CMP041 - Standing upon the shoulders of Giants with Catherine Kumar - CEO of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Our special guest and Caribbean Mentor is a high achiever. She has held several senior leadership positions throughout her career such as President & Country Head of RBTT Bank Limited and Inspector of Financial Institutions at the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. She also served as the first female President of the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago and the Bankers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and she also chaired the Caribbean Group of Banking Supervisors. She has served the country as a director on several State Boards and as a representative on other National committees and was inducted into the Hall of Excellence at St. Joseph’s Convent P.O.S, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in business. In 2014 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) Currently she is the Chief Executive Officer and the Secretary to the Board at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce – a position she took up in January 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Management Studies, and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Ladies and gentlemen…let’s meet Ms. Catherine Kumar.

Show Notes

Catherine's History

• Grew up in western Trinidad
• Primary School -  Providence Girls
• Secondary School - St. Joseph's Convent (POS)

Career Path

• Worked for one year in a Bank after Secondary School then went to university
• Majored in Accounting at university 
• Built her career and became Chief Operating Officer at a Bank
• Director on various State Boards 
• Inspector at Central Bank of T&T
• CEO at RBTT
• CEO at the Trinidad and Tobago Industry of Chamber and Commerce

Mentality and Tips for Success

• Your dreams are outside. You need to catch your dreams and make it part of yourself. What's the sense of having a dream if you're not going to act on it?
• You need to plan and execute on your goals.
• There would several bumps along the journey to success.
• You need to be persistent and also flexible.
• Take some time to celebrate along the way
• Work with a team...it's much tougher alone

Quote - If I've seen further than others it's because I've stood on the shoulders of giants

Career Advice

• Find successful people and ask them what they did when they had particular challenges that you now face.
• Network and get to know influencial persons
• Focus on building your skills and money would come
• Pick yourself up after disappointments and look at your options to move forward

Being in Public Life

• You could get swell-headed or become very hurt
• Hold yourself up as an upright person
• Maintain modesty

 

Super Over Answers

• Don't take on what others say about you
• Partying, dancing.and spending time in prayer
• Great Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• My Daughter
• Make adjustments 

Favourite Song: Man in the Mirror - Michael Jaskson