Page 67 - Powerlist 2020

Paulette Simpson
Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy,
Jamaica National Bank;
Executive Director, The Voice Media Group
Media, Publishing & Entertainment
Multi-tasker extraordinaire Paulette combines two
important and influential positions. She is the country head
for Jamaica National Bank, overseeing the organisation’s
transition from a building society to a bank. She also heads
the Voice Media Group and is the strategic force behind the
re-emergence of Britain’s oldest black newspaper.
She is a well-known community figure and has made
sure that JN Bank, and more recently The Voice newspaper,
are at the forefront of supporting community initiatives.
JN Bank contributes enormously to the Jamaican economy
with home remittances making up a sizeable portion of its
business in the UK, more than any other country worldwide.
She has previously worked with the National Commercial
Bank, Jamaica, and began her career with a six-year spell
at PwC. During that period, she was seconded to the
Commonwealth Secretariat to develop and deliver a training
Naomie Harris OBE programme for young women in business in Zambia.
Paulette sat on the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board for
Actor four years, consulting with the Minister of State about issues

relating to the Jamaican Diaspora in the UK.
In terms of longevity and international recognition, there She holds an MBA from the University of Westminster and
are few black British actresses whose careers can match a Business Studies degree from the University of Stirling.
Naomie Harris, best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in Paulette is Deputy Chair of the Government’s Windrush
the James Bond films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). Commemoration Committee. In June 2019, Theresa May
Since then the Academy Award-nominated actress has announced that Waterloo Station would be the location of a
cemented her status with standout performances in other permanent monument. Every June 22 will be an annual day
critically acclaimed works such as the Oscar-winning film to celebrate the Windrush contribution.
Moonlight (2016), and as Winnie Mandela opposite Idris Paulette is also involved with several charities serving the
Elba’s Nelson in the critically-acclaimed biopic Mandela: Caribbean community in the UK.
Long Walk To Freedom (2013).
She described the latter role as “the hardest thing I’ve
ever done”. But the hard work obviously paid off as even
former US President Barack Obama is a fan, telling her
at a special screening of the film in Washington in 2013:
“The last time I saw you, you were kicking butt in Skyfall,”
prompting Naomie to think, ‘Oh my God, the President
knows who I am!’”
But it hasn’t been an overnight success story for Naomie,
who was born and raised in London and who graduated
from Cambridge in 1998 with a degree in social and
political sciences.
She started her acting career at just nine, and appeared on
the big screen in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), the TV
adaptation of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2002), Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Miami Vice (2006) and
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007).
In 2016, Naomie starred opposite Will Smith and Helen
Mirren in Collateral Beauty and in 2018 she voiced the
character of Nisha in the Jungle Book-inspired Mowgli.
She will reprise her role as Eve Moneypenny when she
appears in her third James Bond film, No Time to Die in 2020.
She also recently starred in the action cop drama Black and
Blue. Director Deon Taylor said he gave the role to the British
actress because she was the most ‘dynamic and powerful’
person that auditioned for him. Taylor said she was perfect
for the role because she is a ‘thespian’ rather than
a ‘movie star’.
Naomie received an OBE in 2017 for services to drama.

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