WILLIAM 'BILL' CLARKE

Gleaner Honour Award Winner for Business

BANKER. LEADER. Innovator. Visionary. When the name of William 'Bill' Clarke is uttered in business circles, the words 'pioneer' and 'stalwart' immediately jump to mind. But William, you are more than just your regular garden variety banker, you are a man with an unshakeable belief in your own destiny, and a man whose sheer career-long brilliance ensures a legacy will fascinate historians for years to come.

Today, you are being honoured for the uncompromising excellence you have always exhibited in your chosen field of endeavour.

We commend you for your tireless commitment and constancy to purpose in the sometimes-fickle world of banking. You have been with one company, the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited for over 33 years, first as a teller and currently as its managing director. Mr. Clarke began working in the Discovery Bay branch of BNS straight out of school, as a teenager. He graduated from York Castle High, then joined the bank in 1968. By 1973, he had progressed through the ranks, from clerical to junior supervisory level, working in a number of branches islandwide and learning the nitty-gritty of the operation.

We applaud you for being a champion of the field of science and technology in Jamaica, and for your outstanding innovations over the course of a career spanning over three decades. Recognising that today's world is driven by technological change, Mr. Clarke dedicated his life to the old adage that the 'only thing that is constant is change'. Mr. Clarke's innovations include the three-year-old ScotiaLife insurance service which now contributes 10 per cent to the bank's bottomline; new technology that keeps the bank on the cutting edge; and the respected Scotiabank Jamaica Foundation ­ the bank's "conscience" programme ­ which has dispensed about $120 million in assistance over its four-year life, mainly in the areas of health and education.

We salute you for the challenging roles that you continue to juggle despite the strain they must exert on your private life. Mr. Clarke is the Scotiabank representative on the board of Maduro and Curiel's Bank in Curacoa, an affiliate of BNS; director of International Centre for Environment and Nuclear Sciences at Mona; council member of the University of the West Indies; president of the Jamaica Bankers' Association for the past three years, a position that gives him a seat on the executive of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica; and most recently, chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB).

When A.B. 'Tony' Lindo stepped down as managing director in 1995, Mr. Clarke was hand-picked by the Canadians from a short list of candidates to run the Jamaican bank.

Sir, we join the Canadians in their inspired choice, and salute you for your determination and excellence. We hail your brilliance and vision in the field of banking.

For these reasons, we present you with pleasure, the 2001 Gleaner Honour Award of Excellence.