CELEBRATING CORPORATE MOMS MASTERS Of Multitasking
SUZETTE RAMDANIE-LINTON Regional Manager, Sales & Service, Western Region, Victoria Mutual Building Society
Children: Eight-year-old Nikolai and 13-year-old Amari
Suzette Ramdanie-linton supervises the eight out-oftown VMBS branches located in the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St Ann, Trelawny and St James. She is also a Rotarian (11 years) and has been serving in the capacity of assistant governor for the past three years. She is a justice of the peace and has been serving as the first vice-president of the St James Chapter of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica for the past two years.
AW: How have you had to change the way you carry out your roles as a mother and a professional this year?
SR-L:
This pandemic has really taught me how important it is to manage your time and prioritise the important daily activities, both planned and unplanned. My days are extremely demanding, starting very early and ending very late. I must, therefore, ensure I balance the needs of my organisation, with the needs of family and my volunteer work.
From a work perspective, my days have changed from constant travelling to my eight branches or to our head office in Kingston for meetings to operating in the virtual environment. This has to be balanced with still meeting the needs of my branches, attending to the needs our members, keeping my team motivated on achieving our targets and ensuring we execute with purpose.
Being a mother is more demanding now than ever and depending on which of my children I am dealing with, I play the role of a either a full time teacher, a PE coach or a guidance counsellor. And with all of this, I also ensure that I also focus on myself by eating healthy, exercising, spending time with my family and keeping the communication going with my friends, while still getting in a little “me time”.
AW: What is your motivation for giving your best both at home and at work?
SR-L:
At work, I want everyone to excel and be winners; when VM wins, I win. At home, I want my family to be happy, healthy and successful in all they do — this is every parent’s wish for their children. I start each day with prayers, deliver the best of myself and end each day thankful for the day I was blessed to have had.
AW: What is your number one attribute that you want your children to emulate? SR-L:
My integrity is of utmost importance to me; as such, I am always talking to my children about the importance of being honest, caring and confident; that they should always stand up for themselves and for others who need help; always be willing to help those who are in need of help and who are less fortunate; and to never let anyone take advantage of them.