On August 16, 2002, Susan Dore retired from the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago where she had been General Manager Human Resources for the last five years of her working life. A career which started with one letter of application in 1964 to Barclays Bank DCO and was to last for 38 exciting years through the bank's becoming local as Republic Bank and a merger with the Bank of Commerce. Looking at this very pleasant woman's resume, gives an impression of someone who has not experienced much change in her life. When the details are heard, it adds up to someone who saw no need to change the things which brought her much enjoyment in a very full and challenging life.
Susan went to one school from age five, St Theresa's Intermediate Roman Catholic School; worked with one bank from age 18; and attended only Miss Roberts' Rockley School of Music from age four to Grade VIII. "I would see the children going down Carlos Street and my mother said they were going to music lessons. I begged to go and my late godfather, Uncle Ken Borde, said he would pay for my lessons." She has been a member of one choral group, the Marionettes from 1965 to the present time and has only recently handed over as lead accompanist to Enrique Ali. It is only in hockey that there was a change of clubs from Mico Rangers to "a bank side" Eagles and then Magnolias.
Susan David graduated from St Theresa's in 1964 in what she terms " the glory days when you went to school in your area and walked to and from four times a day." In December 1963 she completed the Senior Cambridge examination. The CXC exams would start six months later and rather than wait for the changeover to A levels, Susan elected to do over the CXC exams. "So it worked out that I was among the last Senior Cambridge students and the first for CXC."
She joined Barclays in September 1964 as a junior clerk in the Trust Department. In 1970 the English started going back home and she became the first female administrator in Barclays Trust moving in 1979 to the post of Trust Officer. Realising that she could go no further for the time being in that department, Susan exercised her options and filled a vacancy for a senior in the Human Resources Department, In 1983, she was appointed Personnel Manager. In retrospect says this very professional woman "everytime I have got a promotion it came as a shock because wherever I was, I was contented and just did everything to the best of my ability."
Came the restructuring of the bank and in July 1989 Susan was made Manager Operations of the Independence Square Branch of Republic Bank. "I knew the core business of the bank but had never worked in a branch, but told myself the focus really was on managing people like I had done in Human Resources. I did not sleep the night before going to Independence Square. With the restructuring, the Operations Manager had to understand everything as there was nobody to report to. I has never forgotten the experience of the arrival of the auditors just two months into my learning experience. It was hard, hard, hard, but I went at it by the book so that by the next time they came we got an above standard audit."
"Independence Branch was the highlight of my career. It was totally different on an awesome scale as here I was managing 120 staff." But with her warm smile she shrugged " by the time I left Independence Square I was in control. The staff grew to understand me and that it could be great fun, but when we have to do this let's do it. I was consistent even though stern and strict and always tried to help them along, it was really a wonderful, wonderful experience."
In January 1997 Dore was sent across to the Bank of Commerce, which was about to merge with Republic, as Assistant General Manager Human Resource and Administration, to help with the gradual shift to the Republic way. She had done the first part of the banking exams but never did complete the diploma. But she was sent by the bank to the University of Michigan Business School for the Advanced Human Resource Executive Programme. And then to England for three weeks to get a feel for some of their programmes, and that is where she discovered the Youth Link Apprentice Programme which was adopted by Republic Bank in the 1980's and continues to this day.
After the October 1, 1997 merger, Susan was promoted to General Manager Human Resources in charge of the merged HR departments.
Five years later on August 16, 2002, Susan Dore went into retirement. Looking back says Dore "I had a great time. Maybe I could have gone on to sixty but I always liked the idea of retiring when you have life in you."
Besides mothering two daughters, Melissa (20) and Rebekah (18), Susan, who has always maintained her love of the piano and music generally, has been in winners row in the Music Festival and still attends Marionettes practice sessions every Tuesday and Thursday night.
"Life was a ball" says Susan as "I was also playing first class hockey and some minor tournaments at national level. Here my timing was off because I could never make the national team before Claudia Applewhaite. But I went as an observer to World Tournaments in Scotland and Vancouver. I was also Treasurer and an ordinary member of the Executive of the Trinidad & Tobago Women's Hockey Association."
How did she do it all as a wife and mother of Melissa ( 20) and Rebekah (18)? "If you are interested in something you just do it, also remember by the time the children came Ian was a very supportive husband, and my mother who was still alive took my place anytime I had to be absent on bank or choir business."
The highpoints never seem to end in this 55 year old woman's life as she suddenly remembered " I was 15 at St Theresa's when the church organist went away for three months. One of the nuns told me I would be standing in for Mr Ferreira and sent me over for a crash course. He showed me how to work the stops etc and although I have never learned the pedals which really makes a big difference, I have played for funerals, weddings and of course Mass."