SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 2014 – UWI TODAY
11
THE UWI HONORARY GRADUAND:
CATHERINE KUMAR
Among our eight honorees this year is
Ms Catherine Kumar
, whose career
has been a pioneering one in the fields of banking and administration.
Ms Kumar will be conferred with the LLD at the St. Augustine campus
Graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Social Sciences on October 24, 2014.
She shared some of her experiences with
UWI TODAY
editor,
Vaneisa Baksh
I will
not Bend
VB:
Your father, Ranjit Kumar, was a significant figure
in Trinidad’s history as the man from India who
introduced Indian films to the country, and as
the civil engineer responsible for the creation of
Wrightson Road.What was it like to grow up as the
daughter of someone who had come directly from
India, and who was such a prominent figure in the
society? Were his views on the upbringing of his
daughter traditionally Indian ones?
CK:
This may seem strange but while growing up with
Daddy I never fully understood the magnitude of his
contribution to Trinidad and Tobago as I now do. Nor
did I grow up in what is considered a traditional Indian
home. I am the second of nine children, born after
daddy had completed his major civil engineering
works and a few years before he exited political life.
True, Daddy took us to lots of Indian movies, but he
did not talk much about his experiences with bringing
the first Indian movie,
Bala Joban
to Trinidad. Daddy
was really more British in his way of thinking, as
he spent most of his life in England before coming
to Trinidad. (He was less traditional in some ways,
leading us to know a little less about Indian customs
and foods than some of our non-Indian friends who
lived in Indian communities.) He and Mummy focused
on and left us with sound values and the desire to
become educated. He wanted his “girl children” to
be independent – quite non-traditional back in those
days. They taught us to be persons of integrity and to live
within our means. We were taught that outward glitter
is only superficial so what mattered was what entered
our heads and hearts. They really taught us to work
hard first and that playing comes after hard work. My
parents taught me to stand up for what I believed
in and to always give of my best, even in times of
adversity. Daddy particularly impressed upon us the
need to not just get by, but to excel at school, to become
highly educated. This resulted in all of his children
having some sort of postgraduate qualification. There are
three academic siblings with doctorates. Two are right
here at UWI, our alma mater.
VB:
You managed a great deal of headway into
traditionally male domains; was this a focused
drive or did it just happen that way?
CK:
Definitely it was a focused drive. The desire to succeed
was born at home but really grew while at UWI. I
was pursuing a degree which excited me: industrial
management and my lecturers were inspiring me
to do better. At the age of 29 when rewriting my
resume, I wrote my vision “to be the leader of a
large organization where my skills and knowledge
can be utilized.” While I was doing well at executive
management, there were many challenges to get to that
top job, including being overlooked more than once
for the post of CEO. I am convinced I did not get the
top jobs because I am a woman. Even when these
“slights” happened, my father’s teachings to give of my
best in times of adversity and to be open to new ideas
remained with me. I spoke with some successful males
to determine what I needed to do. The one message was
“network more; get other CEOs to know who Catherine
Kumar is.” This was my turning point. I recognized the
importance of networking and built a strong network
via business NGOs. This led to my becoming the first
female president of a totally male dominated successful
American business organization, AMCHAM. Although
challenges continued, both personal and business-
related, there was no turning back. I was respected
and rose to become the first female inspector of
financial institutions, regulating banks and insurance
companies which were nearly totally led by males.
Then I became managing director of one of the largest
commercial banks in Trinidad and Tobago.
VB:
Howmuch would you say was influenced by your
childhood?
CK:
I think the foundation for my success was laid in my
childhood. The value system I learnt from Mummy,
Daddy and Catholic schools acted as my compass. I
believe that two of my values, which have been tested
and tried over and over in my work career, are integrity
and honesty. I say tested because there was always
someone in my early years who would see me as an
aspiring professional and a very ambitious woman and
figured that I could be tempted to do whatever would
help me climb the ladder. It was challenging, but my
resilience proved them wrong as they soon realized
I would not bend. I believe that people began to
realize that my moral values could not be overturned for
my earthly gain.
VB:
Which of your achievements do you value most?
CK:
I would have to say the opportunity to open
doors for other females and see them grow and
develop brings me the greatest gratification. Yes,
recognition and money are important but my self-
actualization comes from seeing the advancement of
others, particularly females, who worked with me and
whom I mentored. Coaching them is my way of giving
back. For a woman in the Caribbean to rise to the top
position and into the board room, she needs strong
home support as the business world is full of unexpected
events, which at times must be dealt with immediately. I
advise them to choose their partners carefully. I tell
others that experience does not have to be your personal
experience to learn. Growth can come when you
learn from others instead.
VB:
What does this honorary LLDmean to you?
CK:
I was recognized previously by both my secondary
school and my alma mater, The University of the West
Indies St Augustine at their 50th anniversary, and
believe me those were moments of ecstasy for
me.
This conferment, however, trumps all.
To have
The University of the West Indies bestow on me
the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) and for me
to stand among a group of esteemed luminaries really
is an honor to me. At times I had considered pursuing
my doctorate as the highlight for my academic success
but circumstances did not permit. I thank God for
directing the decisions in my life which success fed into
the UWI selection committee making the decisions.
I am gratified that my sacrifices have not been in vain.
I will receive the Honorary Degree on behalf of all
the other women who are challenged in climbing the
corporate ladder in whatever field or discipline. This
conferment has inspired me to give back even more
to society. I pray that when I leave this earth that
my receptacle will be empty as I would have poured
out all that I have learnt in my life to others who are
benefiting from it.
