1st National mourns loss of Andy Delmar, MD and beloved ‘People Person’

Yesterday morning management of 1st National Bank St. Lucia Ltd convened a press conference about the tragic loss last Sunday of the bank’s Managing Director, Andy Delmar. Robert Fevrier, Executive Manager, Marketing & Public Relations, explained how the bank has reacted to the devastating loss of a friend and esteemed colleague; a man with the knowledge, experience, and skills befitting the senior position he held.

Mr. Fevrier emphasised that the bank is indigenous, having been established in 1938 and, as such, is family oriented, caring for its staff, customers, and shareholders. The approach adopted by the bank is that it must be “business as usual” which was the consensus of what Mr. Delmar would have wanted.

Mr. Fevrier stated that the Chairman and President of 1st National Bank, Nigel Phulgence, held an emergency meeting with key officers on Carnival Monday, the day after the accident. A meeting of the entire management team took place on Carnival Tuesday when a counsellor was brought in for a debriefing session.

A qualified counsellor was at every branch of 1st National Bank at 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday morning to assist staff in coming to terms with the sudden loss of Andy Delmar and to enable them to attend to their duties, as all believed he would have wished them to do. Mr. Fevrier advised that members of the board of directors attended the branch units to give support to the staff. He also clarified that a book of condolence has been placed at each branch.

The bank representative confirmed that close contact had been maintained with Andy Delmar’s family: his wife, Wendy, and the couple’s children; his parents Madge and John Delmar, and his siblings. The family has yet to confirm arrangements but the funeral is likely to be on Friday 29th July at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Castries.

Mr. Fevrier spoke of Andy Delmar’s involvement with the Just4Fun Carnival band and praised his dedication to helping others with sporting activities, particularly in the community of Babonneau. He listed Mr. Delmar’s achievements in the financial profession: Chairman of the Saint Lucia Bankers Association, President of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) Bankers Association and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the University of the West Indies Open Campus St. Lucia.

Mr. Fevrier confirmed that Andy Delmar had joined 1st National Bank in January 2014, after some two decades of working in the finance industry, and had brought passion to his work. He described his former colleague as ‘very hands-on, personable and fun-loving’. Fevrier revealed that Delmar was people-oriented and engaged staff at all levels, visiting each branch every Friday, from the north down to Vieux Fort.

Mr, Fevrier stated that because of who Andy Delmar was, the bank’s staff feel strengthened to go on. They are coping even though it is sometimes hard to do so. He concluded by inviting all to sign the books of condolence at the branches of 1st National Bank and to read the poem composed by a staff member in fond and loving memory of their colleague, Andy Delmar.