Twitty-Ann Thomas - Bold Beginnings, Bright Future

Ambitious, driven, independent and assertive are some of the empowering characteristics that Twitty-Ann Thomas, proudly possesses which resulted in her resounding success in climbing the ladder of life. With roots coming from the Kingston 13 community, Twitty-Ann was hungry for prosperity in her life which made her extremely driven during her times in basic and primary school.

In her sitdown with Outlook, she shares her story of triumph, beginning with early stages of her life in primary school.

Fay and Horace Thomas’ first-born daughter of five siblings, the story behind her unique name comes from her mother naming her after one of her schoolmates from high school.

She had a positive start in life from St Peter Claver Primary, where she achieved success in both academic and extra-curricular activities, resulting in her graduating valedictorian of her year. She was also the head girl, house captain, on the debating team and the school’s go-to representative for student speaking opportunities.

“I just did what I was supposed to do. I didn’t have anyone over me telling me what to do, not like kids nowadays. My parents never had to worry about me,” she explained.

The eldest of five children, the leadership role was no stranger to Twitty-Ann. During her high school pursuit, she was placed at the Convent of Mercy Academy 'Alpha', which she attended on a scholarship courtesy of former Prime Minister, the Honorable Portia Simpson Miller’s community development fund.

Career Mode

Thomas hit the ground running into career mode at age 19, as soon as she graduated high school, tenaciously moving from job to job, so she could provide for herself and her family. At her grass-roots level, she began with a two-year internship with C&W Cooperative Credit Union, as a teller and customer service representative. After gaining much experience in customer service, her next appointment led her to work as an Air Jamaica flight attendant combined with her introduction to motherhood, which only further boosted her motivation to succeed.

Thomas then joined Fujitsu as a Total Call Management Agent. Her ambitious drive propelled her forward once again when she interviewed the managers to find out what it would take to advance her career and set her sights on sales. She was soon appointed as an Inside Sales Representative for Strategic Accounts with Digicel. She confidently spoke her truth in our sitdown when she said, “It's about what you have to offer. Nothing is given to you, you have to assert yourself.”

She maintained this attitude when Digicel Jamaica launched its own ICT services, 'Digicel Business Solutions', and was recruited to the position of Operations Manager for Jamaica, in a very male-dominated field. She was promoted within six months of joining the team, and after two years, the sudden departure of her boss, resulted in her promotion within Digicel Group. There she had responsibility for 26 markets across the Caribbean and Central America.

After three years, Thomas was eager for a new challenge. At DLM Group, the parent company of Hawkeye, she took on the role of General Manager, Group Sales, Marketing and Client Care. There she focused on strengthening the Hawkeye brand, optimising the performance of the sales and marketing team via training, development and sales performance management strategies, thus delivering the best value in service and innovative solutions for customers.

“Each time I start a new job, I'm always 10 steps ahead, I know where I want to get to eventually. You set out what it is that you want to achieve, you achieve them and you move on.”

Now 35, the 'Queen of the pitch', Thomas stands in her own lane in the working world, never settling for anything less. A veteran of the local sales and operations profession, she currently sits at the helm of her own company alongside her life and business partner in the ChannelPro Limited. In tandem with her competitive spirit, Thomas credits her success to her parents, whose examples she follows to this day. As Thomas shared with Outlook, “I'm still writing my story.”

She is determined to expand ChannelPro into other Caribbean markets and also wants to begin engaging in philanthropic efforts, focusing on mentoring young girls. The chapters to follow in her story are sure to be filled with more prosperity and more ambition, attacked with her assertive charisma.