In celebration of International Women’s Day, Fontana Pharmacy proudly shines the spotlight on one of its long-standing leaders, Leonie Harvey, store manager of the Fairview, Montego Bay location.

With over 20 years of dedicated service to the company, her journey is a powerful testament to loyalty, resilience, and the impact of strong female leadership.

Harvey began her journey with Fontana Pharmacy on July 1, 2002, as a Sales Associate. Within just six months, her exceptional work ethic and performance under the guidance of supervisors and management earned her a promotion to Supervisor. The following year, her expertise in retail led to another promotion to floor manager.

In 2013, when Fontana expanded with the opening of its Barbican location in Kingston, the then-manager, Pat Forbes, transitioned to Kingston to serve as the Barbican store manager, and Harvey was recommended for the managerial role in Montego Bay. She stepped confidently into the position and continues to lead the Fairview team with excellence today.

With nearly 17 years of retail experience before joining Fontana, having started her career in the hotel industry as a retail clerk, Harvey brought a strong foundation to her role. This experience allowed her to align seamlessly with the Fontana culture and equipped her with the professionalism and adaptability needed to navigate major challenges.

One such challenge was the passage of Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, which caused significant damage to the store and impacted several staff members, some of whom were displaced and left without electricity or water. Through difficult circumstances, Harvey led with strength, compassion, and professionalism.

Throughout her career, she has drawn inspiration from strong female mentors, including Angela Chang, founder of Fontana Pharmacy, and Pat Forbes, whose leadership helped shape her own management style.

As a female leader in a growing organisation, Harvey acknowledges that challenges such as communication gaps and ensuring employees feel appreciated can arise. Her approach to leadership focuses on cross-training, mentorship, regular team meetings, encouragement, and fostering a positive and conducive work environment. She believes that fairness, patience, understanding, and firmness are essential qualities for women aspiring to leadership roles.

Over the years, she has witnessed meaningful progress in opportunities available to women within the organisation. For young girls and women entering the workforce, her advice is clear: believe in your skills, have self-confidence, identify a mentor, be bold, and never hesitate to ask questions when in doubt.

Reflecting on her career, Harvey shares that patience is key, particularly when managing diverse personalities. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team members, she says, is critical to effective leadership. Among her proudest moments has been representing Fontana Pharmacy on special occasions, a responsibility she carries with pride.

Balancing professional and personal life remains one of the most demanding aspects of leadership. Harvey encourages setting boundaries by delegating responsibilities, taking short breaks, and avoiding work calls after hours whenever possible. She also believes other organisations can further support women through flexible working hours, training opportunities, and fair salary increases to foster true gender equality.

Her message this International Women’s Day is simple yet powerful: “Women’s power, Women must be independent, powerful, strong, and know their worth.”

Fontana Pharmacy celebrates Leonie Harvey, not only for her over two decades of service but for the example she sets as a leader, mentor, and woman of strength. Her journey reflects the opportunities available within the organisation and serves as inspiration to the next generation of women leaders.