sophia Howard of Barbados, Joel Greenidge of Grenada, Nicolene Taylor of Jamaica, Fatima Bernier of Aruba, and Allan Kercelus of Trinidad and Tobago.