From Jamaica to Norway

My journey started in Jamaica and took me first to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In July 1987 I flew via London to Norway, and I have lived here ever since. Two very different places, two very different cultures, and a lifetime of lessons between them.

I still remember coming down the stairs of the plane in a short-sleeved shirt and feeling like I was freezing. In July. At passport control, the immigration officer had to look up my Jamaican passport in his book before he knew what to do with it. In those days, Jamaicans could stay in Norway for six months on a visitor visa.

Business and leadership

I trained as an electronic engineer and built my career in international business, sales and leadership in the Norwegian energy industry. I have led sales teams, negotiated across cultures and learned that results always come back to people. Along the way I earned an MBA in Conflict Resolution and Negotiation, because the hardest problems in business are rarely technical.

Faith

Faith sits underneath everything I do. I hold a degree in religion, and my faith shapes how I lead, work and live. For me, success matters, but so does knowing why you are pursuing it.

Writing and entrepreneurship

I founded Wise Buy Royalty, a publishing imprint with entities in Norway, the United States and Jamaica. I write across literary fiction, cultural nonfiction, faith and business leadership. My book Good Luck With That! A Guide to Understanding Jamaicans brings together decades of explaining Jamaica to the world, and the world to Jamaicans.

Family and life

I am married with five children. I love public speaking, teaching and mentoring, and I keep myself honest with exercise three times a week.

Why I write

Sometimes you understand your own world better when you learn to see it through somebody else’s eyes. Here I share what I have learned, what I am still learning, and the ideas that make us think differently about work and life.