‘More women are breaking that glass ceiling’

Working in the local banking industry, Terise Kettle is happy to see others like herself making strides in financial services. But she believes there is a lot of room for growth, noting that the players are not as creative as they should be in driving economic development within the country. With 15 years of experience in the field, working retail and corporate banking, Kettle is currently the senior vice-president of investment banking at Barita Investments Limited. We had a talk with the game changer about gender roles in the workplace and her journey to creating financial literacy for all.

She tells Living, “More women are breaking that glass ceiling in the financial services industry. But we’re still not seeing as many women at the top. I believe we have a role to play in that. Whenever we go to meetings, do we speak up and contribute in a manner that shows that we are equal to our male counterparts? We don’t do enough of that to show that we are just as deserving.” Explaining that the work is always done, she is of the view that women don’t get to shine from a governance perspective because they are not as articulate and confident as they need to be.

Raised by a mother who was a teacher, now retired, and a father who had a career as a banker, Kettle was an only child for the union and grew as the apple of their eyes. They made all the opportunities available for her to excel in life and she rose to every occasion. At Unity Preparatory School, she did well academically. It was also important to be a well-rounded child, so she did dance, swimming and music. She also swam for her school and at the club level.

Her days were jam-packed with activities and this, she said, taught her discipline, structure and time management from an early age.

She was the valedictorian at her prep school, and it was her dream to attend Campion College. But nothing could prepare her for the culture shock she experienced upon her arrival. “It was a very new environment for me. I was exposed to many other bright children and I wasn’t at the top of my class. That was something strange for me,” she said.

While daunting at first, the environment pushed her to find herself and helped her to come to grips with the reality that it is okay to not be the best, as long as you are doing your best. She was also able to encourage others to do their best.

Taking the fact that she is an only child into consideration, Kettle saw the educational institution fostering her growth as a person. She was able to learn how to make friends, how to be happy for other people, and how to give them grace.

Quiet, disciplined and determined, she enrolled at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, to pursue a degree in accounts, switching her major from psychology, while adding management studies. This exposed her to understanding people and how they think. “My university pursuit really moulded me,” she added.

Her career began as an external auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003. She credits that experience for being instrumental in shaping her future.“It helped me to read and understand financial statements. What I do now is a lot of that,” she said.

She left in 2005 to pursue her master’s degree in banking and finance, went to National Commercial Bank, where she was hired as a management trainee and quickly matriculated to credit risk analyst. “That was the best training ground for me, working in the financial services industry. It really exposed me to credit. Credit is the backbone of businesses.” She presented to the board in meetings, and this boosted her confidence. Kettle went on to become a strategic planning officer.

She continued her journey at Royal Bank of Canada as relationship manager back in 2012. The company was taken over by Sagicor in 2014, and she remained with the team, growing to become the assistant vice-president of corporate banking before leaving in 2020.

Headhunted by Bank of Nova Scotia in the corporate banking unit, she was able to learn a bit in the month or two, before returning to Sagicor as the assistant vice-president of corporate and small and medium-sized enterprise banking. When she saw an opportunity to cross over into investment banking at Barita, she was faced with imposter syndrome, but she knew that she couldn’t pass up this new role. “It was the best decision of my life. Every opportunity in my life helped to shape me for the next opportunity that presented itself.” She leads the investment banking team, with a focus on developing fee-generation strategies.

Not only is she the senior vice-president of investment banking, Kettle is also a director of the Students’ Loan Bureau and Amazing Concrete Finishes Group Limited. She juggles these titles while taking on the most important role life would have given her: motherhood.

Motherhood is the most challenging but most rewarding aspect of my life. It has taught me so much about being more patient and understanding, to apologise and be as authentic as possible,” the queen who is raising a queen highlighted. “My daughter sees me at my best and at my worst, and she still loves me.”

Kettle is still an active swimmer and a member of the Tornadoes Swim Club Masters Team. And in pursuing her interest in jogging, she recently completed her first, and what she describes as her last, Dopey Challenge in January, completing 48.6 miles in total.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com