New transition team at Air Jamaica
Published:Friday | January 15, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Left: Denis Lalor ... promoted to chairman. Right: Air Jamaica President Bruce Noble to guide transition committee. - File
Government has appointed a new five-member board of directors, comprising two private sector members and three with public sector jobs, slimming its membership from nine.
The new chairman is Denis Lalor, chairman of Insurance Company of the West Indies Limited, and a holdover from the airline's previous board on which he served as vice-chairman.
The other four directors are Christopher Zacca, special adviser to the Prime Minister, Dr Wayne Henry, special adviser to the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Sancia Templer, president of Jamaica Trade & Invest and Christopher Berry, chairman of Mayberry Investments Limited, who is also a holdover from the previous board.
The old board was chaired by Shirley Williams, and included Dr Carolyn Hayles, Captain Omar Parkins, Richard Byles, Wilfred Bagaloo, Colin Steele and Derick Latibeaudiere.
The appointments were made January 5 by Finance Minister Audley Shaw, whose office also announced a new 'transition management committee' for the airline.
Jamaica has been trying, for two years, to sell Air Jamaica, coming close to a deal with the owners of Spirit Airlines that eventually faltered because of a US$200 million bill the deal would have imposed on Jamaica, in addition to absorbing about US$1 billion in debt.
Caribbean Airlines is now expected to buy Air Jamaica, with PM Bruce Golding personally jetting to Trinidad late last year to tidy up negotiations. The Trinidad carrier is not expected to assume Air J's debts, nor is the Jamaican carrier's brand expected to survive after the acquisition.
Bruce Noble, president and chief executive officer of Air Jamaica, will guide the transition team.