Former chairman’s daughter takes over bank
(L-R): Brian Esau, CNB Executive VP; Stuart Dack, CEO of CNC and CNB Chair; Janet Hislop, CNB President (pending); Phil Jackson, CNC Senior VP – Human Resources (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
(CNS): Janet Hislop has been appointed as President of Cayman National Bank, pending regulatory approval. Hislop, who takes up her position with CNB after eleven years as the chief officer of Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, has a deep connection to Cayman National, as her father, Benson Ebanks, was a founding shareholder and chairman of the board.
Hislop joins the bank at a time of upheaval. Cayman National was recently acquired by the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (Barbados), which caused some public controversy, and the former president, Ormond Williams, was fired late last year by the board after 15 years service, though the bank has denied any connection between the two.
As President, Hislop’s primary focus will be on overseeing the growth of Cayman National’s banking business in the Cayman Islands, officials said in a release announcing her appointment.
“This is a truly exciting time for Cayman National,” Hislop said following the announcement. “I relish the challenge of helping to take the bank into its new future. There is a significant opportunity to grow the banking business and I know, to make the most of it, I’ll be working closely with the best talent in the Cayman Islands.”
Familiar to many in the local financial sector and community at large, West Bayer Janet Hislop brings decades of corporate and retail banking experience to Cayman National through senior positions with Barclays Bank, CIBC and Deutsche Bank, officials stated.
She has also been active at a national level with the Cayman Islands Development Bank and the Cayman Islands Bankers’ Association. In addition to her banking experience, Hislop joined the Cayman Islands Government in a civil service training role after completing higher education in Canada and the United Kingdom.
“We are pleased to welcome Janet to the Cayman National family,” said Stuart Dack, CEO of Cayman National Corporation and Chairman of the Board of Cayman National Bank. “It really feels like a home-coming since Janet continues the deep association established 45 years ago through her father, Benson, one of our founding shareholders and long-serving past chairman.”
Category: Banking & money, Business
At least Cayman National has a Caymanian in charge. The other retail banks on island seemingly have no intention of having a Caymanian at the top. Some of their departments are entirely work permit holders.
Cayman National Bank employees support your new President. She is fiercely loyal to the cause called Cayman and she will no doubt ensure that great efforts are rewarded accordingly. Fake words and posturing with no action will not sit well with her. So beware ya hear.
I’m sure the issue here is that there were no Caymanians qualified for the position. don’t you think that it makes a total financial sense to hire a Caymanian who is not going to cost a hefty work permit?
Don’t know the lady. Probably met her previously at Mr. Benson’s. I am sure she earned her stripes. However, I really respect Mr. Williams. He was a great leader and is a wonderful person.
I really liked Mr Ormand Williams, too, a fine man, from my perspective looking on. However, his departure had nothing to do with the new appointee.
Time to move on
Question for the naysayers: who is out there as suitably qualified and is being robbed of this opportunity by appointing Janet?
What do you think made him a great leader and what specifically did he do as leader of CNB to meaningfully improved the competitive position of the bank?
1. Is there another equally or more qualified Caymanian available to be selected?
2. Should qualified candidates be automatically eliminated on the basis that a family member once held a board position?
Not wanting to extend this surprisingly unpleasant discussion further, as I think it has been aired more than enough, but I think that 2:13 am has hit the nail on the head.
Businesses today, especially in a small population pool such as Cayman’s, do not necessarily subscribe to the view that they should not hire a family member.
As far as nepotism is concerned, the emphasis is on not hiring someone without merit. It would just not be a good business decision and that is really what defines nepotism — hiring a family member who does not merit the position.
If every person in Cayman was barred from employment because of some connection to a family member in some position or other, past or present, then a lot of talent would be lost and a lot of people would be out of work.
In fact, the whole notion of relationships works against many people—the reaction to the appointment of the exceptionally qualified Ms. Hislop is an example.
Congrats, Ms. Hislop, wish you all the success on your new appointment.
Congratulations to Janet Hislop and all the best for the future. Competence matters, it really matters.
I am sure she is very good at her job, knowledgeable, experienced, etc, but the fact that her father was a founding shareholder and chairman of the board does cast a little speculation of nepotism on her appointment but I hope this is not the case and I wish her the best of luck to steer CNB through the course to come.
Chief officer of one of the most toxic banks to pull out of the region.
Great on the CV
The truth shines through. Caymanians complain that it is foreigners that impede social mobility but the overwhelming evidence is that that it is the capital owning Caymanian families that are the biggest enemy of the ordinary Caymanian trying to get on in the world.
8:58 am: in the case of Mr Benson, I don’t know he is part of the “capital owning” class you are upset about.
Mr. Benson served his country for decades rather than remain in the Financial industry where he could have become a millionaire many times over.
I don’t think that the chairman of the board position benefitted him as much as he benefitted them.
Suffice it to say he still lives in the same modest West Bay house that he raised his children in and has never lived an ostentatious life style. Drove the same well-worn ordinary car for years.
Frankly, Janet didn’t need any connections. She has the ability and the skills and the pleasing personality that spell success.
Happy for her.
Her beloved mother Ms Bessie who has passed on was as modest as any West Bayer. A blessed, kind, God fearing woman who raised her children to work hard and give of their best and to sacrifice for the country.
Ms Bessie would be proud of her daughter’s achievements and so are all the right thinking and fair-minded, informed Caymanians.
God bless you, Janet, as you take on this heavy responsibility. We will be praying for your continued guidance and God-given wisdom.
Yes, 2 pm, and Mr Benson and Ms Bessie raised their three daughters for service to the country. Janet started out as a public servant before moving on to the private sector and her two siblings are incredible public servants.
May God continue to bless these fine upstanding and Contributing citizens. Couldn’t ask for finer, more productive women.
One daughter heads up one of the govt’s counseling services, a difficult, stressful job that unfortunately few people locally would want.
The other public servant has persevered in battling forces intent on destroying the environment. Doing an amazing job!
Strange that no one seems to complain of nepotism in their case—which they could if they felt they had plumb jobs.
They have all earned their place on their own merit.
In the case of Janet, her CV speaks for itself, otherwise shareholders and principals in other branches and subsidiaries would not allow it.
I thought Mr Benson had a Hardware store on the north West Bay road (B O Ebanks). When (and what) was he in the financial industry?
I am waiting for the first white male who grew up in poverty but has been incorrectly associated with rich white people to finally get a supervisory job. That guy never seems to get a break since he gets it from all sides.
If you haven’t got anything good to say, then keep your negative views to yourself. Did her father’s connection to the bank help – yes it did, but it may not be for the reason you think. She was probably selected in an attempt to ensure the culture of the bank is not lost when the new owners take over. Whether you think her appointment is fair or not is irrelevant. Face it, life is not fair. Thank your own blessings first, eg being born in Cayman, being healthy, having a home or shelter every night, having the right to vote etc etc etc. Good luck Janet.
Yes, everyone who does not like the status quo shut up and let the status quo continue. That is what Jesus would do. Remember in the Bible when Jesus did not like what the money lenders were doing? He just walked away and kept his views to himself. He could have cast them out and said they had turned the Temple into a den of thieves but he didn’t.
yep, JC the first ever whistleblower and he ends up being crucified for it!
I suppose God did give the fairly big gig of Messiah to his son, so crass nepotism is probably OK by Jesus.
Haha OW the whistle blower what a joke of the year and it’s just begun.
Crap headlines like this are why women can’t get ahead in the corporate world. Women and not men are their own worse enemy. There is always an unsavory explanation when a woman gets a promotion:
She slept with someone, she’s a you know what, she’s connected to someone etc etc. if men say that their sexist but women do it to women mercilessly everyday.
Shame on you CNS.
CNS: For crying out loud, get over yourself. You are seeing things that are not there. The fact that she is Mr Benson’s daughter was in the CNB press release and is a fact. I’m will to bet this is not something Ms Hislop is ashamed about and does not mean she is not qualified for the job. Jeez!
This headline is very poorly chosen, CNS. In the story you ran, it is clear Janet Hislop brings “decades of corporate and retail banking experience to Cayman National through senior positions with Barclays Bank, CIBC and Deutsche Bank”. She was Chief Country Officer for DB for eleven years. It’s a disservice to her that you would choose to focus on her family connection. Whether intentional or not, this headline opens to door to questions about whether that got her the job rather than her qualifications and experience.
Wonderful choice. Brilliant mind, years of first class relevant experience, and proven management skills. Cayman National is lucky to have her and the staff will be well served.
She has her father’s acumen and brilliance—otherwise she would not have been selected. Too much at stake. And she is a modest, fabulous, personable woman. Congratulations!!
Congrats a really great hire. Another good Caymanian promoted. Bernie is going to hate this. His verbal garbage this morning on Rooster was awful.
Bernie speaks the truth you would prefer remain covered up.
Deal with the facts he exposes, only then do you have the right to comment on the many subjects.
it was awful. He is a very unhappy person.
I am a teacher and taught various members of this family in high school. Janet is gifted — she would have risen to the top anywhere in the world — that is just a fact.
I also had the privilege of associating with her when she worked in the Civil Service as a training officer — first class person—not just capable but she has an unassuming personality and a winning attitude.
Cayman National employees can look forward to a breath of fresh air and the best you could hope for your president.
From one Caymanian woman to another, best wishes, Janet, you deserve it all.
Maybe now CNB with its new President who deserves hearty congratulations and the ands new ownership can rise to provide a sorely lacking consistent professional service with no Renee dead reliance on the fake up Bank of the Year Award which apparently was the sole mark of a achievement nt of the previous person in charge.
Good to see they have a good social mobility policy at the bank.
Only the connected few…to make it look good ofcourse…
Yes. Those years of university study for qualifications followed by decades of experience working in banks isn’t going to fool us!
2:07 pm and others — you know what, if it took her family connections to get her recognized, as you think, then thank God for that. A fabulously qualified woman has broken through the glass ceiling in the Cayman Islands, and I love it!
Congratulations to Ms. Hislop as I believe she is very capable and qualified but I have to ask why was Mr. Ormond Williams terminated?
Is he not a Caymanian? By employee and customer accounts he was doing an exceptional job.
If he was not a Caymanian then by all means I am happy to see a qualified Caymanian appointed but if he is it makes me wonder why he was terminated in the first place to be replaced with Ms. Hislop.
Because they wanted some accelerated nepotism?
Was Williams truly qualified enlighten us obi1 who seems to know. 1:18 pm
If he wasn’t then the Board were the bigger fools for keeping him for 15 years!
You sound very ignorant.
Maybe the BoD is aware of things that are not in the public domain. If he was wrongly terminated his attorneys will ensure that his interests are represented.
The headline is poorly worded. However as an expatriate, I would like to congratulate this lady who has surely earned this distinction in local Banking, having an exemplary record in the financial sector
Title of the article says it all.
V: to you and you compadres who favoured you with a thumbs up: what is your beef? Jealousy? Envy?
You obviously don’t know this woman.
Here’s what you guys need to do: qualify yourself, work hard, wait your turn, and celebrate the success of others.
Life is no game. It and We wait for nothing and no one.
V: funny how a successful women get so much venom. If they had announced appointment of a Caymanian man we wouldn’t have heard a peep from some of you.
We have to come to the place where we can be happy for the success of other women (yes, I bet most of the green-eyed monsters are female.
It is about time for a talented and hardworking Caymanian woman to rise to the pinnacle of the banking industry. Hope there will be many more to follow trail-breaking Janet Hislop’s ground-breaking achievement.
A couple of questions the press could ask about this story
1) Is Ms Hislop the first woman to head up a local bank?
2) Is Ms Hislop currently the only Caymanian heading up a local bank?
Maybe I can assist. Answer to No. 1- probably not, loads of women are “heading up” businesses in these islands, both caymanian and expats alike.
No. 2- Stop being a sh*t stirrer.
Thecwuestion was not about Caymanians “heading up businesses”. So question # 1. Remains unanswered.
She is the only Caymanian woman to ever head up an A class bank in the Cayman Islands. Caymanian men have held these positions, but not a Caymanian woman.
It is an accomplishment for Caymanian women that calls for celebration.
10 thumbs down, really? Who are you people?
Congradulations Janet, you earned it. Am a Caymanian that is proud of you and wish you every success in the future.
Congratulations and celebrations. Very proud of you, Janet. Well done! Couldn’t be more pleased!!!
Congratulations and 56 thumbs down….who really are you people??? A fraternity of hateful loosers that hate to see Caymanians at the top in THEIR OWN COUNYRY, well, get used to it. Janet , there are more for you than against you. You are a success story and good people are happy for you. You earned your place in life, that was not handed down to you from your father, and if it was, what a great father you have. May God continue to richly bless you and your family.