Roger Arthur can easily be described as determined – a go-getter. He knows what he wants and goes after it. He is determined to make a difference in this world and he faces each day with vigour.
“I’m genuinely interested in the development of people, who are honest about that and who don’t necessarily think you have to be rewarded for everything you do,” he said philosophically.
When most people are still asleep in the wee hours of a new day, the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados might be running along his favourite ten-kilometre route from Mile-And-A-Quarter, St Peter, to River Bay in
St Lucy, which he can complete in about an hour.
“I do quite a bit of running. It is one of the thrills I get. If I can’t get it done in the morning I get it done in the evening. I do northern or eastern runs, some of it is off road. It is quite therapeutic and it certainly gives me time to think, not about things in general but you get lost in the wonder that surrounds you.
“I think that’s the beauty of off- road running especially now that the crop is completed. There are lots of cart roads that create a wonderful maze; the tapestry is just phenomenal,” said the financial controller of P.D Technical Services Inc., an international business company trading in oil and gas.
He often does it alone but occasionally some fellow runners ask to join him and he consents.
When he has the time, he might head to the golf course for a round on the green, putter around in the garden, watch football or read, only non-fiction though. He is currently reading Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman, which looks at the way “we think as individuals”.
During an interview with the BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY at his Port St Charles, St Peter office, he shared that if there is one thing he never takes for granted it is his surroundings.
It is not hard to do as he usually keeps his doors opens to allow the gentle winds to flow through. Very seldom would he turn his air conditioning unit on, not only because he likes the natural cooling but to reduce his carbon footprint.
Working by a marina with a view of the tranquil waters of the ocean just beyond, he appreciates the beauty.
He said that as long as he is in Barbados he goes to the beach at least once a week.
“It is not a novelty for me. I make this a reality in terms of participating because we have a beautiful country and I don’t think we appreciate its wonder all the time. So I make it clear when I get into work to have a view to be grateful for the privilege that I enjoy but not to take it for granted ever,” he asserted.
Arthur is from Rose Hill, St Peter, and has lived in the north all 53 years of his life.
He attended All Saints’ Boys School, goes to church at All Saints’ Anglican and commutes, as he terms it, to other parts of the country only when necessary.
The Combermerian studied chemistry, biology and mathematics and initially science was his main focus but when the opportunity came to switch to numbers and accounting, he grabbed it.
“Switching to accounting provided the opportunity to work and essentially earn a living as a student and then qualifying and moved on from there,” he recalled.
ICAB’s succession plan sees the vice-president eventually heading the organisation, and Arthur said this was an “opportune time, notwithstanding the difficulty that we face as an economy” to take over.
“In difficult circumstances, we need people with a sense of commitment and certainly with the support that you can get as president to the secretariat, it makes being president, challenging as it is, a lot easier,” the president said.
Being involved in the organisation has helped him to grow.
“I had the privilege of chairing the continuing professional development committee for a considerable time. I also had the benefit of chairing the tax committee, so I was involved in a number of areas that were not necessarily my forte.
“I was able to get exposure, certainly to learn a lot from my colleagues who I sit on committees with because you tend to be in a specific area of business and they bring different perspective based on their own experiences and provide you with the grounding that you need,” the part time lecturer at the University of the West Indie’s Cave Hill Campus noted.
