10-MINUTE MANAGER: Russell Franklyn

Russell Franklyn is Officer-in-Charge, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality.

Are you where you’ve always wanted to be?

No, I wanted to be a pilot, but this was my second choice.

What is your biggest professional challenge?

Working at a regional organisation calls for diplomacy and tact. We are attempting to please 15 different countries with different views, cultures and models of operation, while fostering one harmonised community. Gaining consensus among those 15 member states on critical issues is the most challenging aspect of my job but it is also the most rewarding.

What is your biggest life challenge?

Finding the balance between work and family.

When you look to the future, what do you see?

I see a Caribbean region that is united by more than just a treaty – one where we put aside individual goals for the greater good of the Community.

What is your favourite pastime?

Watching football.

What is your favourite meal?

Breadfruit cou cou and saltfish.

On Saturday nights, where are you likely to be?

At home resting, unless it is Crop Over.

What upsets you the most?

Individuals who do not pull their weight and place self before the greater good.

What is your guiding philosophy?

God is in control.

If you had the chance to manage Barbados for a day, what would you do?

I would run programmes to support the development of a quality culture in Barbados. This would in turn support improving Barbados’ competitiveness and integration into the global economy.