UK-based Guyanese talks of life abroad, returning home

By Anthony Layne

MANY Guyanese in the diaspora have carved niches for themselves in numerous fields of endeavour. This they have done by dint of hard work, perseverance, discipline and commitment.

One such person is Dawn De Peazer, who has been residing in the United Kingdom (UK) for the past 56 years. Dawn was recently home for her first Guyanese Christmas in over a decade and took time out from her busy schedule to chat with the Pepperpot Magazine.

Dawn, who was born and bred in Georgetown – Fort Street, Kingston, to be precise – is one of five children for her parents, Lynette and Alfred De Peazer; her last two siblings, Donna and Colin –the latter now deceased — were born in the UK. Dawn departed what was then British Guiana in 1961, at age nine with her two brothers, Clive and Robert.

Their departure was preceded by that of their parents, the previous year. According to Dawn, “We were brought up in a stable home environment, both here and in the UK. We were taught to be disciplined, respectful, contented, and honest,” she said. “I honestly cannot recall hearing our parents quarrelling or raising their voices at each other. So strong was the bond between them that when our paternal uncle in the UK proposed sending first for my father, he [father] refused to leave without mom.”

So what was it like growing up in a predominantly white society? Said she: “ When one talks about growing up in a predominantly white society, what invariably comes to mind is the question of racial discrimination. But to say that I have ever been the victim of racial discrimination at any time in the UK would be very dishonest. And even if I had, I would’ve been able to deal with it, compliments of a sound education – education empowers one to deal with adverse situations.”

It was while she was receiving such an education at college, that she got her first exposure to the world of work – a part-time secretarial job with the French multinational banking and financial services company, Societe Generale. She would eventually secure full-time employment with the company as a Bank Trader or Foreign Exchange Trader; this appointment, entailing as it did, doing daily trades on the Stock Exchange led her into a male-dominated domain.

Her sojourn with Societe Generale lasted for five years before she was “head-hunted” – to identify and approach (a suitable person employed elsewhere) to fill a business position for another French company, Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP). This company provides a full range of banking services to individuals, businesses and associations.

It offers savings and current accounts, consumer credit, mortgages, insurance, securities services, asset management, etc. To have been “identified and approached” to join such a reputable and prestigious company meant much to Dawn. As she stated, “Even though I knew that I was competent, being ‘head-hunted’ made me feel extremely proud anyway. I saw it for what it was: recognition of my ability. There are so many people who have ability, but they do not always gain recognition.” Dawn worked with BNP for nearly 15 years, during which period she was promoted to supervisor/team leader of the admin team.

After leaving BNP, she also held senior positions at Guardian Royal Exchange (GRE) -an insurance company- and Citibank. She said that she remembers her sojourn with Citibank very fondly, because it was there that she became pregnant with the first of her two sons who is now 46, the other is 41.

Dawn is now a Wealth Manager with a wealth management company, where she is one of only three women and the only black woman, holding that position. As a wealth manager, Dawn helps clients to make sound investment decisions; whether, for example, they should invest in stocks and shares, or to simply invest in pension plans.

She considers this her ultimate achievement and that she is, simultaneously, at the zenith and in the twilight of her career. Accordingly, Dawn said she has initiated negotiations to minimise her involvement with the company, as she prepares to head into retirement.

As regards Guyana’s level of development, she acknowledged that there is much room for improvement, but on the other hand, she knows that improvements will not happen overnight. She alluded to a discussion she had with President Granger while he was visiting the UK and said that left her in absolutely no doubt about his unwavering commitment to take Guyana to its next level of development.

Does she plan to remigrate? Not immediately, she said, but for now, she definitely will be spending a lot more time here. Toward this end, she and her partner, who is also Guyanese, have started building their home in a gated community.

Finally, Dawn believes that with Guyana on the cusp of becoming a major oil producer, and with the expected increase in personal incomes, there could be a role for her here, given her wealth of experience in the world of finance and in wealth management in particular.