Oliver Fredrick Clarke

THE GLEANER, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | C7 Clarke - A caring boss L C HIEF EXECUTIVE Officer of The Jamaica National Group, the Hon. Earl Jarrett, has paid tribute to Chairman of the JN Group, Hon. Oliver Clarke, who passed away at home on May 16. Mr Jarrett noted that as chairman of the group, Mr Clarke was instrumental in the transformation of the local building society movement, by encouraging the expansion of building societies from parish-based entities into urban organisations, while maintaining the strong mandate to serve its members. Before rising to chairman, Mr Clarke served as assistant general manager and general manager of then Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) from 1971 to 1976. He then served as chairman of JNBS for two decades, from 1977 to 1997 and as deputy chairman from 1997 until 2002, when he was reappointed chairman. “Under his astute leadership, spanning almost 50 years, the Jamaica National Building Society embarked on a historic reorganisation programme in 2017, which resulted in the formal establishment of The Jamaica National Group, comprising more than 25 entities. Among the historic achievements was the transition of the building society to a commercial bank, JN Bank,” said Mr Jarrett. He continued: “Under his chairmanship, Jamaica National has become firmly established as a multinational business with banking and other financial entities, technology, insurance, property management and automotive services. Today, it is recognised as one of the top 10 companies from the Caribbean to the world. While pursuing the expansion of the JN Group, he maintained its ownership structure as a mutual organisation, owned by its members and customers.” He also recognisedMr Clarke’s indelible contribution to the media landscape in Jamaica, noting that he made a tremendous impact in business and media for almost 50 years. Mr Clarke was a founding member of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and served as its president years later. He was inducted by the PSOJ into the Private Sector Hall of Fame in 1996. Mr Clarke was also managing director of The Gleaner Company Limited from 1976-2011 and later, chairman of 1834 Investments Limited, following the company’s merger with the RJR Communications Group. An advocate for press freedom, he was also a president of the Inter-American Press Association. He was made a member of the Order of Jamaica in 1998. “All of us at The Jamaica National Group, who have worked and interacted with Oliver Clarke over the decades, recognise the significant impact he made on Jamaica and the Caribbean and his passionate pursuit of initiatives that would achieve his objective of ‘people first’, said Mr Jarrett.” “The directors of the boards, executives, managers and employees of The Jamaica National Group, extend their condolence to his wife, Monica, his daughter, Alex, and other members of the Clarke family.” HONOURABLE EARL JARRETT Chief Executive Officer The Jamaica National Group Earl Jarrett (right), chief executive of The Jamaica National Group, stands with JN Group Chairman Oliver Clarke as they address the annual general meeting of the JN Group in November 2018. Almost five decades of great eadership I METMr Clarke in the early summer of 1971. It was at the head office of the newly created Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) at Hendon, Savanna-la-Mar. The occasion was an interview for a position within JNBS. It is now at his passing that I realise I was being interviewed for a managerial position by a 26-year- old, 5 years my junior. I had attended a number of job interviews before, including one with a civil service panel in London. None of them exceeded or even matched the one I attended that day, however. What I recall is the level of maturity and professionalism with which he conducted the interview throughout. There were no ‘trick’ questions. It was a deeply engaging conversation – unhurried but probing. Working with him during the next four years was both pleasant and instructive. His managers (as well as, I imagine, his entire staff ) were important to him. He treated us with care and respect. Our retreats and meetings were held at fine hotels. Luncheons were at fine restaurants. He exposed the group to interesting speakers. We used an air taxi service to commute to meetings instead of by road. In early 1976, he led a group of managers from the building societies movement on a tour of similar institutions in South Florida. Again the team was exposed to the finest. We stayed at the famous Columbus hotel and had dinner one evening at the elegant DuPont Plaza hotel as guests of Miami Savings and Loan Associations. What was also noteworthy about him were his level of preparedness and breadth of knowledge. He was well informed, be it on computer- related matters or the intricacies of making adjustments to one of JN’s ads, which was currently being aired. His attention to detail was uncanny. Sensing the mood of unionisation around us, he initiated the formation of two consultative committees – representing the staff body and managers, respectively. These were a Junior Advisory Committee and a Senior Advisory Committee. He was the proactive manager. His exemplary leadership skills combined with an insatiable appetite I An nsatiable appetite for the highest levels of performance PLEASE SEE BINGHAM, C10