Susan Smith, Staff Reporter
William Clarke (left) , president and CEO of cotiabank, presents a plaque with the bank's mission statement to Wayne Hewitt, who was officially announced as the new vice-president of Scotiabank's Corporate and Commercial Banking Centre, at a function dubbed the 'Changing of the Guard' at the Knutsford Court Hotel last week.
Hotel on Tuesday night. Mr. Hewitt replaces, Mr. Kevin Workman
(right)
who was also recognized at the function for his three-year stint with
Scotiabank Jamaica. Mr. Workman will take up a similar position at
Scotiabank Bahamas which is now headed by Minna Israel, former
Executive Vice President and Deputy CEO of Scotiabank Jamaica.
"WE WILL step up understanding people's business," said the enthusiastic vice-president for corporate and commercial banking at the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited (BNS), Wayne Hewitt.
The former assistant general manager in the Corporate and Commercial Banking Centre at BNS, Mr. Hewitt was promoted to vice-president on July 15, succeeding Kevin Workman.
With 12 years' experience in corporate banking and a passion to strengthen BNS's position as a formidable force in the Jamaican banking sector, Mr. Hewitt said his personal vision is to focus on the customers division of the bank as it relates to corporate and commercial businesses.
The young executive was also trained at the BNS headquarters in Canada and delivers a management style which is very practical and compatible to the nature of his job. "I'm not just the coach on the sideline, but I try to get into the game and motivate my colleagues along the way," he humbly said.
STRATEGY
"We plan to get closer to our customers to have service custom-built for them," he said. "What works for one company may not work for another." With this in mind, Mr. Hewitt said his division will have a more active approach in securing corporate and commercial business, especially since it accounts for just under 50 per cent of the bank's profit .
"Gone are the days when we wait for someone to walk into the bank to do business," he shared. "We want to target some of the medium-size firms and get closer to these persons. In the past we have focused on bread and butter, which is lending and deposit, but now we are looking to trade financing and trade services," he further explained. The emphasis on business will be based on organisation, execution, and after sales, he summarised.
Admitting that there is room for improvement in the corporate and commercial banking sector, Mr. Hewitt said BNS does "more business in the corporate and commercial relationship than any other bank." He outlined that BNS's strength in service in corporate and commercial banking lies in trade financing and trade services.
Prepared to face the challenges of the marketplace, Mr. Hewitt said there are things within the Jamaican banking sector that cannot be found in the textbook, however, his training in Canada has exposed him to how transparent the business can become without being disconnected from the dynamism of the sector here.
"Business is more transparent in Canada because information is so much more accessible," he said.
