Meet the woman who decided on her career and professional designation while just barely a teenager.

Although vice president of Emerald Financial Ltd., Mrs. Antoinette Bolden, also holds down a full-time job as manager of accounting at Oil Insurance Ltd.

(OIL).

The 31-year old chartered accountant admits to being too busy with OIL to do any day-to-day work for Emerald, a company she owns with her Canadian husband, and college sweetheart, David.

She oversees the operations with Mr. Bolden by mainly focussing on the growth of the business, on a policy and strategic planning level.

After leaving Berkeley institute with 11 GCE's and studying at the Bermuda College for two years, she attended York University in Toronto, obtaining a BA (Hons) Economics, and then an MBA in accounting.

For two years she worked with Arthur Andersen in Toronto. It was while there, working with a group on investments and limited partnerships, she qualified as a CA.

She has been with OIL since 1991, and was promoted to department manager a year later. She speaks enthusiastically about her work there.

She said: "We have six companies, but the computer power means that we don't have a whole lot of staff. My duties do not just encompass accounting, but also lean over into insurance.'' It was while at Berkeley Institute, though, that she decided her future. She explained: "At 14-years-old, I decided that I wanted to be a chartered accountant. I always had a keen interest in business.'' It's not surprising. Her father, Mr. Arliss Francis, of Diamond Insurance Company, often discussed business matters with his wife in the home.

Antoinette was intently listening from a very young age.

"Business is something that the family was always exposed to. I used to listen to my father talk about his meetings and business trips. Sometimes I even traveled with him on those trips.

"From talking with him from a very young age, I determined that being a chartered accountant was a good way of getting an understanding of overall business.

"I was never interested in being an auditor. Others may not, but I would find it boring. I always wanted to be in business. Talking with my father from a very young age, I saw being a CA as useful in understanding business overall.

"Being a CA gives you such an in-depth and concentrated overview of business and the key elements, particularly finance, particularly how to read a balance sheet and income statement. That is very important when it comes to analysing a company.

"If you can't read financial statements it makes it very difficult for you to understand what has been the history of a company.

"The training also gives you exposure to marketing, economics and computers, which are very important in today's world of running companies. But with my father's help, I was able to see a lot of what was needed for me to be successful in my endeavours.'' At Berkeley, she was the anchor for the women's relay team, and specialised in sprints. But when she got to University at York, she was exposed to top Canadian sprinters, including the now disgraced 100 metres champion, Ben Johnson, who smashed the world record and won an Olympic gold medal, before it was all taken away from him after a positive test for steroids.

None of it really mattered to her. She said: "I started to train a little bit in track at York. Mark McCoy, who won the gold medal in the last Olympics (110 metre hurdles) and Ben Johnson were training there. People of that calibre.

"But I didn't go to university to put that sort of time into training. I didn't bother. I just did things like squash, weight training, aerobics, and dance or ballet to stay in shape. I was into my studies.

"I also met my husband in university. We did our economics degrees together, the same year. We graduated the same time, took the same courses, the same classes, it was fun.

"We were together for three years in university.'' Three years ago, a year after returning to Bermuda, they started Emerald Financial, upon deciding that the Island didn't really have much of a brokerage house outside of what the banks were doing.

They had already been involved in the investment field. David had been a stock broker and financial consultant with The Equion Group in Toronto, the City's leading specialists in working with upper income Canadians, high net worth investors.

"I was at Arthur Andersen, articling for my CA. When we first came home, he was working in insurance for a year with my father. That was good too, because it is always important to have a broad base of business understanding for investments.'' The company, which began with just her husband in the office, has grown to five brokers as of July, two administrative assistants and the Boldens.

"I'm very happy with the growth of the company, but it can't stop there.

Looking to the future is more important. Yesterday is history.

"But I'm very dedicated to OIL. I work full time there and I enjoy it. I love it. I'm also dedicated to my family.'' Blessed with a two year old son, Cameron, she said she has a full life, and doesn't get to play golf, like she once did. But when they do get time, they fly.

"Our favourite vacation spot has become Hawaii, Maui in particular. We try to get to New York for short weekend trips from time to time. But we get to Toronto about twice a year, because David's family is there.

"Last year we were also in Florida, Texas, San Diego. But that is mostly business trips that we tack on a few days for holiday.

"For example, David has to go to Trinidad, because we have an office there.

Investments International (Trinidad) Ltd. is a subsidiary of which we have a majority holding. It was opened August 1993. We have very good partners down there who are established in their own rights.

"That has been a success for us. But David has to also travel to other countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean in conducting our business.'' The Trinidad subsidiary is that country's first full service brokerage firm specialising in international equities. It provides investment services to a growing base of of retail, corporate and institutional investors in Trinidad.

The Emerald group also includes Emerald Educational Funding Co. Ltd. to provide an investment plan for Bermudians looking to systematically invest for their children's future educational needs. Parents are also able to establish family trusts to fund other future projects.

The principals of Emerald are also significant shareholders of the Bermuda exempt company, Canadian International Consultants Ltd., which provides investment and tax advisory services to Canadians living around the world.

The Canadian-based financial planners and brokers are currently active in over 25 countries, tending to the investment needs of Canadians.

Mrs. Bolden has begun her second year as a board member of the Small Business Development Corporation. She is also a member of the publicity committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda (ICAB).

She is confident that it has been the Christian beliefs of her family that keeps the Boldens prepared to meet the future.

ANTOINETTE BOLDEN -- She is the manager of accounting at Oil Insurance Ltd.

(OIL).