Influencer Anthony Haile

Interview March 2024

Doing good for others pays off

Could you share some information about your family life with us?
I have a sister from my father and mother’s side. I am married and have two children. My mother has been essential to me for who I am nowadays, as she exemplified hard work to progress.

After I graduated from High School (Radulphus College), I was expected to start working. I applied to get a job and found one, and my mother and I agreed that I would study one full year before I started working, which I did as I combined work with my advanced studies. That is why, the moment I had an opportunity to let my mother move, we moved from Marchena to a house in Amerikanen Kamp as a way to show her my gratitude for all she has done for us.

My mother showed me how a small effort can create significant returns; she taught me the value of every guilder that I earned, and I was taught that if I wanted something, I needed to work hard to get it. This is also how I raised my children. One has become a Medical Doctor, and the other child became a Police Officer, and he now works at Interpol. I never spoiled my children. I used to visit my son, who studied in Groningen at times, and he would ask for 10 things on his wish list; I chose 2 mostly relevant for his study, as I considered the rest non–essential. He didn’t like it during those days, but nowadays, he is older and wiser, he agrees with how I addressed his wish list.

Could you share something about your educational background and your experience?
I was born and raised in Marchena and went to the Aloysius and Pius College in Wishi (skòl por nada) and Sint Willebordus College (skòl di paga) in Otrobanda and was planning to go to the Sint Thomas College MULO. I was blessed to have a set of school teachers who cared for their students. They saw my potential, and they encouraged me during my primary school period. At the Sint Willebordus College, the school head, Mr. Fontilus, who also cared for his students, had also noticed my potential. He suggested that I take an exam to go to Radulphus College. I was hesitant as I was thinking about how I could pay to attend Radulphus College (High School). But the school head told me not to worry and just do the exam, and I passed. Mr. Fontilus after I passed my exam and did a psychological test, then arranged for me to apply for a scholarship, allowing me to go to the Radulphus College.

After High School
As I graduated, I took notice that the MAO (Middelbare Administratieve Opleiding) was just starting in those days. The MAO combined two types of courses: PD (Praktijk Diploma Boekhouden) and MBA (Middelbare Administratieve Opleiding). So, I went to the MAO for one year and then started to work. The planning was, that I should go to work immediately after graduating from Radulphus College, as my mother has done her utmost to allow me to go to school. After one year at MAO, I applied for and got a job at Shell Curaçao, and while working there, I was fortunate enough to have a boss, the Controller at Shell Curaçao,  in those days, who allowed me  to work and study, finishing my SPD, during working hours.

At  Shell Curaçao, I worked for 13 years. Then, in 1985, Refineria Isla took the refinery over, and at that moment, I was working at SNAV,  the department that was in charge of the supply of local gasoline and gasoil for airplanes and ships. The SNAV became CUROIL, and at CUROIL, I worked for another 18 years. In 2002, I left CUROIL, and at that moment, it was the best thing that could have happened. I had become a CUROIL face in those 18 years, so it was great to detach from CUROIL at that time, as I became my own boss and could decide to do things as I saw was the best way to do things. In 2013, I retired as I turned 60 years old and built up a good pension consisting of my retirement from Shell, my Curoil pension, and the AOV pension in full.

You are a very public figure, and as a member of Kiwanis, you are very well known. How did you get involved in Kiwanis?
I was working at Curoil, and Marcel Nicolina, the CEO of Curoil back then, became a member of Kiwanis, and after a month, he left it again. He was too busy to meet every Wednesday for Kiwanis lunch,  but he saw the importance of Curoil being part of a Network. He suggested that I replace him in Kiwanis, as he considered it essential that a member of the management team of Curoil participate in Kiwanis, as it was necessary for the profiling of Curoil in the community.

I was the Finance Manager of Curoil those days, and Curoil would pay for me the monthly fee, which they did during the years I worked for Curoil. I couldn’t refuse that offer, and I fell in love with Kiwanis. Kiwanis worked on community projects with a particular focus on our youth. Participating in Kiwanis allowed me to grow. I have held different positions in Kiwanis over the years, such as secretary and director fundraising and twice President of Kiwanis Curaçao. I became the Lieutenant Governor of divison 26 with members including members from Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Martin, Surinam, and French Guyana. I attended all conventions, made photos of my visits, and uploaded them on Facebook. I felt like I was ready to take on even higher responsibilities in Kiwanis. I once postulated myself to become vice-governor of Kiwanis Eastern Canada and the Caribbean district. That went very well. I was appointed by acclamation. The next year I  became Governor-elect and I  in the year 2022-2023, I became Governor of  the Eastern Caribbean and Canada for 1 year.

As Governor I was able to get to know Canada very well. It is a fantastic country provided you don’t visit it in the winter. I love traveling, and it was an excellent opportunity to visit places all over Canada and travel all over the Caribbean, as this was expected from the Governor of Kiwanis. And I would publish all the photos I took of the places I visited, even the French-speaking parts of Canada. I dared to speak in French, and even though the French wasn’t that good, the people appreciated that I tried to talk it. Because of these posts and photos, people knew where I was, which part of the world I was visiting, and the reason for this visit. I became thus the first native of Curaçao to become Governor of such a prestigious District, representing Curaçao.

When I used to address my audiences at District conventions, I would start by saying that I want them to understand that if it is difficult to pronounce Curaçao, and that my island name is not “Kurakao,” I emphasize that they should be aware that Curaçao is the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. Then, I would show them a two-minute video explaining where Curaçao is located geographically.

I believe that by now, everybody in Canada knows where Curaçao is located. And these are all the benefits to be gained by becoming the District Governor. When lots of Canadians take a trip to the Caribbean, I would invite them by telling them that they have a friend on the island, as they visit our island on a cruise.

If they arrive on the island I will show them around. This last December two visited our island that way, one arrived on the 24th of December and the other one on the 26th of December. I will always meet and greet them thus creating “goodwill” for our island.

Another thing that I would do as Governor is, as I am aware that lots of Kiwanis members have a hectic life and are hard workers, I would commend them for their efforts, when they finish a Kiwanis project.  As a governor, I also increased the awareness of Curaçao, where it is located, and that it is different from all the other islands. When they heard from Curaçao they associated it with Andrew Jones and our Little League-ers from Williamsport.

What is your BIG WHY or driving motivation to do what you are doing now?
My role is to show people that one, although born and raised in a poor neighborhood and environment, can become successful in life. We need to work hard to achieve anything we want. I have made it without Academic Grades as a credential. In my opinion, success depends on the person with the right attitude.

I am a Roman Catholic and am involved in many church activities. I know that my church is sometimes going through rough time but from my part I continue to focus on the positive things my church is doing for our community.

I will continue to do my utmost to help make other people become better people. I believe that we need to be present as the Roman Catholic Church also in prison, where there are so many Christian denominations involved. I think that the presence of the Roman Catholic Church should be more visible in the prison. 

I also write about our travels around the world, like the cruise we took around the Horn via Argentina and Chile. We have been to Israel. I am emphasizing the positive sides of things. I always see the glass half full and never write a negative story in whatever media I publish an article.

What are your plans for the coming years for the coming 5 years from now?  
I am sure that by then, I will have visited many more places around the world. My wife and I have the necessary health and resources to travel, so we will continue to do that. There are so many other places that we still have to visit.

Don’t you have your grandchildren to take care of?
I am the parent of a beautiful granddaughter. I love my granddaughter, but it is the responsibility of their parents in the first instance to educate their children. So that will not keep us from traveling.

What was a defining moment in your life?
When my first child was born, I realized that I had contributed to putting a human being on this earth and that I was responsible for taking care of this child until he was of a certain age.

Another defining moment was when my second child graduated as a General Physician. The first had already become a Police Officer. After that moment, they were on their own, and both were doing well. I had finished my mission to raise them until that moment.

What are the challenges that you are dealing with? And how are you dealing with these different challenges you confront?
There are some challenges. The moment we parted ways and I stopped working at Curoil, I needed to decide how to continue my professional career after working there for 18 years. But when the stakes were high, I didn’t hide. I went to court and won my case.

Things happen in our lives, and when they are not right, you have to confront them, which I did. This has changed my life completely. I found time for myself. Before that, I was at the office all the time. I didn’t have time for anything else but Curoil. I came to realize that we are not here forever. It is all temporary.

The moment I realized that I was not indispensable, it changed my life completely.

Another challenge was becoming the Governor of Kiwanis and what would I do once I was the Governor. There were question marks related to the fact that I was a person from the Caribbean, where English was not my mother language, and there were doubts. But I decided to do my work as a Governor the way I am. I visited a lot of conventions and published my trips on Facebook. Thus, there was documentation of what and where I was hanging out. They were astonished as I spoke different languages. I was in Panama once and addressed the public in Spanish and English.

All of this, being the first native from Curaçao to be appointed Governor, and the way I handled the past year as a Governor has given me a lot of satisfaction. To my knowledge all Kiwanians in my district,  were very happy with how I did my job as the Governor. I was very attentive and did the small things that meant a lot to the recipients, like sending a condolence card to a Kiwanis club and the family of a youngster in Kiwanis who has passed away.

This Emotional Intelligence is part of who I am. I love to give my sincere attention to people, and I am approached by people who want sound advice. This has become more obvious the older I have become.

How do you use your inner voice to evaluate when dilemmas show up? How does that work for you?
When I am confronted with a dilemma, I always follow my gut feelings and/or inner voice. I love doing just that. It doesn’t work out well for me when I don’t do it.

What would you want your Loved Ones, family, friends, and others to say about you let’s say 20 years from now?
They will say: “Anthony is an honest, caring, humble person, with both feet on the ground, and he has always been someone who cared about other people. Paying attention to his family is always very important to him. He has always treated people with respect irrespective of what position he held in his life.”

If you would meet a stranger on the bus (let’s say in Quebec, Canada) and they would ask you to introduce yourself, what would you answer?
I would tell them my name and that I come from a tiny island, Curaçao in the Caribbean, and would try to explain where it is geographically located. If they still can’t figure it out, I might say as a last resort that it is close to Aruba.

How would you describe yourself in one word or one sentence?
I am humble and always want to do the best for my fellow human beings.

What are your strengths?
My interpersonal Intelligence, thus, is my relations with other people. My ability to express myself authentically when I meet people or otherwise, is also my authenticity.

What is a trait that is still a work in progress?
My wife tells me not to publish on Facebook where I travel when we are still traveling. “Do it afterwards,” she always tells me. That’s a work in progress for me.

What makes you stay optimistic about the future of the world?
We live in a time when many things are happening right now. I can see that the general interests – sorry to say – are not always being applied, as people’s interests prevail. We don’t allow others to progress. We need to let go of this.

I am worried about the world in general. If President Trump comes back, I will hold my breath. In Israel, I see an angry Netayanu, and I hold my breath. I am worried. I am trying to be honest.

Anything else?
My advice is to live your life but thinkn’t solely of yourself. Think also of your fellow human beings. When you give, you never know how this will come back to you. Doing good for others pays off. That is what I have experienced in life.

One of the 250 Influencers

Anthony Haile is a remarkable individual characterized by humility, honesty, compassion, and a zest for life. His commitment to his community, particularly the youth, is evident through his active involvement in organizations like Kiwanis. His excellent interpersonal skills, drive, and authenticity, have propelled him to positions of influence, such as serving as the Kiwanis Governor of the Eastern Caribbean and Canada.

Notably, Anthony’s multi-language abilities have been instrumental during his tenure, allowing him to effectively promote Curaçao, especially in Canada. Despite his achievements, he remains grounded and advocates for a selfless approach to life, emphasizing the importance of treating others with respect and kindness. He is also a consistent advocate of “to live your life but don’t think solely of yourself”

Anthony’s optimistic outlook, demonstrated by his belief in seeing the glass as half full, is reflected in his writings about his travels and experiences in different countries. His journey from humble beginnings to success serves as a testament to the power of hard work and a positive attitude. Overall, Anthony Haile stands out as a shining example of someone who embodies compassion, determination, and the willingness to uplift others while achieving personal success. For all these reasons we consider Anthony Haile a community Influencer, representing the NGO-sector. 
Look at the list of the Influencers we have interviewed or reported on, up to now.