Ashleigh Robotham: The late blooming corporate exec

Garfene Grandison, Assistant Lifestyle Coordinator

Upon first meeting the petite corporate executive, one would quite naturally draw conclusions about the personality of the 29- year-old beauty. Innocence, teenager, softie, angelic, goodie two shoes, would come to mind.

But Ashleigh Robotham, corporate and regulatory affairs (CORA) executive at Carreras, brings more to the table than what meets the eye.

An alumni of Winthrop University in South Carolina and St Andrew's High School for Girls, Robotham has a love for teaching but shied away from the profession because of the lack of remuneration. "While I always wanted to teach, I loved mass communication, but in Jamaica it doesn't pay as it ought to. It's sad that you have to think about things in monetary terms, but that's just the way it is. So I decided to do marketing as well - a double major." She continued, "The then managing director at Carreras, Michael Bernard, realised that I had a love for mass communication and saw my skill set . So that's how I made the transition into CORA," she tells Outlook.

Fresh out of college, she started working at Carreras as a marketing management trainee and, shortly after, applied for the 'We Challenge You' management training programme. Within the two years, based on her stellar performance, Robotham was fast-tracked into her current role. She has been with the company for eight years now, playing a major part in the company's regulations, seeing that they are marketing a controversial product. "CORA is the communications arm of the company. We do corporate communication, annual reports, external communications, media relations, public relations and internal communications," she explains adding, "Being a company with a controversial product, there are regulations that govern the company, and now with the public smoking ban in effect, it's pretty hectic for us - one of the most hectic periods in my career so far," she revealed.

Along with the other members of her department, Robotham plays a crucial role in the day-to-day running of the company. "We provide support to all the departments, showing them how to be responsible with the product, seeing the type of product that we are marketing, ensuring that we stick to all the necessary guidelines."

Quite interestingly, Robotham points out that the company expected the ban but were caught a little off guard by the way it was implemented. "We anticipated the public smoking ban, so the fact that it was announced wasn't a shock, but rather just how it was rolled out. We have ensured that we get it out to our buyers, letting them know that it is still okay to sell, but just that there are now guidelines as to where the product can be used," she explains.

Her early years

Growing up comfortably, Robotham has been exposed to the different realities in Jamaica. "I had a very comfortable upbringing, but I was also exposed to the various realities in Jamaica. I had a nanny that died when I was 23. She was my best friend, the biggest part of my life," she tells us.

She shifts to a more relaxed position as she began to share a few fond memories from her childhood. Her nanny, who she affectionately refers to as 'Milly', hailed from St Thomas. "She was 250lbs, short, funny and ate a lot. A lot of who I am, I learnt through her. My passion for food is because of her. She was the type of person who ensured that every morsel was consumed," she revealed. She occasionally visited Milly's home in St Thomas where she had a culture shock being exposed to a whole different realm of Jamaican culture. From playing with goats to using pit latrines, Robotham experienced it all and speaks about it in proud, passionate tones.

"If I didn't have her in my life, I wouldn't be able to witness this other aspect of the Jamaican lifestyle that so many are used to. My parents are from Spanish Town but we all grew up very exposed and we loved travelling as a family."

Robotham grew up in a very strict but balanced family setting. "My mother's favourite catch phrase used to be 'lost time cannot be regained' and I had a lot of bright cousins - the overachieving ones. So my brother and I grew up under that pressure," said laughing. "I was a late bloomer as it relates to academics and leadership, but in college I was an international ambassador for my country. A lot of people who knew me from high school are very surprised to see me now. Since leaving high school, I have developed a more outgoing personality," she shared.

With a distinction in her master's degree programme from the University of the West Indies, Robotham now has high hopes of pursuing her PhD. All that plus planning a wedding in September to her long-time love, Tennyson Arnold. She reveals that she hasn't had balance in her life in the past few months but it isn't something that affects her family. "There has been no balance really for the last few months, but I love to eat, so my balance is food I guess. I always make time for food, no matter the hour. It's been really difficult though especially since I'm getting married soon, but for now wedding plans have taken a backseat because of the ban. However, my life being hectic doesn't compromise quality time with my family."

Mentor

Professionally, she sites her boss Christopher Brown as her mentor. "Who I am professionally is really as a result of my boss. He's my mentor. He provides guidance to me professionally, but it sometimes encompasses personal guidance as well. Also, when I just started at Carreras, Michael Bernard was my coach who was always reminding me to plan for retirement," she states.

And her professional future? "Carreras is a multinational company, so I look forward to relocating to anywhere in the world where they want to send me. I was living in Costa Rica last year for six months, managing 34 markets in the Central America and Caribbean region, and that was another highlight of my career," she revealed.

And with her eye on all her professional and personal pursuits, she is cognisant of the importance of image. " Image is everything and one should always project themselves because some perceptions often go a long way," she ended with a smile.