Maria is the master of all trades

Juggling multiple responsibilities simultaneously has become essential for many. But no one does it as well as Maria Morrison. As the general manager for strategic planning and corporate affairs at First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union (FHC), Morrison has had to learn how to simultaneously fulfil her duties as an astute senior executive, loving wife, caring mother, devout Christian, supportive sister, adoring daughter, entertaining friend, passionate foodie, curious world traveller and a coveted wedding coordinator.

"It hasn't been difficult for me to tackle all of these roles as I am passionate about everything I do," she explained. "I firmly believe that mediocrity has no place in my life and I can become impatient when faced with it," she adds.

Growing up in Portland, she was a studious and driven little girl, and was always the leader among her sisters and friends, despite her struggles with stuttering. Sometimes ridiculed for it, she used the negative experience to push her to work twice as hard as her classmates and boost her determination to do her best. Following her graduation from Happy Grove High School, she moved to Kingston and attended the University of Technology.

leadership roles

She was active in several leadership roles and was extremely focused and driven, which contributed to much of her professional success. But in the midst of it all, her appearance has always been important to her. "I think it is very important to always look your best, as your appearance is a reflection of who you are and by extension the quality of work you do. No matter how much pressure I'm under, I always look my best; it's part of who I am."

After receiving her diploma in hotel management, she became a trainee manager at Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios. While there, she held several supervisory positions, which exposed her to the inner workings of customer service and spurred her unrelenting interest in understanding human behaviour. In addition to ensuring that her guests were always happy, she also developed an intense desire to help her co-workers perform at the highest level and motivate them to do things they didn't believe they could do.

After seven years in the tourism sector, and getting her bachelor of science degree in professional management, an MBA and later a postgraduate diploma in human resource development and a certificate in applied project management, she was fully equipped to move on to her next career challenge. Following stints as the human resource manager at the Jamaica Theological Seminary and the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, she eventually took up the post of human resources manager at the then GSB Co-operative Credit Union. Shortly after, she was promoted to general manager of human capital and strategic development. Morrison was delegated the task of coordinating the merger between her financial institution and Churches Co-operative Credit Union as project manager of the 26-member project team. "I was very excited about the merger as I saw it as a strategic way for both organisations to grow in a relatively short period while achieving their goals," she noted.

How did she do it all, transitioning to several leadership roles in less than 20 years? Her passion for life and excellence! She says she inherited her leadership skills from her father, and credits much of her success to her supportive husband and the wonderful leaders who have mentored her throughout her career.

Although her job is very demanding, Morrison always finds time to unwind and relax, and visit her parents and family in Portland. Though she finds it difficult to completely disconnect from her job, when she is on vacation she likes to sleep, read and travel, and sees shopping as very therapeutic. She enjoys entertaining large groups of family and friends at her home, especially during the Christmas holidays, and loves to cook with a penchant for preparing Italian dishes.

Devout Christian

In all aspects of her job, Morrison is guided by her strong and firm commitment to her faith.

"My faith is very important to me as it informs my values, my ideas, my approaches and ultimately my decisions," she shared. "I've been able to remain a centred and well-grounded person primarily because of prayer and the strong support I receive from my family, friends and church."

Maria is married to Reverend Omar J. Morrison, with a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Hannah-Marie. Her advice for success - the sky is the limit, love what you do, do what you love and you never have to work a day in your life.