Deloitte Trinidad Alumni Network Newsletter

Issue 6 | April 2022

Message from Rikhi Rampersad, Managing Partner - Deloitte Trinidad

The first quarter of 2022 has been an eventful one for the firm, the country and the world. As we begin to feel the ease of COVID-19 restrictions locally, I hope this will usher in a renewal of prosperity and a bright future for you. I know that I look forward to a return of inter-firm football matches and office cookouts, to which as our Deloitte family you will be most welcomed.

As a global organisation, Deloitte has taken the decision to cease operations in Russia and Belarus given the ongoing conflict and is seeking to support our colleagues affected in those locations and the Ukraine. Our hearts are with the Ukrainians and the firm has already raised over US$5M in support of relief efforts in that region. 

We in Deloitte Trinidad, continue to champion our community outreach efforts with the continuation of our WorldClass programs and ESG advocacy. Additionally, our teams have been working to drive change across a number of client environments – with an emphasis on risk advisory, cyber and consulting projects. 

It gives me great pleasure to highlight in this issue one of our very own “Alumni and daughter” of Deloitte, Sherika Bethelmy.

Spotlight on you

Sherika Bethelmy - CIA, FCCA, BSc (Hons) - Deloitte Alumni

Current Position: Internal Audit Manager at NAGICO Insurance

Sherika has been a financial professional for over 11 years. She joined Deloitte upon receiving her degree from the University of the West Indies and began her career as an auditor, serving clients in varied industries. 

After 6 years of External auditing, she was able to transition to Internal Audit, and with a passion for designing protocols and investigating her love of accounting controls and reviews, she blossomed.  Along her journey she obtained her Fellowship with ACCA and became a Certified Internal Auditor.

In her current role as Internal Audit Manager for NAGICO Insurance, she oversees multiple Caribbean territories and branches. Sherika had this to say when we contacted her:

“I read a quote once from a German-born physicist who wrote, “the day you stop learning is the day you start dying”, and that changed my mindset. Because while the reference was not of a physical death, to live is to learn, so if we are not developing, then we are stagnant. 

This brought about a thirst for knowledge, so I started reading daily, availing myself to assist with new projects and identifying mentors along the way whose magnanimous contribution assisted me in tapping into my true potential. With this confidence, my usual sitting on the fence routine as it relates to my skillset and abilities subsided and I started preparing myself for the next opportunity that may arise. 

I am a firm believer that success is made up of preparation and opportunity, and as I am unable to control the latter, my focus was always on learning and building that “internal resume”. Being a modern working woman, wife, and mother of twin boys, life continues to have its own challenges; however, I remain resilient and take on these tasks one day at a time. 

The foundation Deloitte paved early in my career is valued, as they taught me good work ethic and nurtured my passion for auditing. Finally, in closing, I challenge you, rather than asking yourself, what if it does not work, ask yourself, what if it does?”