“My greatest desire is not to make a lot of money for myself, but to have a pure heart and a pure soul.” This statement encapsulates the mission of the late corporate leader and co-founder of JMMB, Joan Duncan, who on October 17, was posthumously awarded the country’s fifth highest honour, the Order of Jamaica (OJ), during the annual Honors ceremony and National Awards. held in the King’s House.
She was distinguished for her outstanding service in the banking sector and money market development.
Donna Duncan-Scott, one of the late co-founder’s daughters, received the award on the occasion, from Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, who presided over the ceremony.
Speaking about the significance of the award, Duncan-Scott noted that it is timely as the JMMB Group celebrates its 30th anniversary and builds on the legacy left by her mother.
She shared: “I felt a joy in my heart, I felt a deep sense of gratitude that this country she had championed was recognizing the transformative leadership she provided in the financial sector by pioneering the money market in Jamaica and also creating a a different kind of corporate culture and customer care based on love, where customers felt valued, heard and served with equity and equality.”
Duncan-Scott, who is also executive director of culture and people development at JMMB Group, added, “She (Joan Duncan) lived a life of honor and not because she was perfect, rather she learned from her mistakes and lived her life based on her values of openness, honesty and caring and strived to create a company based on unconditional love. Coming from being a seamstress, living hand to mouth, to creating a multi-billion dollar company speaks to what it is possible when you live true to your values and I hope her life serves as an inspiration to all Jamaicans.
JMMB has grown from being the first money market brokerage house in Jamaica to a regional financial services provider, with operations in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and the Dominican Republic, offering a range of services to over 400,000 clients, including investments , banks, fund management. , insurance brokerage and shipping.
JMMB Group CEO Duncan-Scott emphasized that she is proud that her mother’s legacy lives on and shapes the architecture of the company’s culture, as team members seek to live each day true to the Vision of Love.
The late Joan Duncan was among nine other Jamaicans recognized with the Order of Jamaica for outstanding contributions to nation building. Other winners included: actress and cultural ambassador Sheryl Lee Ralph, Olympian and multiple world 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Minister for Culture, Entertainment, Sport and Gender, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange; renowned Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander, veteran permanent secretary Audrey Sewell; Justice (re) Karl Harrison; Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan; businesswoman, Rita Lewin; and Professor Alvin Wint.
