Growth & Jobs | ‘Women in leadership: Reshaping the Conversation’

“You have to deliver! If you make a promise, you have a commitment.”

A potent piece of advice from Martha Miller, chief executive officer, National Rums of Jamaia (NRJ) Limited, as she shared insightful nuggets for female leaders during her delivery of the 11th Annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture, broadcast live on TVJ on Sunday, May 19 under the theme ‘Women in Leadership: Reshaping the Conversation’.

The Annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture is a collaborative initiative between the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation and the University of Technology, Jamaica through its Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship Ethics and Leadership (JDSEEL). The annual memorial lecture honours the life of the late corporate leader and co-founder of the JMMB Group, Joan Duncan, whose mission and vision was to improve lives through financial inclusion and access. Miller, the first female CEO of NRJ Limited, was this year’s guest lecturer.

A trailblazer in the business landscape, Martha Miller’s illustrious career spans diverse fields such as consulting, business analysis, business management, advertising, finance, and organisational management. Taking the audience through her professional journey and successful career, Miller shared valuable learning experiences and nuggets of wisdom gained along the way. She joined NRJ as its chief financial officer and company secretary in 2013 and rose through the ranks, becoming deputy CEO in March 2020. In less than a year, Miller ascended to the helm of the company, becoming its CEO. She has since led the firm to attaining numerous accolades, such as the launch of its Long Pond brand – the first brand from the renowned Long Pond Distillery. She has also been credited with solidifying NRJ’s role in cane farming, waste management, and social responsibility. In 2022, she was among a group of CEOs who were honoured as The Ultimate and Most Admirable CEO in the international rum industry in the Ultimate Awards showcase. She again copped the prestigious title of The Ultimate and Most Admirable CEO in the 2023 New York Rum Edition of The Ultimate Awards.

PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY MATTER

Examining the issue of professionalism and integrity, which are frequently raised concerns about women at the pinnacle of their careers, Miller stated, “You have to make sure that certain things happen and people can’t question your integrity.” She continued, “Nobody would ever question my integrity … I didn’t get there any other way than through hard work,” while sharing further with the audience, “I encourage all women, I encourage my team players, I say, you have to deliver … understand, pay attention to the details and (you) will shine,” affirming that women who “know their business inside out” earn the respect of colleagues.

Miller emphasised that female professionals who aspire to ascend to the helm of leadership should embraced good work ethics and strive to maintain an unblemished character.

TACKLING THE ‘IMPOSTER SYNDROME’

Miller shared that one of the biggest hurdles that women face along their professional journey is the “imposter syndrome”, where “we don’t trust ourselves”. In defying this challenge the NRJ boss stated, “…be assertive in what we do”. Linking this phenomenon to her own experience at the interval when she was about to be named NRJ’s CEO following the passing of then CEO Winston Harrison, Miller noted, “(I had) imposter syndrome … initially, I was hesitant”, to the point where she declared to a friend, “No sir, I am not doing that job!” After a gentle admonition from that friend, and deep introspection, her confidence was boosted and she called her boss to disclose, “I think I will put my hat in the ring.” Miller shared that “when I sat back, I did know the business. There was nobody who knew the business like me … I was overqualified for the job and for me, I was the chief people’s officer … that’s what I had to learn”.

DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT THE PERSONA OF FEMALE LEADERS

Addressing concerns regarding a common notion that females in leadership typically exude a masculine persona to earn an esteemed level of success, Miller asserted, “That is not true.” Referencing some of her own qualities as a CEO, she explained, “I am assertive, but I am not masculine … what we bring to the table as women is very different.” She went further to underscore that women have not lost themselves, having learnt a long time ago how to “balance being a mother, a wife and an employee”, adding that female leaders tend to be “a lot more compassionate”.

BREAKING THE BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING GENDER PARITY IN OUR COUNTRY

In a brief pre-recorded message during the broadcast of the lecture, Patricia Duncan Sutherland, chair of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, remarked that this year’s focus was fitting, given her late mother Joan Duncan’s own efforts. As the late co-founder of JMMB Group, Joan Duncan worked to overcome stereotypical prescriptions of leadership roles in society. “It really is an apt topic because my mother, as she became a pioneer in the money market in Jamaica, had to go through a lot of barriers to become a woman in leadership (in the local financial sector).”

Noting further that when she realised that she was being paid less than her counterparts at a particular organisation where she worked, she took action.” Duncan Sutherland noted, “That is what we have to do sometimes as women to be able to move forward and to be able to break those barriers.” She urged individuals that the takeaways from the lecture should be to identify “beliefs that we have to change”, to ensure that we have “gender parity in our country, and that we can welcome our female leaders at the table”.

Dr Kevin Brown, president, University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica, in his message, noted that the “annual lecture serves as a poignant tribute in honouring the memory and legacy of Joan Duncan and celebrating her pioneering vision and passion for Jamaica’s progress and development, which she grounded in the core values of love, genuine care, integrity, honesty and openness”. Dr Brown reaffirmed UTech, Jamaica’s commitment to “continuing this great tradition”, stating that “each year, our Memorial Lecture delves into facets of JDSEEL’s mission, exploring the realms of entrepreneurship, ethics, and leadership, and shedding light on critical areas of national significance”.

This year’s lecture also featured a short documentary film on the legacy and achievements of the late money market pioneer, as well as a question-and-answer segment with the studio audience, comprising students of the JDSEEL and officers from both partner organisations.

The lecture was moderated by George Davis, executive editor, Nationwide.