04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, May 20, 2016
interview After working in telecommunications marketing here in the Bahamas, Marlon Johnson pulled up sticks and moved to Belize two years ago. He tells Cara Hunt how life in Central America has affected him both professionally and personally, and how he thinks Bahamians can expand their horizons by working abroad.
Marlon Johnson W hen he left his position as vice president of sales and marketing at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in 2014, Marlon Johnson did not have any other career plans. Instead, the father of two sons and a daughter considered becoming a stayat-home dad. “My daughter was very young and I considered staying at home with her, but at the same time I did ask people
to keep an ear open for any job openings,” he told Tribune Weekend. When an opportunity to become the chief sales and marketing officer for Belize Telemedia in Central America presented itself, he thought, “Why not go for it?” He was thrilled when he got the position. “For me it was a combination of being able to have international exposure and the opportunity to work in a competitive telecom environment,” he said of the appeal of the job. Unlike BTC, which holds the
monopoly on cellular services in the Bahamas, there are several providers in Belize. “When you work in that kind of environment it means that all of your services have to be top-notch. Your customer can show you with their feet if they are not pleased. You have to be on point or your customers will walk away,” he said. Since his time at the company (he started in 2014), Belize Telemedia has seen impressive growth. According to the company’s preliminary earnings
report, the fiscal year of April 2015 to March 2016 saw revenues of some $157 million, the highest on record. This was up some $13.8 million from last year’s performance. The company’s active base of mobile customers grew by more than 25,000 active subscribers as well. Mr Johnson said he was instrumental in that increase, as he headed a successful revamped marketing and sales effort designed to provide more services for their clients. The strategy included lowering