FirstCaribbean International Bank Bahamas recently recognised two of its employees for their outstanding contribution to the bank's continued growth and success.

The bank's "Player of the Series" or MVPs is designed to identify staff members whose work goes beyond what is expected. Jayson Clarke and Joan Rahming are two such members at FirstCaribbean Bahamas. Both work in mission critical areas. Mr Clarke is responsible for ensuring the bank's 3,500 clients in The Bahamas continue to enjoy their banking experience while Mrs Rahming's job is to keep a keen eye on the bank's compliance obligations.

Mr Clarke took on his present position and its many challenges two years ago with a determination to bring value back to the Help Desk. He charted a direct course to accomplish this and tipped the scales in favour of customer service excellence, won quarterly awards along the way and was named one of the coveted "Player of the Series" for The Bahamas.

Mr Clarke is noted for the energy, affability, and commitment to service excellence that he brings both to the job and to his personal life. Mr Clarke's typical day begins at 4:15 am. According to a press release from the bank, "while most of us are still asleep, Mr Clarke would have already gotten up, worked out at the gym and in the office by 6:15 am. From then on, he kicks into customer service mode and commits to ensuring that his 3,500 customers receive service excellence."

Mr Clarke who has been married to Natasha for the past seven years is also actively very involved with his church Calvary Deliverance Church and is an avid athlete who plays softball, volleyball, basketball and football, and is also a member of the Bankers' Athletic Team, the release stated.

He credits his outstanding performance to the fact that he loves what he does, brings passion to his work and as he tells his peers their focus should not be on "aspiring for a position or salary", but to find their "passion in a role that they love and as a result, winning will come".

Compliance Officer Joan Rahming, is described in the bank's release as "a quiet storm" who is "meticulous and unassuming", who puts "all her energy into ensuring that whatever she does is very well done".

The bank's AGM Channel Management and Service Excellence Pauline Light-bourne who nominated Mrs Rahming said, "Joan is a bar-raiser and standard-setter. She understands the bank's requirements and goes above and beyond to ensure that those requirements are met."

However, Mrs Rahming calls her win "happy and sad." Happy, because she didn't expect it at all, and sad, because she is unable to share this significant accomplishment with her husband who recently passed away.

Mrs Rahming worships at Hillview Seventh-day Adventist Church, Harold Road, and spends her time with her family, including her two daughters.

Prior to assuming her position in Compliance, Mrs Rahming was asked to work in several branches of the bank, and some persons felt that it was because she didn't really have a job. However, Joan used the opportunity to gain exposure and experience that helped her excel at what she does today. As such, she advises her peers to be careful of naysayers. "Do your job and do not look nor compare yourself to others, just do what needs to be done," Mrs Rahming says.

Mrs Rahming begins her day at 6 am, when she gets up, has devotions, prepares for work and arrives at her office at about 8:30 am and until she leaves at 5 pm, handles a lot of paper work. According to the release Mrs Rahming, a self-confessed workaholic, "is not satisfied with just doing her job". "She likes to see things done as they are supposed to be done, and in the order that it should be done; and she is very particular about following through processes to its complete end," the release stated.

Both Mrs Rahming and Mr Clarke were showered with several awards and gifts for their stellar performances, including a whirlwind trip to the bank's headquarters in Barbados.

Other benefits included "pampering at the spa, awards ceremony at an exclusive country club, a very substantial cruise, photo shoots, invitations delivered by signing telegrams, and several other gifts and prizes".

A very low-keyed individual, Mrs Rahming felt shocked and surprised with all the attention, because she said, "I just didn't expect stuff like that to happen". Her counterpart, Mr Clarke, described the experience as "fant-a-bulous."