Kareem, a Supervisor at Trident Trust, will be celebrating his 14th anniversary with the company later in the year. Photo: submitted

He is also the proprietor of a small business, Prestige Auto Parts.

That saying rings true for this week’s young professional Kareem Scatliffe, who at age 31, has not rested on his laurels and today is a senior employee at Trident Trust, one of the prolific trust companies in the Virgin Islands.

The young Virgin Islander has a distinctive yet simple story of his transition from school to the workforce, which all boiled down to being disciplined and brilliant.

“I did pretty well in High School,” Kareem recounted with a laugh. “My Mom, siblings and other elders I grew up around always instilled in me that education was key in a young man’s life and I heeded to that. As a result I was always one of the elite students for many of my classes and the favourite for many of my teachers. I always showed good ethics and because I was in the Information Technology programme I became versed in many of the business subjects.”

Therefore, it was no surprise when he graduated from the then BVI High School in 1998, the young professional was one of few students chosen to be part of a 12 week programme which was being offered by one of the prestigious international law firms, Harneys, Westwood and Regiel.

But luck would have it two weeks into the programme, the disciplined young man received a call from Trident Trust.

“I was kind of surprised, but I was optimistic that I would have heard something from the umpteen businesses I sent my résumés to,” Kareem stated. His Grade Point Average (GPA) was over 3.

Asked if he was nervous going for his first job interview, the Virgin Islander admitted “it was a bit nerve wrecking, but I held my wits and did a good job because I got a call back a week after.”

Kareem’s mannerism must have been impressive because instead of starting off as a Messenger, he was offered the position as a Company Secretary that entailed him assisting one of the Senior Corporate Administrators who he credits for much of his success.

“There I was this 17 year-old drafting letters for various senior officers and although I was assigned to the Managed Companies Department, I was able to interact and work with all the managers within the company which at that time was few,” the young professional divulged.

With his mantra “the way to the corporate ladder is to excel”, Kareem was able to shoulder the responsibilities of the Corporate Administrator and over the years his hard work has paid off, now he is a Supervisor of the Fiduciary Department. He was promoted to that position in 2008.

“It’s quite an accomplishment, and later in the year I will be celebrating my 14th anniversary with the company!” Kareem declared.

There he oversees five other employees, who are responsible for the daily administration of companies to which director and shareholder services are provided, among others.

And despite his work schedule, Kareem, who describes himself as business savvy, has a small auto parts and logistics business that he operates out of his West End home.

“It’s called Prestige Auto Parts where I assist persons who are looking for special order auto mechanical and body parts that are difficult to source and not available here on island, all at a low cost. Most times I find them, place orders, have them shipped here and delivered to places of businesses or even persons’ homes,” the young professional revealed.

Potential clients can email Kareem on prestigeautoparts12@gmail.com for more information.

He has a small but dedicated clientele which continues to grow with each referral from satisfied customers that keeps him busy! In addition to that, Kareem has a thirst for the entertainment scene and to quench it, he along with a dedicated team of good friends will be venturing into promoting and hosting musical shows, charitable events, etc.

“One of my friends who resides in Miami, FL, who has real good connections in the US with various artistes and also has his own promotion company operating out of the said State got me interested in obtaining my license to do events and together with my team here on island will be holding our first event leading up to or after the August Festival,” the Virgin Islander hinted. However, because the partnership is in the infancy stage, Kareem stated “You will hear more about Prestige Promotions soon!”

Education wise, the 31 year-old acknowledged that while he has not obtained his Degree “it is not something that is forgotten”.

“Yes I have the experience, but I also know qualifying myself is key in the business world. So I am exploring that as we speak,” he asserted.

Reflecting on his life so far, Kareem could not resist thanking his lovely wife Beth, his mom, siblings, family and dedicated friends “The Team” for always being there for him. “Those persons are my strength, the team that pushes me to excel and with every push I respond well.”

And his advice to the young men who may be going down the wrong path is to “set a positive goal, stay on course, you will always have doubters but you have to have willpower and stay the course regardless of the circumstances. Success is always in the horizon.”