Oct 2005 Financial News

GHL, RBTT merger not on O’Brien’s cards

Oct 27, 2005

He was asked whether continuity meant forging a merger with RBTT.

O’Brien said in a recent meeting with the banks’s CEO, Jerome Sooklal, they outlined their respective positions and held discussion on enhancing their businesses.

He said while there was mutual shareholding in each other, he will look at any opportunity that took GHL forward.

But added, "Whether or not it lead to a more formal strategic relationship or not, at the moment that’s not certainly on the cards."

He said they will continue to work "very closely together."

O’Brien said he has a few months before CEO Peter Ganteaume steps down, which, he said allowed him the time he needed to get to know the businesses in detail.

Ganteaume, who guided GHL for the past six years, will step down on June 30th.

"As the time draws closer, I’m going to be under more and more pressure."

He notes that his biggest challenge so far has been the volume of information he has to digest.

GHL, he said, had a diverse and growing portfolio and the period spent working alongside Ganteaume will allow him to delve into them in detail.

He said one tremendous advantage he has is that Ganteaume has created around him an exceptional team.

He describes himself as a walk-a-bout CEO and someone who loves to lime.

Asked about the perception that people saw him as a foreigner, he said he had no doubts that this was going to be a very difficult job, noting that following in Ganteaume’s footsteps is not going to be easy. He said the reason whey he believed he was selected for the job was because of his international experience, his overall knowledge of the GHL group before he started and what he said was his "youthful enthusiasm."

On the reaction to his apointment, he said as far as he was concerned, everybody seemed quite pleased and enthusiastic with his appointment, noting that it will take people a while to get to know him.

"I’ve had no negative reaction, none whatsoever," he added, noting, "I’m not sure people see me as a foreigner. I don’t think that people do."

GHL, he added, came with phenomenal human assets.

Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday
Business Section
Thursday, 27th October, 2005
http://www.newsday.co.tt/business.php