PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Smiles lit up many faces and laughter echoed across the banking halls and offices of regional bank CIBC FirstCaribbean as management toasted its over 3000 employees.
From mouth-watering breakfast spreads and tasty lunches served by executives turned ‘chefs’ for the day to a myriad other fun-filled activities, the bank said a rousing “thank you” to staff as part of Employee Appreciation Day celebrations on Tuesday, May 28.
Executives, managers and team leaders also treated their teams to a number of educational and fun activities as well as giveaways and goodies throughout the day.
In a message to staff at the start of the day, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Colette Delaney thanked employees for their “great ideas, amazing dedication, loyalty and support that have been truly impressive and thoroughly appreciated”. She noted it was their dedication and commitment that have taken CIBC FirstCaribbean to “a remarkable position” in the region.
“As we celebrate together we, your leaders, recognize that we are only as good as the teams around us. Your personal commitment to excellence inspires us every single day. We will continue to foster an environment of mutual respect and to create opportunities for growth that make your professional journey a source of pride and satisfaction,” Ms. Delaney said.
Staff in St. Maarten took the occasion to celebrate the bank and its history by wearing former uniforms and bank colors. They also shared breakfast, received tokens of appreciation and took part in various activities including exciting rounds of charades and other games.
In the Bahamas, staff took a musical journey from the 1950s through to the 90s displaying the various dress styles that accompanied the particular music genres. Their colleagues in Barbados engaged in a number of activities including a vintage train ride through the countryside while others took in a special showing of the movie Avengers Endgame at one of the island’s cinemas at Limegrove in Holetown on the west coast.
The Jamaican team used the day to celebrate diversity. Using the country’s motto “Out of many one people”, they dressed to reflect the various ethnic groups in the country such as Africans, Chinese, Indians, Europeans and Syrians.
The Bel Jou Hotel was the venue for St. Lucia’s celebration which featured a rooftop sunset cocktail event with karaoke and board games. A tour of the Geothermal Project at Bamboo Range followed by a ‘goat cook’ and lime at Black Point Historic and Recreation Park was the staff in St Vincent celebrated their Employee Appreciation Day.
