Oliver Fredrick Clarke

THE GLEANER, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | C14 HE GAVE lessons in confidence, exuded passion for country, and was a visionary. That is how media mogul Oliver Clarke, who passed on Saturday at his St Andrew home, is remembered by a few of his mentees. Twenty-three-year-old Shanakay Dyer was mentored by Clarke during the 2018-19 academic year at TheUniversity of the West Indies, Mona. She found it “very admirable” that he contacted her to set up their first appointment as it was customary for the mentee to do so. “He gave me the amazing opportunity of interning at TVJ, which was something that I always wanted to do, and he gave me many lessons in confidence,” said the Sagicor Bank account maintenance representative. “He would say, ‘When you’re meeting a group of people, it is important for you to look them in the face and never break their stare. It will show that you’re confident and that you’re well deserving of whatever opportunity they’re going to give you.’ He had an entire session with me looking him dead in the face,” she said with a chuckle. Tyrone Wilson had “never met someone more witty than Oliver Clarke”. The two had interactions while Wilson was a writer for The Gleaner ’s Youthlink and further through the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) mentorship programme. Desirous of becoming an entrepreneur in media and the creative field, he was inspired by Clarke. “He was a pioneer who helped to expand our creative economy. Through him, I’ve seen passion for country and the development of the private sector. Outside of his involvement in The Gleaner , very important was his involvement in the PSOJ, ensuring that we have a thriving economy,” said the founder and CEO of iCreate Institute. For digital marketer Sandor Panton, he was a visionary. “He saw where media was going, and The Gleaner was not going to be left behind,” Panton said. Clarke oversaw him being hired in 1999 as the ‘webmaster’ for Gleaner Online, which had been set up a few years prior. Their offices were on the same floor, and Panton would often be called in for a chat. “He was a very influential person, and I never felt overwhelmed when I was in his company. He really just wanted to get our take on what was going on and how things were going on the Internet,” he said. judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com Clarke – The mentor “H E HAD a heart of gold. He was a great mentor who genuinely cared about people. He was kind and selfless,” declared Kaysia Johnson Vaughan, a graduate of The University of the West Indies and a mentee of Oliver Clarke. She related how every year Clarke would invite the team of mentees, which numbered nearly 20, for a meal at his home or at a restaurant. Moreover, he would ensure that a resource person was at those meetings to help chart them in the right direction. “He was committed to the mentorship programme. He even took on persons outside of the programme. If he can help, he will and if he can’t, he will connect you to key persons who can. He never left you stranded. He was always finding a solution. He hadmany values that you would want to emulate,” she maintained. “What I admired about him was that he cared a great deal about young people. He took the time to understand people and offer advice. He was probing; he would ask about your life, the plans you have for your life, and he would hold you accountable. He always wants you to do want you said you would do.” One of the major impacts that Johnson Vaughan said that Clarke had on her life was guiding her in her career choice. “I remember when I discussed with him that I couldn’t decide whether to pursue law or marketing or communication, he arranged for me to meet with persons in both fields. As a result, I was able to make a decision.” Long after she had graduated from university and established herself in the corporate world, Clarke still maintained the connection and took interest in her family. “He would ask me about Victoria [her young daughter]. One day, he sent a huge teddy bear to my office for her,” she said. Beyond his philanthropy, Johnson Vaughan remembers Clarke as being stern and having a dry humour. “You have to laugh when you are with him. He was down to earth and real.” Clarke was kind and elfless to those he guided S M entees remember Oliver Clarke Oliver Clarke, OJ, chairman and managing director of The Gleaner Company, visited the Institute of Jamaica on November 17, 2008 with some of his mentees, along with Dr Thelora Reynolds, director of students services and development at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, and Meritt Henry, coordinator at Placement and Careers Services, UWI, Mona.