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Q&A with Marlon Gibson: Island Life in St Vincent

Q&A with Marlon Gibson: Island Life in St Vincent

4 years ago

How long have you been working in the shipping industry?

I’ve been working in the shipping industry for the past 10 years; my current role is extremely varied. I’m responsible for clearance of different cargo for the customs after it’s landed, arranging export shipment to different Caribbean islands. I handle brokerage, clearance and on-the-ground logistics for many resort projects in St. Vincent… always busy!

Tell us more about the Kestrel office in St Vincent, how did it start?

When I first met Andy, I knew I really wanted to work with a forward thinking global

company like Kestrel. But when Andy asked me to set up and run a new office in St Vincent, I was excited but nervous- it was a leap of faith for me because I had never run an office before. Winding forward to now and I have learnt so much and built an amazing team here in St Vincent. There are four team members now, and we are still growing. That’s one of the special things about Kestrel- we are a family. I am really proud to be a part of Kestrel St Vincent.

What are the biggest challenges you face day-to-day in your job role?

The biggest challenge for me would be the ever-changing scope of logistics and adapting daily to the clients’ needs (on that particular day), coming up with creative solutions to achieve those needs, both on time and with excellent service. Every day presents a new challenge which I love and when it all comes together and the client is happy, then I’m happy.

What is your favourite part of the job?

When I can actually hand over the cargo to the clients, that’s the satisfying part of the role. After so many challenges with customs and handling the cargo, there are so many issues that we deal with along the way. The hiccups that the customers don’t even know about because we are busy fixing them and ensuring the customer doesn’t get troubled and they only get met with the solutions.

What do you enjoy the most working at Kestrel?

Working with Andy; he’s the perfect mix of encouraging, motivating and being on my back! I can pick up the phone anytime, anywhere in the world to my co-workers, so the communication aspect is great. Whereas, in my previous jobs, I was alone.

I had to handle things on my own, fix things on my own, so now it’s fantastic to have a big and knowledgeable family to help me; A global company that’s in your back yard.

Name one place you would like to visit in the world…

Dubai, it’s one of those places that has popped up out of nowhere. I like the architecture I see on the internet, it’s one of those places that you don’t go to every day or see or can easily travel too from here. I would really love to go there and see what they’ve done in the middle of the desert.

Favourite past time/hobby?

Car racing, and motorsport because of the dexterity of it. I also love travelling.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

A bird because they seem carefree, above the world. Not stuck on the ground in the hustle and bustle or congestion, they are far above us and can see so much. Way more than we ever can.

What is your favourite thing about living in St. Vincent?

I like how at any point in time you are close to the beach, which is great. My favourite thing has to be having my family and children here. They are so important; they mean the world to me. Biologically, I became a Dad for the first time this year too. We have a new son! It’s the biggest challenge and the biggest reward in equal measure.