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Front and centre, women were the entire agenda for Plié for the Arts, which commemorated its 10th anniversary with a signature event titled Women of Vision: In Conversation, In Creation, In Power at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

It was a national moment of recognition, reflection and gratitude across industries often viewed in isolation—law, medicine, finance, architecture, manufacturing, sport and entrepreneurship—these women have shaped modern Jamaica in tangible and lasting ways.

On Friday (February 27), they were honoured not only for distinction but also for impact; not only for breaking barriers but moreover for redefining them.

Some of the female leaders, including Lisa Lake, CEO of Lake Group, Audrey Tugwell, president and CEO of Scotia Bank Group, Isiaa Madden, principal architect and Founder of Design HQ, and Corah-Ann Robertson-Sylvester, CEO of Seaboard Freight and Shipping shared candid reflections on ambition, redirection and resilience during the ‘Women of Vision’ panel, moving beyond accolades to examine the personal journeys that shaped their success.

The discussion began when the moderator, Dr Terri-Karelle Johnson, posed a reflective question to the panel: “People see the glory, but they don’t always know the story… Where you are now — is this where you saw yourself? And if you didn’t, what would you have been doing?”

Calling first on Lake, the moderator noted that she “does not just represent one entity or one industry,” referencing her leadership across logistics, manufacturing, quick service, food, restaurants and business process outsourcing.

Lake admitted that while growth has been constant, the destination was not always clear.

“What drives me is economic development, that’s what I went to school for, and I realised quickly that what drove me within economics was the role that entrepreneurs play in driving countries, in driving businesses.”

She explained that her focus shifted toward entrepreneurship as a vehicle for national development.

“So I set myself on using entrepreneurs as a field… and I realised that to achieve prosperity, my next challenge was to continue my education and use businesses as a way to create more opportunities.”

Her response underscored a theme that would echo throughout the panel — that careers often evolve beyond their original blueprint.

Turning to Tugwell, she emphasised that where she is not is not where she had seen herself. “Honestly, I never had a bank account as a child. So I knew nothing about banking. I didn’t see myself in banking, I didn’t see myself in finance.”

Instead, she envisioned a path rooted in advocacy. “As a nine-, ten-year-old, I was more concerned around public sentiment, justice, social consciousness…as a youngster.”

Yet decades later, she reflected without regret. “Forty years on, I have absolutely no regrets, because I have found that through banking, I’ve been able to impact lives, impact society, impact communities, and impact the country.”

Her testimony reframed finance not merely as commerce, but as a platform for national impact.

The moderator then directed the question to Madden, asking whether she ever imagined designing some of Jamaica’s most prominent structures.

Her response was immediate: “No.” However, after greeting the audience, she elaborated: “I have been lucky enough to know my passion as a child, because I’ve always been artistic. So I knew that I would follow my passion along those lines.”

What she did not foresee, however, was the scale. “However, not in a million years would I have known that I would have been able to have the opportunity to design the tallest buildings in Jamaica. And I feel blessed.”

Her reflection captured the intersection of talent, timing and opportunity.

Robertson-Sylvester, on the other hand, had planned an entirely different career. She expressed wanting to be a schoolteacher. However, personal heartbreak altered that trajectory. “I had a heartbreak and got derailed. And my father said, ‘You can’t just stop. You need to get on with it.’”

Encouraged to try something new, she entered the shipping industry. “I started as a sales representative at Jamaica Freight and Shipping. And after the first month, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I felt so alive just dealing in international trade and seeing the ships and the containers and helping people.”

As the discussion drew to a close, what resonated most was not simply the titles these women hold, but the systems they are strengthening and the pathways they are widening for others. Across finance, logistics, manufacturing, food service and shipping, their insights revealed a shared commitment to discipline, innovation and long-term national development.

Collectively, they represent a generation of leaders redefining what scale, resilience, and vision look like in Jamaica’s corporate landscape. More than a celebration of individual achievement, the conversation stood as a testament to the transformative power of women who are not just participating in the economy but actively shaping its future.