Scotiabank celebrated its 20th anniversary in Portmore on June 14, marking two decades of dedicated service and continuous support with a special event that underscored its long-standing commitment to the ‘Sunshine City’.

Since establishing its presence in Portmore in 2004, Scotiabank has been a pioneering force, a witness to – and a part of – the area’s remarkable development into a thriving community.

The event, held at the bank’s Portmore branch, featured distinguished guests including Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas; Scotia Group president and CEO, Audrey Tugwell Henry; executive vice president of retail banking, Perrin Gayle; and Christopher Samuels, district vice president.

A commemorative plaque was also unveiled to honour the branch’s two decades of service and contributions to the community.

When the branch opened its doors in 2004, the surrounding area was still in its early stages of growth. Scotiabank has remained a constant presence throughout this period, witnessing the community’s evolution into a vibrant hub.

Tugwell Henry reflected on the bank’s journey in Portmore, sharing, “I am so proud to stand here this evening. I recall when we opened this branch, and I cannot believe it was 20 years ago – there were no commercial activities in this part of Portmore, and now we are in a fully developed area that could be considered the centre of Portmore.”

“We are proud to be part of a global institution that has made Jamaica home. Jamaica was the first country where Scotiabank set up operations outside of North America, 135 years ago. We have remained as the Scotia Group on this soil for 135 years and we continue to expand. We are so proud to be in Portmore, building this community. I want to thank the staff for their continued support and hard work. And to our clients, we could not have been here for 20 years without you,” she continued.

Scotiabank has always strived to go beyond the traditional role of a bank and has made significant investments to enhance service offerings and ensure the ever-changing needs of clients are met.

Mayor Thomas acknowledged Scotiabank’s pivotal role in the community’s development.

Speaking during the formalities the mayor shared, “The Sunshine City is a place to be and to invest in. There was a time when nobody wanted to invest in this area (Cookson Pen), but Scotiabank made a bold step to invest 20 years ago. When they made the application to construct the building here I was happy that I was part of the team to hold my hand up to grant approval for this development. Scotia, you are the trailblazer and the investment that you have done here is a good one. This bit of Portmore is the hub, and you’ve placed yourself right in the centre. I am here to work with you and other developers to build Portmore into a place where people want to live, work, create families, and do business.”

The celebration also included the ceremonial changing of the guard, welcoming Nazaree Baker as the incoming branch manager whilst lauding the efforts and legacy left behind by outgoing branch manager, Derek Palmer. 

Baker expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, “I am truly honoured and excited to be taking the baton, and I look forward to continuing the exemplary work that Derek Palmer has done in making Scotiabank Jamaica such a valuable member of the Portmore community. It is indeed a pleasure to be a part of this Portmore family and I can already envision the magnificent things that we are going to accomplish together. My vision is to build on our strong foundation, embracing innovation and fostering deeper connections with this valuable community.”