ICWI Coverage Mar.2017

ICWI RUNS FOR THE FUN & DONATES FOR THE CAUSE

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Sigma Run 2017 Charitable Corner

Kingston City Run 2017 Health Corner What Is Mindfulness? (And What Does It Mean To You?)

ICWI’s 2017 – 2019 Uniforms Exciting News!

ICWI Now Serving Nevis Profile on Anthony Marcelin

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ICWI’s Got Talent Tribute to Jeanne Robinson Staff Movements January - March 2017

Retiree

Gerard Mendez

Theme Friday Trinidad & Tobago Renovated office Upcoming Events

Sigma Run 2017 Charitable Corner

The Sagicor SIGMA Corporate Run with the Theme: “Run

cares for abandoned children and babies, Mandeville Regional

for the fun, donate for the cause”, is a unique road-running

Hospital Pediatric Unit and Spanish Town Hospital Pediatric

event designed to inspire fun, fitness and camaraderie among

Unit.

Jamaica’s business community. On Sunday morning, February 19th at 7:30, walkers, runners and wheelchair competitors from over 200 companies participated in what has become

Congratulations to the following persons who participated and finished top 5 for Team ICWI:

an annual tradition and undisputedly, the Caribbean’s

MALES:

largest road race. The event is a 5.5 Km run that is open to

Miguel Palmer

27:59

Janique Smith

Kris Mendes

28:52

Dikoda Davis

participants of all fitness levels.

This year is the 19th staging of the Sagicor Sigma 5K Run

FEMALES:

Christopher Davis 29:04

35:10

36:21

Orleen Henlon-Haughton

39:50

Kirk McGrath

34:32

Chantal Cameron

39:59

Drayon Bailey

34:53

Jonelle Alston

40:22

where they garnered a whopping $50.5 million in funds for charity. The money raised will be shared among three beneficiaries that provide care and support for Jamaica’s children - The beneficiaries are Bethlehem Home, which 3

Kingston City Run 2017 The fourth staging of the Kingston City Run, which features a Half Marathon, a 10K and a 5K race was held on Sunday, March 12, and started in New Kingston at 5:45 a.m. The event was under the theme: “Heroes Run Di City”. The Run’s

Congratulation to all the persons who participated

major charity focus was the homeless in Jamaica. Funds raised

in the Run:

assisted five main institutions: Open Arms Drop-In Centre, Marie Atkins Night Shelter, Food for the Poor, Alpha Institute and Missionaries of the Poor. Think you can manage a 10K or a Half Marathon next year? Come on out and show us what you can do!

In the middle is, Jonelle Alston, from the MIS Department feeling stronger after finishing the 10K.

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5K Run Omari Bogle 33:49 Kris Mendes 33:55 Jordan Nunes 38:46 Orleen Haughton 45:22 Janique Smith 52:12

Chantalle Jones 55:14 Dikoda Davis 59:26

10K Run Kirk McGrath 1:18:59 Jonelle Alston 1:19:00

Health Corner What Is Mindfulness?

(And What Does It Mean To You?)

Have you ever driven your car somewhere and arrived

What Is Mindfulness?

at your destination only to realise you remember nothing

Mindfulness is the opposite of mindlessness.

about your journey? Or started eating a packet of chips and

Jon Kabat Zinn defines mindfulness as:

then suddenly noticed all you had left in your hands was an

“Paying attention;

empty packet? Most of us have!

On purpose, in the present moment , and

These are some common examples of ‘mindlessness’ – A

non-judgmentally.”

state we also often refer to as being on ‘autopilot.’ When

This definition allows us to see exactly what the

we slip into autopilot (and research shows that the average

components of mindfulness are, and that there are three

person is in autopilot 47% of the time) our attention is

specific ways in which our attention ‘shifts gears’ when we

absorbed in our wandering minds and we are not really

practice mindfulness.

Extracted from https://mrsmindfulness.com/what-is-mindfulness

‘present’ in our own lives. Some teachers talk about autopilot as being a dreamlike state because in that mode

Firstly, our attention is held… On Purpose

we’re simply not fully ‘there’ in that moment.

Mindfulness involves the conscious and deliberate direction

In this busy, hyper connected world we live in, it’s all too

of our attention.

easy to lose ourselves in autopilot for much of the day…

When we’re on autopilot our attention is being swept up by

every day.

a never ending (and not always positive) current of thought processes but when we’re mindful we ‘wake up’ and step

Living this way, we often fail to notice the beauty of life, fail

out of that current, placing attention where we choose.

to hear what our bodies are telling us and we all too often become stuck in mechanical conditioned ways of thinking

Secondly, our attention is immersed… In The Present

and living that may be harmful to ourselves or others. We

Moment

also become vulnerable to anxiety, stress, depression and

If we leave it to its own devices, our mind habitually wanders

reactivity. Research shows that the more our minds wander,

away from the present moment. It constantly gets caught up

the less happy we are.

in the replaying the past and the projecting into the future. In other words, we’re very rarely fully present in the moment.

Mindful attention, however, is completely engaged in the 5

present moment experience – the here and now. We let go

•

It improves health and boosts immunity.

of the tension caused by wanting things to be different, the

•

It creates clearer, more focused thinking and improves efficiency at work and at home.

tension of constantly wanting more, and instead we accept the present moment as it is.

•

It improves confidence and emotional resilience.

•

It reduces compulsive and addictive tendencies and

And third, our attention is held… Non Judgmentally

has also been shown to work better than any diet for

When practicing mindfulness we’re not aiming to control or

effective long-term weight loss.

suppress or stop our thoughts.

•

It turns out to also be the single most important

We simply aim to pay attention to our experiences as they

determining factor in whether or not you will be happy

arise without judging or labelling them in any way.

in your life (once your survival needs are met).

In other words, the more mindful you are, the

How Do You Practice Mindfulness?

There are two forms of mindfulness practice. The first is the formal practice of mindfulness, which is commonly referred to as meditation.

A meditation practice is commonly done sitting, usually with eyes closed, but can also be done lying down or even walking. Some meditation practices also involve mantra (sound) or movement.

The informal practice is the rest of your life! You see, anything we do in daily life with full awareness can be said to be mindfulness practice. You can do the dishes mindfully, wait at the traffic lights or go for your morning walk mindfully. Any routine activity can be made into a mindfulness practice when you bring your full attention to it.

What Can Mindfulness Do For You? •

It reduces stress, anxiety and other destructive emotions.

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It reduces depression.

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It reduces insomnia, increases your sense of well-being, reduces lethargy and increases energy both mentally and physically.

•

It is very effective for pain management.

•

It sharpens your memory and increases your focus and attention.

•

It improves your emotional and social intelligence, develops your empathy and compassion and is shown to improve relationships.

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happier you are.

ICWI’s

2017 – 2019 UNIFORMS Plum, khaki, navy combined with chambray blue, grape harvest, pink orchid, aubergine and moonlight with white; these are the colours of ICWI’s new uniforms.

On the 27th of February, members of staff were outfitted in their new uniforms. It was an attractive blend of colours and several persons attempted to show off their creativity by wearing matching accessories, shoes, handbags and make-up.

The design of the suiting remains the same as last year. The dress however no longer has a slit to the back of the sleeves and now includes faux pockets that give the new uniform a conservative and professional appearance. A number of staff members have commented that they are in favour of the new dress design.

Initially, there were concerns regarding how to appropriately blend the new uniform colours, however, after the trial and error process - where the mixing did not work so well - a few members of staff quickly learned how to make it work. One staff member said, “I love my plum uniform, I would wear it every day.” (Assuming it would be washed every day).

For those of you who are still not sure how to be creative with the new uniform pattern, you can use the photos below as a guide. Be professional, be creative and make it pop!

EXCITING NEWS! Click & Go is now live in St. Kitts, Cayman and St. Maarten!

Don’t forget to spread the word to customers, friends and family of the incredible convenience which Click & Go offers – the ability for us to serve our customers #anytime, from #anywhere. #servingyouisallwedo.

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ICWI NOW SERVING

N E V I S Sales representative Dijan Jack officially launched his insurance office in Nevis on January 19th. Mr. Jack is ICWI’s representative on the island.

From left to right: Marketing Representative Dijaun Jack, Heather Lanigan, Premier of Nevis Vance Amory, Paul Lalor, and Samantha Samuda

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PROFILE ON

Anthony Marcelin

MARKETING AGENT - TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Anthony Marcelin joined ICWI as a Marketing Agent in May 2016. Below he talks about his experience with ICWI. Integral to the Management of Human Resources is the ability

Sometimes the journey is not as important as who you

to identify potential within a resource, visualize strengths &

undertake the journey with. Success as an Agent as in

weaknesses an individual did not even know existed in them

any pursuit requires some dedicated hours, the laying of

and develop upon that vision, I feel strongly that I am a

groundwork, and the creation of effective synergy. I thank

beneficiary of just such an endeavor with ICWI.

the team that worked with me; their commitment to ICWI has lent itself to the gains of this Agency, and a lot of what I

I would often scoff at the notion of a career in the Insurance

have achieved must be credited to them.Â

Industry, and when approached initially, I was quite hesitant however, the more I thought about it, the more I began to

More than anything, I owe the success I attain to God, and it

give it serious consideration.

has been His hand that continually guides me each and every step of the way.

Fast forward to 2017, it has not been a year yet and already, I am seeing significant progress in my career. The

Even though it has only been a short time, 2017 has seen

last few months have been exciting and such a vast learning

significant gains and benefits across the board and as ICWI’s

experience. Management has always been there to advise and

footprint becomes more apparent in T&T we will continue to

guide me and at times, correct me with positive criticism.

go from strength to strength.

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Shellane

McFarlane

Accounts Clerk, Head Office

ASPIRING FASHION DESIGNER Shellane McFarlane has been employed to ICWI since April 2014, in the Finance Department. Shellane was inspired as a child to be a fashion designer when her aunt made her a pair of shorts by hand. She was also influenced by her mother who also sewed.

Shellane pursued Clothing & Textile at Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls and achievced a grade 1 in CXC. Thereafter, she pursued a B.Ed. TVET in Apparel Design, Production & Management at the University of Technology. In addition, Shellane is a self-taught crochet designer.

In 2012, Shellane participated in Jamaica’s Mission Catwalk and she found it to be a fun learning experience. She was challenged to design on the go, work under pressure and cooperate with others. Shellane finished 13th in the competition.

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Jeanne Robinson Tribute to

succeeded in creating confidence in situations, and in others around them.

She was a passionate communicator and she just loved life!

She possessed many virtues not the least of which was great tact and an ability to diffuse uncomfortably formal moments with infectious laughter.

Her death leaves a gap not only at the ICWI Group but in the ranks of all those she motivated, mentored and inspired.

Generations of staff at ICWI are in her debt. She had a passion for helping young people achieve their potential. If she sensed someone was having a problem which could affect their performance she would take that person under her wing until the obstacle was removed. As a result, it was decided to make this an official role for her. Thus she became both

For the past 30 years, Mrs. Rob, as she was affectionately

a confidante and an advocate for staff. When someone was

called, was Executive Director of the ICWI Group Foundation

needed to take over the responsibility for training, Mrs. Rob

where her education, international experience and self

was the obvious choice. She fought for

reliance served her in good stead. There she brought her

when anything went wrong, their

considerable talents and enormous energy to bear on

success was her success - it

science in early education through sports and drama with

was very personal for

the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and

her.

her students

everyday life through the ‘SMILE’ programme jointly with the Miami Institute of Science, and many other initiatives driven

We

miss

by her creativity and resourcefulness.

already

and

passing

has

her her left

Throughout her life she was also an active volunteer for the

a huge hole in our

interests of the special needs.

hearts. Sleep well, JR.

Mrs. Rob was a straight forward individual, given to unrecorded acts of generosity and with the ability to see problems in

- An excerpt from the Chairman’s

the light of farce rather than tragedy. Always unassuming

tribute.

and never one to be in the public eye, Mrs. Rob belonged to the generation of scholars and women executives who 11

Staff Movements Januar y - March 2017

ABOARD We welcome the following persons to the ICWI family and hope their stay will be a long and happy one.

Shellesa Smith

Kadian Byfield

Tashana Binns

Khalil Henry

Finance Department

Finance Department

Mandeville Branch

MIS Department

Sashoney McCleary

Jason Dacres

Finance Department

Customer Service – Broker

Russhane Flemming

Corinthia Griffiths

Mandeville Branch

Claims Department

CONDOLENCES

DEPARTURES Janine Fisher

Ellice Johnson

Broker Marketing

Montego Bay Branch

Verna Owen

Marvia Walker Garwood

Portmore Branch

Montego Bay Branch

loved ones:

Sunil Jiandani

We wish them all the best in their future undertakings.

Ena Mulchan (Trinidad & Tobago) on

St. Maarten

Our deepest sympathies to the following members of staff on the passing of their

the passing of her husband Tawny Hylton (Claims Department) on the passing of her Grandmother Vennice Stennett-Clarke

Congratulations to the following member of staff: Suzette Radlein daughter (Leah)

(Customer Care) on the passing of her Grandmother and Grandfather Catherine Weekes (St. Kitts) on the passing of her father “When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a wonderful treasure to always hold in your heart .”

- Author Unknown

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RETIREE Gerard Mendez has been an integral part

ICWI, as his hard work and diligence have

of the ICWI family for over seven years.

greatly benefited ICWI especially during the

He served in the capacity of Vice President

acquisition of Great Northern Insurance

of Business Development and Country

Company.

Head of the Trinidad and Tobago Branch.

For those who worked with Mr. Mendez, it was truly a pleasure, and we are confident

Gerard Mendez Trinidad & Tobago

On 31 January 2017 he retired,

that he will find the same success and

and continued with the company,

happiness in retirement that he experienced

on contract, until 31 March 2017.

during his time here.

Gerard will be missed by all of us at

Have a fun and fruitful retirement!

THEME FRIDAYS Once again, the Claims Department decided to have a little fun with another of their “Theme Friday” events on March 31. This time however, the excitement proved to be contagious and the Customer Service Department decided to join in on the festivities. The theme was “Face Off ” and members of both departments wore masks which ranged from the colourful and cute, to scary or just plain weird.

The Customer Service Department also held a games night that evening, playing Dominoes, Taboo and Pictionary while listening to music to unwind. Here are some of the photos that were taken.

Trinidad & Tobago Renovated office

UPCOMING EVENTS Annual Awards function

Monday, 22 May 2017, at the Pegasus Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5 13

“Serving you...is all we do”

2 St. Lucia Avenue Kingston 5 Jamaica W.I. Tel: (876) 926-9040-7 Fax: (876) 960-6918 direct@icwi.com www.icwi.com