PAJ's Shirley replaces Orane as GK chairman
Published:Friday | January 3, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Chief executive officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Professor Gordon Shirley has taken up the post of chairman of the GraceKennedy Group.
In February last year, GraceKennedy Chairman Douglas Orane announced that Professor Shirley would succeed him as chairman of the board, effective January 1, 2014.
However, subsequently the Government tapped the then pro-vice-chancellor and principal of the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies to head the Port Authority.
On Thursday, Don Wehby, chief executive officer of GraceKennedy confirmed that Professor Shirley has taken up the post.
With the appointment GraceKennedy has now, for the first time, tapped an outsider as its chairman. Orane remains on the GraceKennedy board.
In making the announcement last year, Orane said the appointment of Professor Shirley, made by GraceKennedy's board, continued the process for the transformation of the leadership which began with the separation of the roles of chairman and chief executive officer.
In June 2011, Orane retired as chief executive officer of GraceKennedy and was appointed as executive chairman for one year to June 30, 2012.
Professor Shirley was first appointed to GraceKennedy's board on May 30, 1996.
He has served as a board member over the period since then, excluding the three-year period between June 1, 2004 and May 31, 2007 when he was granted leave of absence to take up the position as Jamaica's ambassador to the United States.
Before his current appointment, he has held the position of chairman of GraceKennedy's corporate governance and nomination committee, and was a member of the audit committee.
Professor Shirley was unavailable for comment.