Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture Seeks to Reshape the Conversation on Women in Leadership

The 11th staging of the Joan Duncan Memorial lecture will delve into the topic, “EmpowHer - Women in Leadership: Reshaping the Conversation,” on Sunday, May 19 at 3:30 p.m. during the live broadcast on TVJ.  The event, which is organized by the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership (JDSEEL) in partnership with JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, will examine the evolving landscape of women in leadership and the challenges, opportunities and enduring legacy created by trailblazing female leaders as key decision-makers. 

Martha Miller, CEO of National Rums of Jamaica and first female CEO in the local rum industry, will be the guest speaker at this year’s staging of the lecture. She will share pointers from her personal and professional journey of navigating her way to the helm in the male-dominated rum industry. In giving some insight into her lecture, Miller outlined that her success has been largely rooted her ability to leverage opportunities, providing value and the support of her team and family. Ahead of the lecture, she shared that she is looking forward to inspiring individuals, especially females, to overcome their fears and other obstacles and play a key role in shaping all spheres of life whether at the community level, organizational level or national level. Adding that the conversation of inclusive leadership is one that needs men at the ‘proverbial table’ to ensure a balanced conversation and perspective. 

Dr. Kevin Brown, president of University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica, emphasized the significance of this year's lecture, noting, “it will illuminate the challenges and opportunities confronting women business leaders in our country.” While also, “recognize the pivotal role women leaders, like the trailblazer, (the late) Joan Duncan, played in shaping our business landscape and paving the way for success."

Kim Mair, CEO of JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation in underscoring his point, outlined that this year’s theme is apt, as the lecture pays homage to the late co-founder of JMMB, who was the pioneer of the money market industry in Jamaica. “The legacy created by our late co-founder, Joan Duncan, who was an unconventional leader in a then male-dominated space has helped to create room for other women to take their place at the C-suite in the financial sector and beyond. We are humbled that the legacy of possibility and purpose that she has left will be expounded on by another trailblazing woman in the form of Martha Miller, during the lecture.” 

Women in Leadership – Setting the Context for Development & Growth
According to a 2017 International Labor Organization (ILO) study, Jamaica is among the countries with the highest number of women in management positions, with approximately 50%, while at the top executive level women represent 33%. This is in line with the global research forum Catalyst 2021 Women In Management study, which outlined that women accounted for 31% of senior-management roles, while 26 per cent of CEOs and managing directors were women. 

Prince Graham-Haynes, head of JDSEEL noted that in reshaping the conversation on women in leadership, emphasis should be placed on the critical mass considered globally to yield positive gains for gender diversity and impact economic empowerment and sustainable development. He pointed to the positive impact of women in leadership in business and the strides that Jamaica has made in gender diversity noting, “The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Jamaica report 2021/22, which was undertaken locally by UTech researchers, highlighted the growing influence and impact women entrepreneurs are having in the industry despite entrenched institutional obstacles. The role of women in leadership has been at the forefront of the discussion over recent years and this lecture is intended to further add to that discussion and provide actionable steps for key stakeholders to consider, in pushing the agenda of sustainable development and economic growth against a gender diversified labour force at all levels.” 

This year’s memorial lecture, underscores the dedication of the organizing committee to fostering knowledge and bringing topical issues to the fore to further interrogation and share practical strategies, as evidenced by the range of topics explored over the years including: digital entrepreneurship; leadership in crisis, sports and entrepreneurship, among other issues.  The event targets all stakeholders in private and public sector and leaders across all ‘walks of life’ urging them to create a collaborative environment that fosters gender diversity to the benefit of the organization’s goals. Patricia Sutherland, chairman of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, shared that in following her mother’s footsteps as a woman leader and advocate of gender parity in Jamaica, her hope is that this lecture will also empower and inspire women leaders to follow the example set by the late corporate leader and make a positive impact as decision-makers in their respective fields.