Apr 2014 Financial News

GraceKennedy Group CEO Announces Senior Appointments within the Company

Apr 01, 2014

As the GraceKennedy Group continues on its quest to become a Global Consumer Group which will see its expansion regionally in financial services and internationally in its foods businesses, Group CEO Don Wehby has announced two new appointments. In order to ensure that the Company has the right structure in place to facilitate the achievement of these strategic objectives, while maintaining its competitive edge and focus on its traditional businesses, Mr Wehby has announced the appointment of Mrs. Grace Burnett to the position of CEO, Insurance, GK Financial Group Division and the appointment of Mr. Ryan Mack to the position of Deputy CEO of the GK Foods Division. Both appointments become effective on April 1, 2014.

Mrs Burnett will be providing oversight for the Insurance segment of the GK Financial Group Division, while continuing in her role as Managing Director for Jamaica International Insurance Company Ltd. (JIIC). She joined the GraceKennedy Group as General Manager of JIIC in 2000 and was transferred to Allied Insurance Brokers Ltd. as Managing Director in 2007. In 2013, she returned to JIIC in the capacity of Managing Director. A qualified Chartered Insurer and Attorney-at-Law, she is the Founding President of the Jamaica Society for Insurance Professionals & Technicians (JSIPT) and a member of the Jamaican Bar Association, The Insurance Institute of Jamaica (IIJ), The Chartered Insurance Institute (UK) and also a Director of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. She sits on several Boards within the GraceKennedy Group including GraceKennedy Remittance Services Limited (GKRS), First Global Insurance Brokers (Turks and Caicos) and Hardware& Lumber Limited.

Mr. Ryan Mack’s appointment comes at a time when the GK Foods Division is seeking to grow aggressively outside of Jamaica. While he continues to hold his substantive position as Managing Director of Grace Foods (UK) Limited, in his new role he will be a key member of the team working to optimize and grow the foods business across the markets.

Mr Mack, who joined the GraceKennedy Group in February of 1991 as Finance Project Officer, has served in several senior management capacities in the Foods division including as General Manager of Grace Foods and Services Company, World Brands Services Ltd. and Senior General Manager, Domestic Business – GK Foods, and since 2011, as Managing Director of Grace Foods UK.

Mr. Mack, who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Management from the University of the West Indies, has also participated in various Executive Education Programmes, including the Strategic Leadership Programme at Queen’s University; Negotiation & Influencing Strategies at Stanford University and the Global Strategic Management Programme at Harvard Business School. A member of GraceKennedy’s Executive Committee, he currently serves on the Boards of several companies in the Group including GK Foods & Services Ltd, GK Foods Limited of Nigeria, Grace Foods UK Limited, GraceKennedy Ghana Limited, GraceKennedy (Belize) Limited, GraceKennedy (Ontario) Limited and Grace Foods (USA) Inc.

“Grace and Ryan have proven to be strong, innovative and results-oriented leaders,” said Mr Wehby. “I am confident that they will continue to make GraceKennedy proud, through their significant contribution to our company’s goal of becoming a Global Consumer Group,” he added.

Contact: Simone Clarke-Cooper
Corporate Communication Manager
809-1121 (cell)
932-3174 (straight line)


Source:
The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange Limited
Tuesday April 1, 2014