PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs described retiring professional Paul van Vliet as a cornerstone of the profession and a mentor whose standards and commitment to excellence influenced generations of professionals.
Gumbs made the remarks while delivering a farewell speech for Van Vliet, marking his retirement after 38 years of service to the profession and business community of St. Maarten. He is retiring from Grant Thornton, where he served as partner. “Paul, you were one of my mentors, whether you realised it or not. The standards you upheld continue to guide me in public service today,” Gumbs said.
She said Van Vliet’s influence extended beyond his years of service and that the standards he maintained continued to shape her own approach to public service.
Gumbs’ farewell remarks were also personal, as she spent 16 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), now Grant Thornton, before entering public service. She was asked by Herbert Beldman to deliver the farewell speech for Van Vliet and immediately agreed.
“I knew I could never tell Herbert no,” Gumbs said. The occasion gave Gumbs an opportunity to reflect on the role her years at the firm played in shaping her professional career.
She expressed gratitude to the many professionals who invested in her during her 16 years at the firm, including Cees Rokx, Sherienne Virginia, the late Victoria Valies, Herbert Beldman and Van Vliet.
According to Gumbs, their guidance helped develop her technical knowledge, discipline, integrity, critical thinking and professional standards.
She also recalled the beginning of her journey to PwC and the late Roy Marlin, whom her mother approached to put in a good word for her after she was invited for a second interview.
“I wanted that opportunity because of Marinka Gumbs, not because someone had recommended me,” she recalled. With the benefit of experience, Gumbs said she came to understand that a recommendation may provide an opportunity, but a person’s character and abilities determine whether that opportunity is sustained.
“A recommendation may open a door, but it is your character, competence and work ethic that determine whether you remain in the room,” she said. Gumbs said the farewell to Van Vliet ultimately became an occasion for gratitude and reflection on her own professional journey.
She said the foundation of her professional development was laid during her years at the firm and expressed appreciation to everyone who contributed to that journey. “The foundation was laid here. The pillars were planted here. And I remain deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to that journey.”
Gumbs congratulated Van Vliet on his retirement and wished him health, happiness, peace and continued blessings in the next chapter of his life.
