Pacific dream: reflections from a 30-year career. Thanks Mum.

My interview was scheduled for Friday, 11:00am. The transport arrived with half an hour to spare. My damp wetsuit showed through my corduroy pants. I was looking for an excuse not to make the interview.

My mother had other ideas. She waited for me at the bus stop. In a bag were Dad's clothes, a sulu - similar to a sarong but with pockets - a Bula shirt and his sandals. My tough guy image died a fast death. I was marched to a public toilet and walked to the ANZ Lautoka branch for my interview.

I started in my new job the following Monday, 10 January 1992: 30-years ago.

Historic changes

The banking landscape was undergoing its lion’s share of turmoil when I joined.

Just seven years earlier, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group limited (ANZ) acquired British Bank Barclay’s operations in Fiji.

In 1992, ANZ was finalising its takeover of Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) operations in Fiji.

Sometime later, in October 2001, I was part of the Marketing team when ANZ announced acquiring the Bank of Hawaii’s (BOH) operations in Fiji, further consolidating ANZ’s leading position in retail and commercial banking in the Pacific region.

In 2010, ANZ underwent a significant brand change with the Fiji Marketing team deeply involved in this global effort.

But over the years three tectonic shifts in the Pacific haven't gone by unnoticed.

In my view, these are:   

1.     Attitude 

2.     Digitalisation

3.     Talent

Circling back

COVID has been extremely brutal for everyone, I sadly lost my two most ardent supporters – my parents. In retrospect, my mother’s decision 30-years ago is one I’ve never regretted. Being a schoolteacher, she left a legacy to learn. As a staunch woman of faith, she helped develop a keen sense of perception. As a mother, she taught us to put others before self.

If family became a cornerstone to anchor one down coherently, cultural identity provided a blank canvas to express oneself. The culture I proudly represent is as complex and rich as it is open to interpretation.

As ANZ staff, I respectfully walk in the vein of an Itaukei (native of Fiji) first, a Pacific Islander second and lastly, with the veneer of a global citizen. This character density can be quite the conundrum but allows Pacific Islanders and many like us to interpret life through the lens of an infinite journey of learning by osmosis.

For any career, this translates to a fuller, richer understanding of yourself and that which immerses itself into your interactions. Critically, you understand what makes you tick intently and purposefully.

Tips for a longstanding career

Buckminster Fuller, an American architect, systems theorist, author, inventor and futurist once talked about the ‘precessional effects’ that arise from just getting started, of the sheer wave of activity created being in motion on your own goals. He argued as long as you are actively in motion in pursuit of your own goals, you stand to create ‘precessional effects’ far more important than you initially understood, planned, predicted or intended.   

The journey of self-discovery is a beautiful experience. Understanding who you are and the legacy you leave behind is just as important as how thoughtfully you live your life and the consequences of your choices.

If there’s anything I hope for, it’s this: never be afraid to rewrite your story. You must just start and the path of opportunities keeps on unfolding in front and to the side of you. We all face fears, no doubt these are inevitable but allow them to be a pathway to your personal exploration. We each have our own magnitude of challenges. Flip the switch and let that trigger reimagining life renew, every single day!       

A shorter version of this article originally appeared on LinkedIn - Back To The Future - A Dry Run