Career banker from Old Harbour reveals important lesson behind his success
Article By: Old Harbour News
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- Jul 16, 2021 09:47 AM | Career banker from Old Harbour reveals important lesson behind his success , Business

Israel Hyatt (Photo Credit: instagram/scotiabankjam)
The Old Harbour native and resident is a well-known figure, having attended Marlie Mount Primary and Old Harbour High schools before spending much of his early initiation as a banker at Scotiabank’s Old Harbour branch.
The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) graduate noted however, that his success so far was built on many principles. But there was one particular lifelong lesson that has served him well even to this day.
In the bank’s latest feature – Faces of Scotia – Hyatt recalled a teaching moment his mother, retired educator Ena Hyatt, taught him.
In the special feature, the former Old Harbour High Head Boy, revealed how he transitioned from being a shy boy to becoming “more sociable” during high school life. This came at a price which cost him dearly at the time, but paid rich dividends many years later.
“In high school, I became a lot more sociable but this also took time away from my studies,” the 40-year-old stated. “My mom stepped in and for every subject I failed, she made me pay – literally! My lunch money was budgeted to include loan payments and I had to pay her each week.
“It was the money I repaid my mother that became the deposit for my very first savings account. That was the beginning of my relationship with Scotiabank and also when I decided I wanted to work with the institution.”
Today, Hyatt who is now a father, said his “son is a major driving force in my life but I am also indebted and super grateful to my mother for turning a childhood lesson of responsibility and discipline into a discovery of purpose”.
From being just a teller to now a premium relationship officer, Hyatt believes that that and other lessons from his mother has instilled in him a level of zeal to constantly “raise the bar with every customer interaction” in helping clients make the right investment choice.
He said now he looks back proudly at that life lesson from mom and how he has “paid her back in full”.