The National Commercial Bank of Anguilla (NCBA) has come up with what no other commercial local or foreign banks on the island have done in their existence.
NCBA’s highly-qualified and experienced Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Sharmaine Francois, accompanied by some of her senior staff members, went to the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Monday afternoon, January 20, to deliver the first of six educational seminars on banking issues spanning the year. Chaired by the bank’s Strategy & Marketing Manager, Mrs. Avonelle Caragliano, the seminar was a move which appreciative members of the public, in attendance, latched on to throughout the two-hour presentation – on Borrowing 101 – from 4.30 – 6.30, and asked a number of searching questions.
Though essentially on borrowing money, which is of overwhelming interest to persons seeking loans, the seminar also covered a full range of important sub-topics. The long list included interest rates, credit and debit cards, loans repayment and debt management, insurance, investment and various services offered by NCBA. The presentation was so well structured and delivered that the seminar participants remained fully alert and responsive – adding much to its success and the encouragement for the other interactive seminars on the calendar.
Following her exhaustive and interesting presentation, Ms. Francois spoke in a three-minute interview with The Anguillian newspaper. The dialogue was as follows:
What factors would you say led NCBA to begin this series of seminars?
Basically, we saw the need to educate and develop the people on financial matters. When you look at the issues that exist just in the day-to-day management of the bank, if persons are more informed, and get a better knowledge of financial matters, then they will make better decisions going forward.
So the seminars are really geared to build the knowledge of our people so that they can practice better money management and principles. For me, as the new CEO, that is my job – and I have worked right across the region doing that same thing: educating persons. I believe an educated community is the way to go.
How much support do you think NCBA is getting from the Anguillian public?
From their support, and the level of our market share ownerships, our deposit growth has been significant especially over the last twelve months. We have seen over 20%-growth in deposits. Right now, over 60% of the deposits within Anguilla are with NCBA – so it speaks to the level of loyalty and confidence in the market.
Apart from this seminar, what particular message do you have for your customers and all other persons in Anguilla?
What I would want to see is more persons participating in sessions like this because, by the more persons getting this information, we will be able to build the nation and the capacity of the people within Anguilla. I would like to see greater participation from all. For instance, today we catered for 100 people but we had 40-something persons attending the session. I think it is information that is needed to be heard by more persons.
Are we to understand that this banking and financial information will continue for a year?
It is a series of seminars entitled ‘Secure Your Future’ and this is the first. The series will run every other month, and so we are looking at six sessions for the year. The other aspect is that we are looking to go into different organisations and meeting with their staff to relay the same information. So there is a lot of work that is going to be done along educating the community.
In bringing the seminar to an end, Ms. Francois called on Ms. Cassila Bernier-Hull, the Credit & Business Development Manager, to deliver the Vote of Thanks.
Ms. Francois, NCBA’s CEO, is a well-respected senior banking professional with over twenty years of experience in bank management, investment banking and business development. She has brought to Anguilla extensive banking experience having worked in several markets such as St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Trinidad and, more recently, Montserrat. In 2003, she participated in the divestment of fifteen million dollars in ANGLEC’s shares for the Government of Anguilla.
Prior to joining NCBA, she held the position of General Manager of the Bank of Montserrat for five years. She also serves as a Director on the Boards of the Eastern Caribbean Home Mortgage Bank and the Caribbean Credit Card Corporation, among many other engagements. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Statistics from the University of the West Indies, and completed Postgraduate Studies in Business Education from Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom.
NCBA is an amalgamation of the island’s former legacy banks – the National Bank of Anguilla and the Caribbean Commercial Bank – which eventually failed, and were taken over by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in August 2013. NCBA is currently owned by the Government of Anguilla and is making much progress owning the top market shares on the island.
