Differentiate. Inspire. Celebrate - Weekly

Celebrating people who make a difference in the workplace matters to us. Acts of daring and audacity come in big and little forms, but recognising them is everything. 

The AfrAsia Achiever Award, an employee driven initiative launched in 2016, has for objective to applaud achievers that go above and beyond their call of duty. The first in a series of upcoming projects, we set the stage for the acknowledgement of our heroines and heroes at work, as we continue to build a winning corporate culture through employee appreciation and respect.

Sonia Parfait-Mariette on left & Hydharmant Rao Sonoo on right

• Department : Premium Services Hub
• The three traits that define me : Daring. Multitasking. Easy-going
• My job entails : Delivering excellent operational services to our customers.
• Describe AfrAsia in 3 words : Different. Customer-centric. Team Spirited
• The part I enjoy the most about my job : Making a difference by delighting the customer
• My favourite moment at AfrAsia : The end of year parties because of the quality time shared with colleagues combined with the tasty food and great fun.
• My highest achievement so far : Being awarded Achiever of the Month together with my colleague Hydharmant as recognition of good service we provided to a demanding client
• My interests/hobbies : Quality time with my family
• The quote that inspires me : It is a verse from the book of Psalms which says “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear”

• Department : Premium Services Hub
• The three traits that define me : Dedicated. Enthusiastic. Team player
• My job entails : Being the prime contact point for customers and for all their operational/transactional activities and tasks. I am the liaison between the relationship managers and the operational department.
• Describe AfrAsia in 3 words : Unique. Boundless. Atypical
• The part I enjoy most about my job : The feeling of being part of something big.
• My favourite moment at AfrAsia : It would definitely be our team building activities whereby we stayed overnight at Long Beach Hotel.
• My highest achievement so far : Being awarded Achiever of the Month together with my colleague Sonia as recognition of the good service provided to a demanding client. The latter not only praised our service but also recommended that the Bank offer us a weekend hotel stay.
• My interests/hobbies : Snorkelling
• The quote that inspires me : Customer satisfaction is no longer the norm – customer delight is!

Houlashi Gooly

• Department : Marketing and Public Relations
• The three traits that define me : Ambitious. Risk-taker. Cynophilist
• My job entails : As a Product Marketer, I get the opportunity to wear multiple hats to conceive and implement product-marketing strategies: Products Developer, Products & Cards Marketer, Content Creator and Brand Guardian, amongst others.
• Describe AfrAsia in 3 words : Ever-bustling. Empowering. Tenacious
• The part I enjoy the most about my job : Being a crew member of a ship that always sails headstrong into the winds, I love the fact that I am constantly challenged to venture out of my comfort zone.
• My favourite moment at AfrAsia : Putting together the 2016 James Bond 007 End of Year Party with a bunch of awesome AfrAsians.
• My highest achievement in my job : The relaunch of our XtraMiles Loyalty Programme. Revamping our credit card’s rewards programme has been no easy feat but this 6-month crazy rollercoaster ride has brought a priceless experience and growth. Amidst the never-ending meetings and conference calls, the silly arguments and nerve-racking moments, the long nights at work with colleagues, we have cried together and we have laughed together as one team.
• My interests/hobbies : Globetrotting/Photo-to-video making/Reading
• The quote that inspires me : Have unfaltering conviction in your dreams, no matter how crazy they might seem, and be amazed at how the magic unfolds.

Varuna Gungabissoon

• Department : Premium Services Hub
• The three traits that define me : Optimistic. Friendly. Persistent
• My job entails : Implementing and managing Premium Services Hub (PSH) while ensuring the delivery of consistent quality services for clients.
• Describe AfrAsia in 3 words : Make it different
• The part I enjoy the most about my job : Open space office, belief and trust in the employees, our overseas teambuilding activities
• My favourite moment at AfrAsia : The day PSH-Personal Banking was announced as Achiever of the Month. I was happy and excited about this accomplishment but nervous at the same time, as we had raised the bar high. This has encouraged me though to continue to give it my best.
• My highest achievement so far : Exceeding customer expectations and keeping the team spirit high by combining work with fun.
• My interests/hobbies : Exploring new places/Walking on the beach/Music
• The quote that inspires me : Think positive, believe in yourself and work hard… Success shall follow