SIMONE BOWEN

Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer

Simone is the Managing Director of PassionHR Consulting Services established on March 14, 2019, as an initiative to further her passion for comprehensive, strategic human resources in organisations as well as to assist individuals in realising their career goals. Simone has over fifteen (15) years of general human resource management experience in setting up or leading human resources departments in both unionised and non-unionised organisations in the private and public sectors.

Simone holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Studies with a minor in Psychology, a Post Graduate Diploma in Mediations Studies from the University of the West Indies and a Certificate in Industrial Relations Management from the Employers Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago. She was certified as a civil mediator by the Mediation Board of Trinidad and Tobago in 2012. She also hold a designation of Senior Certifed Professional from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP).

Simone was appointed Assistant Secretary/Treasurer to the Executive Board of HRMATT in May 2019. Under her purview is the Membership committee.

Connect

Connect:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-r-bowen/

Email: bowen61@gmail.com

LESLEY-ANN CHARLES

Treasurer

Lesley-Ann is currently the Organisation Development Officer at the Trinidad & Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited.  Eight of her ten years there were spent in the Finance and Marketing areas.  Lesley-Ann is a qualified accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, having done so over twenty years ago.  However, her penchant for HR subsequently led her to pursue the Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management with Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (2007 graduate).  She is passionate about assisting organizations achieve their strategic objectives through the efficient and effective use of human resources and is proficient in trouble-shooting and implementing new systems.  Over the last twenty-three years Lesley-Ann has held various posts in the public and private sectors, mostly at senior levels.  Her portfolio at NP includes Training and Development and Performance Management.  Lesley-Ann enjoys coaching and imparting her knowledge to others.  She previously lectured at the School of Practical Accounting and had been a volunteer with Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA).  In her spare time Lesley-Ann enjoys reading and writing.  She has written numerous articles and has been published in She Magazine and HRMATTers.  She is the proud mother of one son.  Lesley-Ann was appointed Treasurer to the Executive Board of HRMATT in May 2019 and the Fund-Raising Committee lies within her purview.

Connect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-ann-charles-fcca-pg-dip-hrm-2a89a521/

Email:  lesleyann.charles@gmail.com

ALICIA THORPE

Vice President

Alicia Thorpe is currently the Vice President of the Human Resource Association of Trinidad & Tobago (HRMATT) and is an experienced and qualified Benefits and Human Resources Professional. Although she has worked in various Industries, (Retail, Medical and Construction), it is during her twelve (12) years of experience in the Insurance Industry that her skills and behaviours were evidenced and strengthened. She credits the Industry for her customer centric approach to her performance pipeline.

An alumna of the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies, Alicia has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Resources Management. Other professional training has Emotional Intelligence, Emergency Response, Accident and Investigation and Project Management.

She has been involved with different Associations, including the Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago (AFETT) where she served as a Mentor in their Mentorship Programme. She is also part of a Community of Practice for HR Practitioners call Human to Human (H2H). Alicia has a passion for Human Capital and is highly respected for her leadership ability.

She has ventured into farming (rabbitry) and enjoys aquaponics and the cultivation of plants and fishes.

Connect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-thorpe-06b89411/

Email: manager@hrmatt.com

SAIRA JASMIN ALI

MBA, BA, AMABE

Secretary

Saira is a Senior Human Resource professional with over 13 years’ experience in Human Resource Management. While she is an HR Generalist, her specialty areas include Recruitment & Selection, Policies & Procedures, Training & Development and Performance Management. She has worked in a multiplicity of sectors, both unionised and non-unionised, including emergency medical, management consulting, construction and project management, retail, and financial.

Saira holds an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from the Association of Business Executives (ABE), a BA (HONS) Human Resource Management from the University of Greenwich and a Masters in Business Administration from the Anglia Ruskin University. She has also trained in numerous other areas such as Industrial Relations, Conflict Resolution, Professional Leadership, and Emotional Intelligence.

A strong believer in developing and empowering others, Saira has provided HR and Customer Service training to companies in the retail sector. Most recently, she has facilitated a Business Etiquette, Interview Skills and Corporate Wear session with students in Form 5 at the Belmont Secondary School, an behalf of HRMATT, of which she forms part of the Youth Action Committee.

Saira was appointed as Secretary to the Executive Board of HRMATT in May 2019, and under her purview is the Training and Development committee.

Saira enjoys a good Netflix binge but equally relishes world travel and the Arts.

Connect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairajasminali/

Email:

MAXINE ATTONG

MSc., CPF, CMA

President

Maxine’s professional career has been spent in oil and gas and  insurance sectors.  Since 2000, she has run her private consulting practice, and through this has expanded her experiences to the service and retail, the hotel industry, the manufacturing sector, credit unions, NGOs and trade unions.

Over the years she has held the professional titles of Director, AVP – Strategic Planning & Implementation, Chief Operating Officer, Accountant and Senior Finance Professional. She has worked as a manager, leader, internal and external consultant.

Maxine is well equipped with a BSc Accounting and a MSc. Organisational Development (Dec 2018) to provide professional services to her clients. She has studied with the pioneers of Organisational Development and holds professional certifications as International Gestalt Organisational Leadership & Development, Evidence Based Coach, Certified Professional Facilitator, Certified Management Accountant and Quality Manager (former).

She has worked throughout the Caribbean and has worked with OD teams in Portugal, South Africa and Budapest.

She is the author of two business books that document her experiences and theories on leadership commitment and employee engagement. Change or Die – The Business Process Improvement Manual – this documents Attong’s uniquely designed ENGAGE methodology which is based on the work that she has done in this field. Lead Your Team To Win – Voted as a must read book for entrepreneurs by WebForum, this book documents Maxine’s ideas on how leaders can effectively lead teams.

Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, AMA Playbook, TD Magazine, HRMATT Magazine and a host of online publications.

Her personal mission is to assist leaders become giants.

Connect

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/attong-m-enhancing-lifes-daily/

Email: maxine.attong@gmail.com

COREEN COPLAND

SHRM-SCP, MRHM, PgDip – BA

Education Officer

Coreen is a Senior Human Resource professional with over fifteen (15) years of diverse experience that spans both unionised and non-unionised organisations across various sectors. She has extensive hands-on experience leading HR initiatives for local, regional and multinational organisations.

Coreen is currently reading for a Masters degree in Business Psychology with Franklin University, Ohio. She has earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Mediation Studies (with distinction) from the University of the West Indies, Masters in Human Resource Management from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, and a BA in Management from Heriot Watt University. She has several other professional certifications including Labour Studies, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Training and Development. She also holds the designation of Senior Certified Professional from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP).

Coreen was appointed Education and Research Officer to the Executive Board of HRMATT in May 2018. Under her portfolio includes the Training and Development, SHRM, Youth HR and Research committees.

Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreen-copland-0580a016/

E-mail: manager@hrmatt.com

KEISHA DEOKIESINGH

IMBA, BSc.

Public Relations

Keisha is presently a Senior Consultant in the Consulting Department at Deloitte Trinidad since October 2008. In her 10 years at the firm, she has been involved in both the internal Human Resource function and client facing in the Human Capital space as a Consultant since 2014.

During this time, she has gained broad experience in the areas of Human Capital, Strategy & Operations and Education. Specific areas under Human Capital include Recruitment & Selection, Performance Management systems, Training and Development, HR Assessments, HR Policies & Procedures and HR Software. Under the Strategy and Operations function, she has experience in Process Management, Project Management and Finance management. Her Education experience includes Department reviews, Stakeholder engagement, stakeholder management, and Communication Plans.

While her professional experience is in the field of Human Capital, Strategy and Education, her educational background is in Business Administration and Management Studies. She recently completed her International Masters in Business Administration (IMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business in 2016. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies with a minor in International Relations in 2008.

Her experience at HRMATT spans over five years sitting on various committees including HRMATT’s Biennial Conference Agenda Committee (2017) and the Marketing & Membership committee (2016 – 2018) before her appointment as the Public Relations Officer where her committees are Social Media, membership and events.

Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keisha-deokiesingh-36098168/

E-mail: pro@hrmatt.com