CACCTB’s President, Mr. Derek Lloyd spoke to Univ of South Florida – School of Business students, Tampa, Florida. The course which brings together people from different walks of life to speak and share personal experiences, their life and the paths they walked to achieve business success today. The intention in the course is to expose business students to the different challenges of professional life by introducing them to people who have made a difference.
Mr. Lloyd shared “Gorilla in the North Sea” – a very personal story of his very first job as a teenager working on an oil rig in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland, United Kingdom. He shared with the students an experience of having to save a collegue’s life while confronting cultural differences in the midst of battling 20′ foot sea swells. He also shared how his father was able to retire at an early age because he took advantage of an opportunity – to work in oil business in Nigeria, West Africa when no one else wanted to, because of the stigma that folks associated with that part of the world. He stressed the importance of leaving one’s preconceived notions of other peoples’ cultures and business habits behind as this could lead to leaving vast business opportunities on the table. Instead, be open minded and learn as much as you possibly can about the region you are thinking of doing business with. He closed his talk with a discussion about the challenges of reaching out to the Caribbean-American and International business community and how to attract new businees. The event was followed by Q & A and an informal lunch with students who received one to one time with Mr. Lloyd.
