Up Front
Lynne Whittaker Grown Up toBe a Banker
Lynne Whittaker, CIBC's Manager, Personaland Private Banking
As one of the leading bankers in the CaymanIslands today, Lynne Whittaker has made quite a few remarkablesteps.
The first, perhaps began quite inadvertently, as a member of theClass of '69 of Cayman Islands High School. That group, Lynnesays, has been known for many firsts in the Cayman Islands andis comprised of some of the islands' leading professionals today.
A second, more calculated move was Lynne's entry into banking."I left school the Friday, and came to work on Monday,"she recalls. That was June 1, 1970, and since then, Lynne hasbeen at CIBC, with only a six-month leave of absence in 1975,which she spent in Miami.
She started off as a teller and has since "moved on up"the corporate ladder to become Manager, Personal and Private Banking,including all retail banking.
Along the way, Lynne has worked the gamut of positions in thebank - as teller; in fixed deposits; loans department, proof teller;Manager's Secretary; branch accountant and the credit department.
Back when she started, she said, there were just seven of themon staff "so we kinda had to do a little bit of everything."From Manager's Secretary she graduated to the Fixed Deposit Departmentand subsequently to the Loans Department.
She actually had her first promotion on her return from Miami,when she moved into fixed deposits. From there she became accountantof the branch, and later, Manager of Investments, which at thetime -- around 1989 -- was one of the most senior positions everheld by a Caymanian.
She moved into the Credit Department with responsibilities asmanager of consumer loans and mortgages. She moved to her presentposition two years ago.
Asked whether any of her peers with whom she went to school havehad the same achievements as she has had in banking, she readilypinpointed Denise Parsons of the Royal Bank.
"I know at the time when I came into the position at investments- Denise Parsons at Royal Bank kinda moved into a similar positionshortly after; because I actually took over from a guy from Canadaand I know that she did the same thing not too long after. Shecomes to mind...but probably there may be other people."
She also pointed to Leonard Ebanks who is now Manager of BritishAmerican Bank, and Harry Chisholm who is Royal Bank's Manager,as two of the other leading players in banking, whose career mayhave followed a similar rise.
To survive and to excel, Lynne says has been due to "a lotof hard work and dedication really," what with banking notbeing the easiest of jobs as it is today. In those days, she recalled,she lived in North Side and had to travel back and forth to work,even after long hours and the manual systems that everything wasdone by. She also credits the numerous training she has had overthe years
Over the years, she has benefited from quite a bit of trainingmost of which were pursued in Toronto the Bahamas in-house atthe bank, as well as local computer courses.
From a staff of seven members in 1970, CIBC has grown to approximately190 today. In terms of business, she said "we do very wellat CIBC; we have had tremendous growth on that part." Alongwith the main branch downtown George Town, there is another atSafehaven, which was opened some two years ago.
According to Lynne, CIBC Cayman "ranks on top" of the40 branches in seven other Caribbean countries, and the Bahamas.
Part of CIBC's success, she says is attributable some loyal andsenior staff. "On the whole we've held on to quite a fewsenior people; there are a lot of people at CIBC that have a lotof years." Like Edna Carter, who is Trust Manager; whom shemet when she first joined the Bank and Shirley Pandohie (Managerof the Fixed Deposit Department) who joined the same day as she.
Lynne points to some of the challenges the bank faces here inCayman. "The market is very competitive right now and I thinkit really boils down right now to just service; we really haveto have good service because all the banks are offering basicallythe same thing and it's like everybody is shopping," shenotes.
"I think that's what separates one financial institutionfrom another is just service pure and simple."
How does CIBC handles it? "I think it depends on individualsreally; everybody has their own way of how they provide serviceand I guess I am quite big on customer service; I try to see thatmy staff does likewise."
And what future given dire predictions of a slow-down of the economy?"Even though all these things have been said we haven't lostany business; we're still growing..but I'm not saying that wewouldn't see some changes ..."
And for Lynne, its meeting the challenges of her still fairlynew position. As one who came in and "proved herself",she says she has "never really been unhappy" at CIBCand is content to keep on excelling there.
"I like what I'm doing," she says simply, adding thatthough she has been offered high paid positions in other banksalong the way, it has been about more than money.
Lynne, who exudes a zest for life, credits her evergreen careerand her endurance to her strong family background and her lovefor people. The divorced mother of a 24-year-old son, has threebrothers and one sister; her mother, Naomi Green still residesin Northside, though her father passed on years ago.
"I have a lot of good friends," this Caymanian bankersays. "I enjoy being in Cayman and I enjoy my life."