PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten has its first Doctor of Business Administration with Specialization in Accounting in the person of local financial professional Sharine Daniel. Now officially Doctor Sharine Daniel. She obtained her doctorate at the end of July after six years of focused study work from Walden University, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Her Doctoral study on “Communication Strategies Used to Improve Performance in a Diverse Workforce” was classified as complete and satisfactory in all respects. Though a doctoral program takes an average of 4 to 5 years to complete, unforeseen challenges which included Hurricane Irma, while still maintaining a professional career, prolonged her studies. Nevertheless, her Doctoral degree was conferred with a GPA of 3.78 on a 4.0 scale. In other words, her grades put her in the top 1% of her graduate class. The study is now in the process of being published.
The Doctorate puts a cap on an already stellar resume and career for Dr. Daniel, who is currently the Internal Financial Auditor at GEBE. She also holds a Bachelor of Administration (BA) Degree in Accounting, Master of Science Degree in Accounting, and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance. Dr. Daniel is also certified in forensic accounting and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Reflecting on the proud accomplishment, Dr. Daniel said achieving the highest degree in Accounting was her ultimate goal, but personally, there is a greater meaning for her, as she stated; “This was my late father’s dream. He always wanted and pushed me to maximize my ability to achieve the highest-level education possible. He always told me that the word “can’t “cannot be found in the dictionary therefore striving for excellence is a must. Unfortunately, my father Danny Douglas Daniel passed away in 2008 and I dedicate my doctoral study to him,” she said.
Looking towards the future, Dr. Daniel stated that she is looking forward to continued professional growth. She also pointed out that her educational journey started at the University of St. Maarten (USM) and, as life would have it, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of USM approximately one year ago, which remains a very proud moment for her.
In that context, she added that she hopes that her educational journey which came with some setbacks, will serve as an inspiration to all young people of St. Maarten. As she notes, “Let’s all remember Mr. Nelson Mandela’s words “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank NV GEBE, in particular, the late Mr. Julius Lambert, Former Director and former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Directors of GEBE, who not only recruited me back home to St. Maarten but also give me the opportunity to share my education and experience gained in the United States,” . I am looking forward to giving back to country St. Maarten when and should the opportunity present itself.”
Grounded in organizational information theory, the purpose of Dr. Daniels's qualitative case study was to explore the communication strategies practiced by top-level managers in the communication sector to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce. The study provides St. Maarten’s top-level managers with strategies for implementing effective communication to improve employee performance in a diverse workforce and promote sustainability.
