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a new horizon for banking in The Bahamas

By Jessica robertson

A career in banking was not top of mind for Deltec Bank & Trust chief executive officer Odetta Morton when she entered university at age 16. Morton’s earliest ambitions involved becoming a paediatrician, but the best-laid plans often buckle in the presence of weightier financial ser vices group, providing through its member companies a range of private banking and fiduciar y expertise, fund administration, investment management, digital asset financial ser vices, insurance solutions, and corporate and merchant banking capabilities interests In Morton’s case, it was an internship in the finance department of a local company in her hometown of Freeport, Grand Bahama in the summer following her sophomore year that shifted the budding physician’s passion to finance, and ultimately earned her a spot on a short and distinguished list of Bahamian female banking chief executive officers.

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Taking the helm at Deltec Bank & Trust Ltd on April 1, 2019, Morton assumed responsibility for the flagship company of the Deltec International Group (DIG). Headquartered in The Bahamas, DIG is a diversified independent

Building on this foundation, Morton is concentrating on taking the bank to the next level “I’m focused on the business strategy for the continued differentiation and growth of Deltec Bank,” she says “ The priority is to leverage our strengths as we continue to invest significantly in digital and innovation strategies to deliver more value to our clients ”

Family foundation

At the beginning of her career, Morton landed a job as an associate in the Atlanta office of Lindquist Avey, a forensic accounting firm later acquired by global financial intelligence, investigations and advisor y firm Kroll. It was here that she received the foundational training in forensic accounting (specifically cases involving money laundering) and due diligence that would anchor her balanced approach to financial ser vices

“ The world of forensic accounting provided me with a solid foundation, particularly enabling me to sharpen my analytical approach, which has ser ved me well during the course of my career. ”

After three successful years in Atlanta, Morton decided to return to The Bahamas.

“I figured ‘ your gifts will make room for you ’ I appreciate that there are tonnes of opportunities in the US, but I believe in The Bahamas and I felt like I could achieve great things if I came home I didn’t feel as though I was doing a disser vice to my career by moving back.”

Her parents, both local church pastors, gave her the solid foundation to which she attributes much of her success, and remain her closest confidantes and mentors

“My dad is my voice of wisdom I call him up a lot for advice And who better to give me advice than him? He knows me best,” she says

She adds that although they are traditional in many ways, they raised her to know that she had no limitations, and to think outside the box In fact, she said they supported whatever path she chose. She returned home to take a role in the Audit and Assurance department of Deloitte where she qualified as a Certified Public Accountant and continued to work closely with financial ser vices clients.

Morton had been with Deloitte for three years when the position of assistant financial controller at Deltec, then still a relatively small private boutique bank, became available, and she was offered the role.

A few years after joining the bank she was promoted to chief accountant and then six years later, she took on the added responsibility of chief financial officer of Deltec Bank & Trust and later, CFO of DIG

In April this year, she was tapped to become Deltec Bank & Trust’s CEO.

When she was approached with the opportunity to take on that demanding position, the wife and mother of a two-year-old felt it was an incredible opportunity but acknowledges that she momentarily struggled when considering work-life balance

“I knew I had in Deltec a company that is like none other in our space, and I knew we had extraordinary talent that extends across our organization; our success has always been because of the people who work individually and collectively to drive Deltec’s accomplishments. I would have their support and the opportunity to navigate Deltec through one of the most interesting times in financial services history. How could I turn it down?”

Unique Selling Points

deltec is an independent financial services group owned by a group of client shareholders boasting:

• a conservative balance sheet –no debt, no proprietary trading, no commercial loans

• alignment of interests–owners, employees and clients invest side by side

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