On June 18, leading Caribbean financial services group Sagicor Financial hosted its star-studded Grand Gala and Group Awards ceremony, a highlight of the company’s biennial convention that doubled as a celebration of its 185 years of operation. Held under the theme “Masterpiece: The 185th Signature Edition,” the event recognized top-performing employees across sales and administrative divisions spanning the company’s regional network, honoring outstanding contributions from the past year of operations.
Among the night’s most prominent honorees was Shameka Casimir, a financial professional representing Antigua and Barbuda, who earned a regional excellence award for exceptional client retention results. Casimir secured a spot as one of just five winners in the Leading Advisor or Producer – Persistency or Conservation category, alongside peers Aldria Grant (Jamaica), Leila Faustin (Aruba), Debra Pierre-Daniel (Trinidad and Tobago), and Andrew Mason (Barbados).
The Leading Advisor Cases sales category recognized another cohort of standout performers: Junielle Owens of Jamaica, David Lawrence of Trinidad and Tobago, Corey Watson of Barbados, and Sonika McKie of Grenada. Both Lawrence and Watson walked away with multiple honors, adding awards for First Year Commission, Annualized Premium Income, and Net Annualized Premium Income to their accolades. Pius Auguste of Saint Lucia took home the overall top award for the Eastern Caribbean and Belize region.
Sales Management awards were distributed to an elite group of leaders, including Jermaine Tomlinson and Loeri Robinson of Jamaica, Jhavon Felmine of Trinidad and Tobago, Daniel Lovell and Adrian King of Barbados, and Ian Bourne of Jamaica. Arnold Cumberbatch also earned recognition, though the company did not disclose Cumberbatch’s home country in its official announcement.
Administrative staff also received well-deserved honors for their behind-the-scenes work: Leeanna Joseph of Grenada was named Group Pioneer of the Year, while Kirk Shaw of Jamaica and Safiyah Muhammad of Trinidad and Tobago shared the Group Contributor of the Year title. Barbados’ Kim Beckles earned the prestigious Sagicorian Employee of the Year award, and Marlene Martin of Canada took home the Sagicorian Manager of the Year honor.
In opening remarks for the ceremony, Chief People Officer Paula Walcott explained that the event’s “masterpiece” theme was carefully chosen to reflect the cumulative impact of Sagicor employees across the company’s 185-year history. “It is undeniable that our Sagicor collective masterpiece has a firm foundation; built on legacy and crafted in part by all our awardees and nominees who have been brave enough to act on a vision,” Walcott told attendees. “Your masterpieces remind us, like those whose legacies were built in the past, that greatness is crafted with good intentions and one deliberate choice at a time.”
David Noel, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Caribbean, congratulated honorees, noting that rising to the top of an organization with such a deep pool of talented team members requires extraordinary effort. “It takes commitment, dedication, hard work and constantly striving for excellence to be able to rise to the top of an organisation that has so many talented people,” Noel said. “You are truly the best of the best.”
The invitation-only ceremony concluded with a spectacular custom LED light display, bringing the premier annual employee recognition event to a close. The gala wraps up Sagicor’s biennial convention, a gathering that brings together team members from across the company’s sprawling regional footprint to celebrate shared wins and set goals for the coming business cycle.