Dear Editor,

I believe it is time for Prime Minister Gaston Browne and, indeed, the wider public to take a closer look at what is happening with the leadership of ACB Caribbean.

ACB Caribbean has long been regarded as an indigenous bank, an institution born in Antigua and Barbuda and one that has grown largely because of the support and confidence of the Antiguan and Barbudan people. Yet today, one cannot help but notice the apparent lack of Antiguan representation within the upper levels of the bank’s management.

A significant portion of the management team is made up of non-Antiguans. There is nothing inherently wrong with employing qualified professionals from elsewhere in the Caribbean or beyond. However, when we are speaking about an institution that proudly carries the identity of an indigenous bank, it is reasonable to ask: where are the Antiguans in its senior leadership?

Are there not qualified, experienced Antiguans capable of occupying these positions? What opportunities exist for qualified Antiguans to progress into senior leadership within the institution? And if qualified Antiguans are not adequately represented within the leadership of one of their country’s most established financial institutions, what message does that send?

This concern becomes even more important when considered alongside the dissatisfaction being expressed by many customers about the direction of the bank. There is a growing perception among members of the public that ACB Caribbean is not the institution it once was, with customers frequently expressing frustration about their experiences and the changes they have seen in recent years.

Whether management agrees with those views or not, they should not simply be dismissed. When an institution is so deeply connected to Antigua and Barbuda, its leadership should understand the local market, the culture and the expectations of the people it serves.

This is not an argument that non-Antiguans should not be employed or should not hold senior positions. It is a question of balance, opportunity and local representation.

If an indigenous Antiguan institution does not provide meaningful pathways for qualified Antiguans to rise into its highest levels of leadership, then we have to ask what being an “indigenous bank” is supposed to mean in practice.

Prime Minister Browne has spoken on numerous occasions about opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans and the importance of empowering our people. Perhaps this is an area deserving of his attention as well.

ACB Caribbean is an important national institution. Antiguans and Barbudans have supported it for generations. There is therefore nothing unreasonable about asking whether Antiguans and Barbudans are being adequately represented where some of the institution’s most important decisions are being made.

It is a conversation worth having.

A Concerned Citizen

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: Time for PM Browne and wider public to take a closer look at what is happening with the leadership of ACB Caribbean.