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Last month Sheree Martin was appointed as interim CEO of NCB Jamaica, replacing Bruce Bowen. 

She has been with the institution for 25 years and has experience in all aspects of banking. Sheree Martin would know the culture of NCB and would have had a first row seat at all the changes and developments made over the years, particularly NCB’s ascent to becoming Jamaica’s leading financial institution.

Some have reasoned that she is the ideal candidate to lead NCB Jamaica and should not simply be an interim head but be given the responsibility to place NCB Jamaica in an unassailable position.

On Friday, she addressed shareholders for the first time as the head of NCB Jamaica. Below is what she said : 

Chairman, Group CEO, Directors, shareholders, regulators, stakeholders and all fellow employees within NCB – good morning.

In keeping with our parent NCBFG’s deepening philosophy articulated as EGC, the Bank’s responsibility is clear: sustain financial strength, deepen customer trust, reinforce governance discipline and execute with consistency.

•       At NCBJ, our first priority is financial soundness and risk management.

Over the past year, we have deepened our focus on capital protection, liquidity resilience and asset quality oversight. Credit discipline has been sharpened. Risk governance structures have been strengthened across business lines, control functions and technology delivery. In a global environment that remains uncertain and increasingly complex, prudence remains central to how we operate – because a sound Bank is the foundation of every promise we make to our customers.

•       Second, we are placing the customer at the centre of everything we do.

We are investing in a transformed customer experience – one that is faster, more intuitive and more responsive. We are listening more closely to our customers through enhanced feedback channels and using those insights to redesign journeys across branches, digital platforms and contact centres. Our commitment is to make every interaction with NCB simpler, more seamless and more personal. Customer satisfaction is not an aspiration – it is a performance metric we will hold ourselves accountable to.

•       Third, we are advancing operational discipline and structural efficiency.

Through projects and related initiatives, we are embedding cost transparency, process simplification and data-driven prioritisation across the organisation. Critically, we are channelling the efficiency gains back into the areas that matter most to customers – faster service turnaround, improved digital capabilities and more accessible products. Sustainable growth depends on a platform that is lean, controlled and well-governed, and that delivers real value to the people we serve.

•       Fourth, we are strengthening the execution framework of the Bank.

That includes reinforcing accountability and execution excellence at all levels, clarifying performance standards, and ensuring alignment between risk appetite, customer outcomes and financial returns. We are embedding customer impact into how we measure performance – because sustainable performance must be repeatable, controlled and ultimately felt by the customers we serve.

•       At the same time, we will continue to modernise our Sales and Service Model.

Growth, for us, is not pursued at the expense of discipline. It is pursued within defined risk parameters, supported by improved analytics, stronger customer engagement and consistent service delivery. We are equipping our teams with better tools and training so that every customer touchpoint reflects the standard of care and professionalism that NCB stands for.

So why is the future bright for NCBJ?

• Because the Bank is operating from a position of strengthened capital and liquidity.
• Because governance has been reinforced, not relaxed.
• Because we are building a customer experience that earns loyalty – not just transactions.
• Because execution discipline is improving across risk, operations and leadership.
• And because the Group’s declining interest costs and improving subsidiary earnings create a more stable financial ecosystem in which the Bank operates.

Our team at NCBJ is not focused on acceleration without control. We are focused on sustainable growth built on strong fundamentals and a relentless commitment to our customers.

That is how we protect depositors.

That is how we serve customers responsibly.

That is how we earn trust – every day, in every interaction.

And that is how we create enduring value for shareholders.

Thank you.