think everybody
“ I should
bank with
While the acquisition can only take
place after regulatory approval
has been given, Johannes said
stakeholders are now working
through that process. However, he
remains both hopeful and thankful
for the agreement which came after
fourteen months of negotiations.
Once the transaction is completed,
Johannes said customers can
expect to see a stronger 1 st National
Bank in Saint Lucia and elsewhere
in the OECS, since the bank will
not just be adding customers to its
lengthy roster but also talent. He
expressed gratitude to the bank’s
Board of Directors and staff and
RBC for getting to this stage. He
also recognized the late Governor
of the ECCB, Sir Dwight Venner, for
continuously driving the message
of cooperation, consolidation and
amalgamation.
“Sir Dwight constantly driving that
point home to OECS bankers and
boards made our jobs a whole lot
easier to convince people that we
needed to do this,” he said.
Being the Managing Director
of Saint Lucia’s first indigenous
bank is a tasking job, no doubt.
However, when he’s not at work,
“
a winner!
on weekends, Johannes often joins
his wife on his farm to unwind. It’s
testimony to the fact that even as
he’s high up the corporate ladder,
he remains a grassroots leader in
many ways. Take, for example, his
presence on social media, especially
Facebook, where he either shares
links on financial matters or
just discusses topical issues. It’s
something many bankers would
shy away from, but he believes it’s
an essential quality for a leader to
have.
“I think that kind of advocacy
is needed,” Johannes said.
“Sometimes you can get so far
removed from the ground as a
Managing Director that you lose
touch with reality and customers.
Banking is so specialized and
doesn’t always have the best
reputation, so people don’t really
understand or appreciate what we
do. So I felt it was necessary to let
people know that banking is a noble
profession and that bankers care.
That’s why I go out of my way on
social media to defend the industry,
educate people about the industry,
and just comment on matters that
I think need to be addressed or
demystified. I just try to give back
during my free time by engaging
people.”
www.slyoumag.com | February - April 2020
As 1 st National Bank celebrates its
82 nd year in business, the bank
would have touched many lives
in a positive way, either directly
or indirectly. From being the
storehouse for the average citizen’s
pennies to a small business’s
dollars, the people’s penny bank has
proven that a homegrown financial
institution can dream, aspire
and win. Which is why Johannes
remains resolute that while winning
accolades might be a good thing,
it’s not the only thing 1 st National
Bank invests its time and energies
in.
“I think everybody should bank
with a winner,” he said. “We don’t
want the winning to stop. We’re
not in it for the accolades, but we
want to win people’s hearts and
minds. That’s what we’re here to
do. We’re here…for YOU!”
SL-YOU | It’s All About Business 55