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AMCHAM’s New President Leads Through Collaboration and Transformation
The CSR's Conscious Leader
Caroline Toni Sirju-Ramnarine is the newly appointed president of AmCham Trinidad and Tobago where she aims to bring her industry experience as a collaborator and transformer to the Chamber’s trade agenda. Having initiated an MOU with the Georgetown sister Chamber to increase in-trade flows between members and by extension the economies of both countries, she hopes to unlock value for both business communities. An engineer by training, as a leader at Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago for just about 16 years, she’s at the top of the industry and looking to contribute on the national level.
Collaboration
Philosophically I am a bridge builder, and that colours everything I set my mind too. AmCham is no different. I see my role in this as a facilitator of regional integration. The world needs to harness our human capital and build upon the strength that diversity provides. As Caribbean people, we have the strength of diversity which fosters many unique perspectives and many opportunities. I believe we can each use our experiences and skills to build a stronger, more integrated and resilient Caribbean, beginning with how we provide goods and services to each other.
T&T was instrumental in establishing AmCham Guyana and helping that chamber to grow. Guyana is on the cusp of GDP growth that will exceed anything anywhere else in the world.
It makes sense to reconnect AmCham TT and AmCham Guyana at this juncture. I am confident that the MOU we have signed to collaborate on some specific items, will set the precedent for wider regional cooperation. We have 25 chambers in the Caribbean and Latin America with objectives such as: to strengthen trade and discourse; attract foreign direct investment; facilitate ease of doing business in the region; provide value added jobs.
The first step towards this direction is cooperation. As a united region, we can be extremely powerful.
Transformation
The pandemic has delivered some positives in spite of the many disruptions and stresses to the economy. Certainly, we are witnessing an acceleration in the use of technology to enhance the ease of doing business in country. We also need to be more forward thinking in how we equip people for the energy transition as we confront diminishing hydrocarbon resources and look towards new energy sources. Harnessing human capital and increasing diversity and inclusion requires putting our heads together and working together towards this common goal of the betterment not only for the energy sector but for regional economies and the betterment of all Caribbean peoples. At a regional level, we need to bring our unique perspectives to the table and engage with the wider community to create clarity on what the future will look like.
As the energy industry continues to evolve, we need to be always learning, adapting and changing to remain globally competitive. This means setting global standards, aggressively embracing digital technology, and making continuous improvement part of how we work. But the journey is not only about operational efficiencies, it is mostly about the people. We need to retool and reskill people for an industry that is rapidly changing due to the pressing need for climate change adaptation. Those skills should be part of the early school curricula and up the education value chain. Atlantic has been at the forefront of this. The company is in the process of outfitting a Future Skills Centre with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); renewable technology and entrepreneurship.
AMCHAM
At AMCHAM, we are led by principles and companies that practise good governance. We continue to build on the work of the last 30 years. Our membership is committed to initiatives for recovery after the pandemic starting with support for the vaccination programme. We have projects to embed transparency and the rule of law. We actively seek to develop the tech sector and the future workforce.
We have a focus on technology as a huge enabler. We believe that AMCHAM, with corporate support could help make Trinidad and Tobago the tech hub for the region. We need to encourage the innovators and entrepreneurial developers to connect with business. We can be the virtual gateway to the Americas, nurturing global competitiveness. Technology is an area for advocacy with youth. We have the annual tech hub islands summit (this) conference; and in partnership with Google, we stage the BreakBeatCode Hackathon, which teaches coding to adolescents. It’s a great time to be part of the Chamber.
The Future
I don’t see where I am, or where I am heading, as a destination. I find that as we grow older, our perspectives and aspirations change. In the early years, it’s all about yourself, your goals, your career; later on, the focus is on family. Eventually, we see our place in the community and understand the larger contributions that are possible and needed for the country and the region.
One of my great satisfactions comes from mentoring young people at the time when they may be ambitious but confused. It may not be a visible or tangible good; and there’s no thought of a return; but I enjoy being a sounding board, helping young people through their issues. Mentorship gives me a sense of fulfilment. I believe I have a duty to contribute to the greater good. That goes beyond a place or position in any company or organisation.
Balance
I am an early riser, 4.30. When I became a mom, I just didn’t have time to read anymore – except children’s stories. I’ve always loved reading and I’ve rediscovered books in the pandemic. My release is reading fiction, and I read three books a week. In the early morning, I read the newspapers, global news, any documents I may have to review. It’s a quiet time for me.
Meetings sometimes start at 7am and often continue through the day until 5pm. I try to have breakfast with my family, and lunch and dinner as far as possible with them. My husband and I are parents to three teenagers and our dog Tibbles. I also try to get some daily gardening in - even if it’s just for 10 to 15 minutes in the morning or evening. I find it quite therapeutic.
For the two months since I took on the position of President of AMCHAM TT, I have been managing to bring better balance to my professional and personal life through better time management. Yes, the presidency has added to my meeting schedule, and I do spend more time in front of the computer - but it’s virtual. Imagine if I had to be moving around through traffic. Hopefully, we have made a leap forward in virtual meetings as more and more people are becoming comfortable with the world of remote work.
“ We need to retool and reskill people for an industry that is rapidly changing due to the pressing need for climate change adaptation.”
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