Andrew Bellamy has tendered his resignation as chief executive officer, band leader and board member of the Xaymaca International Carnival Band.
In a letter to the chairman of the Xaymaca International board, dated July 6, Bellamy cited a non-alignment of company goals and operations among the major reasons for his resignation.
“Despite countless meetings, efforts to improve our company’s financial position, mediation and the implementation of personally compromising strategies; my decision to resign effective immediately is as a result of months of futile efforts to get to a consensus and/or support on the direction of the operations of the band with the majority of co-shareholders and board members,” the letter stated.
The local shareholders of Xaymaca International Carnival Band are Akil Strachan, Ian Bourne, Kandi King, Mark Lalor, Richard Spence, Steven Lofters and Andrew Bellamy. The resignation letter also cited that Bellamy was the facilitator that brought all local shareholders to the table to reimagine the carnival landscape in Jamaica five years ago.
Bellamy stated in the letter that Xaymaca was his brainchild and dream for the past six years and that walking away from the brand is “heart rending".
“The Xaymaca International brand is strong with untapped potential; which is the paramount reason that myself and two other shareholders (Ian Bourne and Richard Spence) have been committed to keep the brand alive both financially and through economically viable business strategies since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. But without the commitment and consensus from all shareholders, the continuous positive trajectory of the brand will be diminished,”Bellamy added.