After 40 years of banking experience:
Bringing human touch to home ownership

Fam Mohammed, a grandmother from Trinidad has
found the right style as Manager of the First Caribbean
International Bank; she combines a human touch when
dealing with her staff, encouraging them to adopt a
passion to succeed. 

Fam Mohammed taking a conference call with clients
in another Caribbean country.

Customers Linval and Marcia Webb work with Tracey
McField on applying for a home mortgage.

Fam Mohammed checks with Denise Watson on a
client’s loan.

Bertha Tyrell discusses mortgage financing with
Fam Mohammed.

At the new Plaza Venezia location, Jennifer Wilson
reviews mortgage applications.

Christine Burke discusses a special proposal that is
out of the norm with Fam Mohammed.

Carole Williams, Carla Martinez, Christine Burke and
Fam Mohammed discuss the new renovations in the
office.

Monday,  July 25, 2005

In the corporate world of media savvy executives, promoting an image of successful leadership and expertise is standard fare, especially in a mature finance market. 

But the real story on an executive’s leadership skills is what staff members say when the boss is not in the room. In that regard, it would be difficult to find someone who is more admired than Fam Mohammed, grandmother and wife, motivational coach, and the Home Finance Manager at First Caribbean International Bank.

Ms Mohammed has a saying that has been adopted by her staff: ‘Anything you want to do, you must have passion to succeed.’

Her human touch management style seems to have struck the right note, because her all female Caymanian team couldn’t be more devoted to this petite grandmother from Trinidad with a passion for banking. 

It is a combination of easy going nature and assertiveness that her staff members find effective, because when Ms Mohammed says something needs to be done, even though it is in her soft spoken voice, employees know that it means right away.

One employee after another said Ms Mohammed is a great motivator, coach, peacemaker and cheerleader. Someone who will go to bat for her team and encourages passion in their work. 

“When it gets really busy and telephones are ringing non-stop, she gets out of the office to assist. And when we do a good job she is the first one to say congratulations and give us a hug.”

“She doesn’t think because she is a manager that she is above anyone else. Every day she gets out of her office and goes on a ‘walk about’ to check on her staff. And she is always encouraging us to balance life and work.”

Originally from Trinidad, Ms Mohammed really wanted to be a teacher growing up. So when she graduated from high school, she applied for a job as a teacher because in the early 1960’s, a university education wasn’t required to teach. 

But she also applied for a job in banking. She admitted that she took the job in banking, because it was the first one offered to her, but it quickly became her life. 

“But I just loved it,” said Ms Mohammed. “I found out very early that I loved banking and dealing with people. It is very satisfying. Especially if a client is in some sort of crisis and needing help with their finances and doesn’t know how they are going to do it. We can look at different ways to help them. 

“And I still get to teach. It is just in banking. I love coaching and motivating staff in how to deal with people, because clients are the most important asset.”

Ms Mohammed started out as a clerk, and in the forty years she has worked in banking, she has worked in most areas, including foreign exchange, savings, current accounts, bill for collection and full credit. 

She met her husband at the bank, and raised her children as her career progressed, at a time when it wasn’t so common. After Ms Mohammed’s children were in university, her life took a turn when her husband accepted a banking position at Cayman National and moved to the Islands in 1993. She had one more year to go until she was eligible for full retirement benefits. They would be separated for a year. 

“It was difficult. But we travelled often. He would either come down to see me or I would come up,” she said.

In 1994, Ms Mohammed followed her husband to Grand Cayman and went to work for CIBC, which eventually merged with Barclays to become First Caribbean International Bank. 

They had a few more years together, before her husband, Amin, suddenly passed away from a heart attack in 1999. But she explained it was the support of her family and friends that comforted her. 

Today, even though she encourages her staff to live a balanced life, Ms Mohammed admitted she is a workaholic. 

One of the main challenges she has faced in banking is not having staff trained to a certain level. But this doesn’t seem to be one of those times. 
“We really have a bright group of ladies here. We learn from each other and we support each other,” she said. 

She explained that sometimes if one of the ladies is unable to deal with a client’s needs, one of the other staff members may be able to suggest ways in finding a solution for the client. 

It is her experience over the years that has helped develope an intuition that tells her when to go out on a limb for a client and when to pull back. 

“You can see things with experience and do some things that are not the norm and make it work with a client of long- standing, and stick your neck out for a client, such as lending more than you would normally lend. With some vision, you can take a chance and then you have a client for life. 

“Sometimes you get burned, but it very rarely happens. Ninety-nine percent of the time it pays off because intuition tells you. And then sometimes your intuition tells you that some things you shouldn’t touch,” she said.

Ms Mohammed explained that each client has different needs, and the key is to find out about their needs and satisfy them. And that is the essence of customer service. 

Although there are First Caribbean banks in 16 countries throughout the Caribbean, Ms Mohammed said that the Cayman Islands is an important market, because the economy is booming and there are a lot of professionals including young Caymanian couples that are looking to buy or build a home. 

And the proof is in the pudding. While most banks in the Caribbean open accounts in just two currencies, the local currency and American, First Caribbean open accounts in four currencies: CI, American, Sterling and Canadian. 

Ms Mohammed explained that part of the reason for Home Finance’s success is the bank’s commitment to promote and develop employees from within the bank first. That commitment seems to be part of the secret behind her staff that is 100 percent Caymanian in a country where approximately 51 percent of the workforce is expatriate.

As one manager working with Ms Mohammed said, “She knows each staff member’s strengths and weaknesses. And she knows how to personalize her recommendations to fit each person. But she gives you room to manage your own work.”

Nowadays, she loves to travel when she can pull herself away. So it is a joy when she travels every couple months to Turks and Caicos for work or hopping over to Miami to see her grandchildren, Thalia, 4, and Chac, who is two.

Inevitably, her thoughts return to the needs of a client or a staff member.

One of her goals is to transfer as much knowledge to her staff so they can grow, because, as she tells her staff, she is not always going to be around, and they need to be prepared to one day step in her place.

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