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 Septimus ‘Bob Blake is the epitome of a “pair of safe hands”

He served NCB for 21.7 years, joining when the current majority shareholder, Michael Lee Chin purchased the bank.

They both strode into its decorous halls together on a new adventure, looking to turn around NCB’s fortunes and make it a force as a leading Jamaican financial institution.

They succeeded.

Therefore there was sadness yesterday when it was announced that Blake would be stepping down from his position as CEO of the bank and making way for new management and a new direction.

In other words, he fell on his sword.

He made it clear during a press conference that he was not given the boot but chose to step down.

Blake took over as the CEO of NCB Bank Jamaica in August 2019, leaving Patrick Hylton to turn his attention to  insurance giant Guardian Holdings of which NCB took a controlling interest that same year.

It was a significant promotion for Bob Blake moving him up from Chief Operations Officer to CEO of the bank.

His  career trajectory at NCB was an admirable one. In the first half a decade of a new century, he served as General Manager, Treasury and Correspondent Banking Division.

Affable, amenable, knowledgeable, professional , Blake was a loyal and steadfast servant to NCB.

Back in 2019, when he got the nod as head of the bank, Blake said: “Improving the overall banking experience for our customers, team members and shareholders as well as investing in our talents and capabilities are at the top of my agenda.

“These are fundamental to NCB Jamaica fulfilling its potential as a globally competitive bank, while transforming banking in Jamaica.”

Listening to Blake as he announced that he will be walking away, one couldn’t help feel those words still ring true and he will no longer make them a reality.

Since NCB Chairman Michael Lee Chin has returned from his sabbatical, he has made it unequivocally clear that he wants to change the fortunes of the Group which has slumped into the doldrums. Profits have fallen, the share price has tanked, there have been no dividends for over two years, customer service is a big problem, the compensation for both Patrick Hylton and Dennis Cohen is proving problematic.

It has been one conflagration after another. 

Lee Chin felt the need to roll up his sleeves and do something about it. A complete transformation was needed, and he would have to get rid of dead wood. 

The culling began in earnest.

The Group CEO Patrick Hylton and Group CFO Dennis Hylton were placed on leave and then disappeared into the night. What has yet to be determined is whether they will go into the foreboding darkness quietly.

“ The news that Bob Blake will be leaving us is in keeping with the direction we have taken. It is a transformational direction. We have focused the organisation on three letters namely E (Efficiency improvements), G (Governance) and C (Customer service). I have repeatedly said,  we need to do a much better job with our customer service. The framework of our transformation is “delayering” so we can get closer to the customer. The organisation has to become flatter and we have to be able to react in a more timely fashion. Ideally, we have to be proactive.

“We have to make changes. We will support our alumni because it is not their fault, it’s just an organisational shift.”

Following Blake out of the door will be Head of NCB Capital Markets, Steven Gooden and Lynk boss and CEO of TFOB, Vernon James also long serving executives of NCB.

This is just for starters. These departures will send a frisson of fear into NCB. Afterall, who’s next?

Then again it may give the staff a second wind and some may see it as  “this transformation is real and we better get on board.”

This is how Blake explained his departure: “ Yesterday, the Chairman and I had a conversation and it went like this;I have been here for twenty-one years and seven months. We accomplished a lot and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. We have a great platform, but I felt it was time to step aside. There is now new thinking, new ideas. I told the Chairman it was an opportunity to institute a total reset. I wanted the Chairman to feel unhindered in terms of accomplishing that total reset.  With me stepping aside, it allows the organisation to settle. The organisation has given to me immeasurable more than the 21.7 years I was there. I will always ride for this brand.” 

Blake insisted he felt in no way pressured to step down.

Former Scotiabank Jamaica boss Bruce Bowen who has been serving as a Special Adviser to interim Group CEO Robert Almeida will step into Blake’s position as interim CEO of the bank. The hunt is on to find a new CEO.

Of Septimus Blake, Executive Chairman Lee Chin said: “Bob knows where my heart is. He knows that our relationship will remain unimpinged. That’s the spirit we have today and that’s the spirit we will have tomorrow. 

“On a personal basis, I would like to say the graciousness of this person to step aside  because he thought it was the right thing to do at this moment to make this institution be able to reset and focus on EGC; that graciousness, that professionalism is unique, respected, honoured and saluted.”