Source: Date: Updated: |
TheBahamasInvestor.com
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 Wednesday, December 28, 2011 |
A leading light in the Bahamas financial services community, Antoinette Russell was the first woman and the first Bahamian to achieve the position of trust centre head and local managing director at Credit Suisse Trust Ltd.
Growing up in Nassau, Russell worked hard to get the requisite qualifications to achieve success in the sector, obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and later the Trust and Estate Planning (TEP) and Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (BACO) designations.
“Being qualified in the financial services industry is somewhat challenging, as one constantly has to stay on top of the changing environment,” says Russell.
Discovering a passion for trust management, Russell’s career saw her take roles at several top international companies, including renowned institutions such as Chase Manhattan Trust, and Mossack Fonseca, culminating with her engagement at Credit Suisse in 2000 as the head of trust services. In 2009, she was appointed as trust centre head for Credit Suisse.
Russell says that her management style is “democratic and participative.” She spends a lot time mentoring young people through participation in The Credit Suisse Group Mentoring Program and the work she does with the Bahamas Institute of Financial Services’ G12 Program, and developing the skills of the members of her team.
“Watching persons develop and grow into their roles and rise to the top is the most gratifying part of my job,” she says
Read the entire Executive Focus feature in the new issue of The Bahamas Investor out January 1, 2012.