If there was one thing that I’d like to think I was able to change within BSP, it is recognising you have a responsibility to everyone. That is a very important responsibility

Robin Fleming, outgoing Group chief executive officer

Robin Fleming is no stranger to Fiji and the banking industry in the Pacific. He is a respected figure in the executive circle.

Originally from Australia, he lives with his, wife, Dora, and their three children, Cassandra, Liam and Joshua in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

He describes himself as a private person and one who recognises the little things, is attentive to details, which are what matter to him the most.

Mr Fleming is a former student of St Laurence’s College in South Brisbane, Australia, a Christian brother’s college.

Interestingly, he never made it to a university.

In fact, he tells us of an interesting part of his life where he went out in search of finding himself and ended up in the ‘Land of the Unexpected’.

“I wanted to run away from home that is why I went to PNG,” he said.

He immediately joined the bank after leaving school and through dedication, he worked his way up through the ranks.

Over the years he’s garnered skills, the technical and financial know-how worthy to that of any tertiary-level executive.

He has spent 42 years in the banking industry in PNG and close to 10 years at BSP Group’s helm.

“I’m not quite a high school dropout but I didn’t go to university, straight from school,” he told SunBiz.

“I started with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia as a teller and just worked my way up.”

Mr Fleming was in the country recently to celebrate the $69 million profit announcement for BSP’s Fiji operations.

And after an impressive four decades in the industry, Mr Fleming is calling it a day.

The following is an excerpt interview with Mr Fleming and some key reflections throughout his career.

How did you manage the demands of professional and personal commitments?

That’s where you need a good family, a very good family because they are the ones that make the sacrifices.

My children all went to boarding school and this is the first time that they’re all back in Port Moresby.

This is the first time in 27 years we have been able to live together all in one house and this is where the family makes a lot of sacrifices, especially the children.

What were some of the challenges you face with your role in the industry?

The banking industry really needs to understand that as an industry it’s not like any other business.

If you’re a solely focused-driven organisation, you can lose touch with your staff and your customers and possibly because it is my Catholic background, I think that is something that is very important.

We do have a responsibility, taking banking for people, to be able to provide support for people who are financially disadvantaged, to be able to provide banking services for those who have less capacity to respond to changes in economic conditions.

If there was one thing that I’d like to think I was able to change within BSP, and that is recognising you have a responsibility to everyone.

That is a very important responsibility.

What was the most rewarding thing about your job?

The little things, going to see a staff member and having a staff member say ‘thank you’ because you did not cut their pay and no one lost their jobs.

Those were really common messages from staff that I met in Fiji and saying ‘thank you’ for keeping them in employment, that’s what is important.

The big deals are big deals but it’s the little things, staff, personal loans, and housing loans especially in countries like ours, not every staff member we have grew up in a home, some might have grown up in a village and you can’t have a house that you can call your own.

So we introduced the staff housing scheme where someone can get their own house, where their family can live together, they are the most important things.

Profits are great for headlines but what makes a difference is staff, personal and housing loans.

What is your philosophy about business as a whole and your vision for the business?

The vision for the business is relatively simple – treat everyone with respect, give everyone the credit they deserve and to recognise our objective especially in the developing economy.

It isn’t just about profit-driven it is about assisting communities and that resonates with staff because they quite often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, from the village.

I know what it’s like – the struggles they had to go through – so that they can see that what we are doing has a tangible effect on their communities.

It is far more rewarding.

Have you been inspired or influenced by anyone in particular?

The best relationship I’ve had, from a business perspective is being with our chairperson, Sir Kostas Constantinou because I have known him for almost 35 years.

He is a very giving person and someone who has been able to show me a lot of real friendship and as chairperson and CEO it has been the foundation of what we’ve been able to achieve in the last 10 years.

How is the business adapting in terms of the post-COVID?

It has bounded back quite quickly and that was another great opportunity for me just to see how things were turning around here in Fiji.

Downtown Nadi was very busy. Seeing people coming into the

Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, it gives a lot of confidence.

I spoke to people at Fiji Airways, their bookings from a sales perspective was positive.

I believe that business is going to rebound.

What are some future plans for the business?

For business in Fiji to get to 40 per cent, get our BSP Life business to continue to expand and BSP Life in PNG has been a great outcome which is one we will continue to get that support.

We would like to see more broader investments for our BSP Life portfolio.

They have got a lot of good plans and continue with some of the existing investments we’ve got.

As far as the bank is concerned, nothing short of 40 per cent market shares is going to be acceptable as far as myself and the board are concerned.