A Legacy of Leadership at GraceKennedy
Don Wehby has been a transformative leader at GraceKennedy, one of Jamaica’s largest and most diversified conglomerates. Since becoming Group CEO in 2011, he has driven the company’s growth through a clear strategic focus on international expansion and innovation. Under his stewardship, GraceKennedy has expanded significantly in the global food and financial services sectors, achieving a balance of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

Wehby first joined GraceKennedy in 1995 as Group Finance Manager. His leadership has been pivotal in major milestones, including the acquisition of Catherine’s Peak, La Fe Foods in the U.S., and Consumer Brands Limited. Notably, his efforts helped grow revenues and solidify GraceKennedy’s footprint in key international markets such as North America and the United Kingdom​

Visionary Management and Style
Wehby is recognized for his focus on creating a dynamic management team and cultivating Caribbean talent. Drawing inspiration from leaders like Jack Welch, Wehby emphasizes mentorship and succession planning. He actively recruits and develops high-potential executives, fostering a leadership pipeline that positions the company for sustained success. He is also known for his decisive yet collaborative approach, empowering his team to take ownership of key initiatives​

Challenges and Triumphs
Navigating Jamaica’s challenging economic landscape, Wehby has championed GraceKennedy’s resilience. From navigating geopolitical complexities to modernizing operations, he has consistently delivered strong results. His strategic decisions to relocate GraceKennedy’s headquarters to downtown Kingston and focus on foreign markets reflect his bold vision for the company’s future​

Beyond Business
Wehby has made significant contributions outside the corporate world. As a senator and honorary consul for New Zealand, he has advocated for economic reform and strengthened Jamaica’s global ties. His passion for sports is evident in GraceKennedy’s sponsorship of events like the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships, reinforcing the company’s commitment to community development​

Looking Ahead
As GraceKennedy continues its ambitious growth trajectory, Don Wehby remains a cornerstone of its strategy to become a global powerhouse. His focus on leveraging international markets while fostering local talent ensures the company is well-positioned for future success. With his leadership legacy firmly established, the company looks forward to realizing its global ambitions while staying true to its Jamaican roots.

Guardsman Metaverse, in collaboration with Jamaican artificial intelligence company Crimsontide AI, is revolutionizing security across Jamaica with cutting-edge, customizable solutions. This partnership brings together Guardsman’s expertise in virtual security and Crimsontide’s advanced AI technology, delivering a suite of intelligent security offerings tailored to meet the unique needs of Jamaican businesses and institutions.

Through this strategic collaboration, Guardsman Metaverse is positioned at the forefront of the country’s security landscape, offering systems that leverage both immersive digital technology and sophisticated artificial intelligence.

The partnership underscores the importance of local innovation in addressing the security challenges faced by Jamaica today, providing clients with tailor-made solutions that ensure effective protection.

Guardsman Metaverse is committed to offering security solutions that go beyond traditional models, emphasizing customization and flexibility to meet the specific requirements of each client. From large commercial operations to smaller enterprises, the platform delivers a personalized approach that ensures maximum efficiency and peace of mind.

This flexibility is what sets Guardsman Metaverse apart—adapting to each environment’s unique security demands and offering a more responsive, intelligent way to safeguard people and assets.

With AI-driven features that allow for real-time monitoring and proactive threat detection, Guardsman Metaverse empowers businesses and institutions to stay ahead of potential security breaches. Each system can be fully customized to fit the environment it protects, delivering advanced functionality across a wide range of settings.

Advanced Features for Comprehensive Protection

• Facial Recognition: Guardsman Metaverse enhances access control through secure, real-time identification of authorized personnel, ensuring that only those with clearance can enter critical areas.
• License Plate Detection: For commercial properties, this feature allows for real-time monitoring of vehicle activity, helping to identify unauthorized or suspicious vehicles and notify security personnel immediately.
• Personnel Counting and Crowd Management: Especially important for businesses, this feature tracks occupancy and manages crowd flow, helping to ensure safety, meet regulatory requirements, and optimize operational efficiency.
• Firearm Detection: Using AI-powered analysis, Guardsman Metaverse detects the presence of firearms, providing instant alerts to security teams to ensure a rapid and effective response to any threat.
• Customizable Behavioural AI: Tailored to each client’s specific needs, Guardsman Metaverse’s behavioural AI can be trained to detect and respond to specific actions or patterns that are unique to the environment it monitors.
• Infrared Drone Surveillance: Equipped with infrared technology, Guardsman Metaverse drones provide round-the-clock aerial surveillance, ideal for large properties, high-security areas, and search-and-rescue missions, offering comprehensive monitoring that goes beyond traditional methods.

These advanced security features are fully customizable, ensuring that businesses receive a solution designed specifically for their needs. Whether it’s safeguarding large commercial complexes, healthcare facilities or educational institutions, Guardsman Metaverse offers tailored protection that provides complete peace of mind.

The partnership with Crimsontide AI, a rapidly emerging Jamaican company specializing in state-of-the-art patent-pending artificial intelligence software, ensures that Guardsman Metaverse’s solutions are not only technologically advanced but also locally relevant.

Crimsontide AI Limited is at the forefront of technological innovation, and its expertise allows the system to be fine-tuned to the specific security challenges that businesses in Jamaica face.

Through this collaboration, a diverse offering of services is available to various customers and industries, including theft detection at banks, supermarkets, and retail stores, intruder detection and breach prevention at hotels and resorts, as well as risk mitigation and compliance solutions.

Crimsontide’s AI technology also enables businesses to recognize trends in data, detect outliers, and summarize data sets, all aimed at informing better business decisions.

This partnership ensures that Jamaicans are at the forefront of solving their own security issues, with solutions designed by Jamaicans, for Jamaicans. At Crimsontide AI, the commitment to rebuilding a safer Jamaica is at the heart of every innovation, working toward a future where local technology empowers local security.

However, beyond responding to security threats as they happen, Guardsman Metaverse is designed to predict and prevent potential issues before they escalate. By leveraging AI to analyse behaviours and patterns, the system can foresee risks, giving clients the ability to take proactive steps. This predictive approach ensures that businesses and homeowners are always ahead of security challenges, helping to mitigate risks before they become serious threats.

With Guardsman Metaverse, clients are empowered to protect their environments not just reactively but pre-emptively. This next-level security capability, combined with fully customizable features, ensures a comprehensive approach that adapts to the ever-evolving nature of security threats in today’s society.

Productive Business Solutions Limited (“PBS”) wishes to advise of the resignation of Mr. Andres Ibanes as Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective November 1, 2024. Mr. Jose Misrahi, current Director of PBS and Chief Financial Officer of Facey Group Limited, has been appointed interim Chief Financial Officer of PBS.

Elite Diagnostic Limited (“Elite”) today announced that Mr. Harvey Levers has resigned from his role as Chief Executive Officer, effective November 30, 2024. Mrs. Marjorie Miller, who has served as the General Manager, since October 1, 2014, will assume leadership of Elite until the company appoints a successor. Mrs. Miller will attend and benefit from the on- going collaboration with the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited (Sagicor) announced today that Mark Thompson, CEO of Advantage General Insurance Company (AGIC) has resigned, effective October 31, 2024. Mr. Thompson has also stepped down from all Sagicor affiliated boards. In the interim, AGIC’s Deputy CEO Dave Morrison will assume the role of Acting CEO, managing day-to-day operations. Mr. Morrison, who is a chartered accountant with more than twenty years’ experience, rejoined the AGIC team in 2019 and was appointed Deputy CEO at AGIC in September 2023. He has spent more than ten years combined at AGIC.

Mr. Hiram Murillo has been appointed as a Director of the Board of Carreras Limited effective Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

Paramount Trading (Jamaica) Limited (“Paramount”) pleased to advise the Jamaica Stock Exchange (“JSE”) that Mr. Everton Younger has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) effective Janaury 9, 2024. Mr. Younger is an accomplished Supply Chain & Operations Management professional, with well over twenty (20) years of experience in the manufacturing industry. He has held various senior leadership positions at GraceKennedy, Diageo (Red Stripe), Rotoflex Jamaica Limited, Seprod & Liberty Latin America (FLOW) during which time he has overseen the successful implementation of many mission critical initiatives in these entities. He has a strong belief in the abilities and potential of the Jamaican people once they are adequately equipped with the requisite tools, inspired leadership and an empowering work environment. He also shares the view that “there is nothing wrong with Jamaica that cannot be fixed by what is right with Jamaica.” He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc.) in Pure & Applied Chemistry, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Studies, and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Food Science & Technology from the University of the West Indies. In addition to his technical qualifications, he has served as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of the West Indies for the past ten (10) years.

Berger Paints Jamaica Limited (BRG) wishes to advise that at the Board Meeting held on 13th November 2024, the following appointments were made:

Christian Llanos was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board. Mr. Llanos is the Sector Head for the Construction Sector of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies and has been a director of BRG since August 2023. Mr. Llanos is a seasoned professional with over three decades experience in management, finance and supply chain, having spent almost twenty years working for a large, multinational corporation before joining the ANSA McAL Group in 2018.

Nicholas Camacho was appointed to the Board as a Director and to the Audit Committee of the Board. Mr. Camacho is the Chief Financial Officer for the Construction Sector of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies. He brings a wealth of financial expertise to the Board. Prior to joining the ANSA McAL Group in 2021, Mr. Camacho built his technical capability in the financial arena at one of the world’s leading accounting firms where he served in senior and management roles for over a decade. Mr. Camacho has also been appointed to serve as member of the Audit Committee.

Nicholas Mac Lean was appointed to the Board as a Director. Mr. Mac Lean is the Managing Director of the Coatings business of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies and oversees the operations of Berger Paints Jamaica Limited, Berger Paints Barbados Limited, ANSA Coatings Limited in Trinidad and Tobago and ANSA Coatings Grenada Limited. He built his extensive experience working for multinational corporations, largely based in the United Kingdom, before joining the ANSA McAL Group in 2017.

Radio Jamaica Limited (RJR), the holding company for RJRGLEANER Communications Group, hereby announce that Mrs. Karla Stephens-Hall assumed duties as Chief Financial Officer of the Group, effective Friday, November 1, 2024.

The Board of Directors One on One Educational Services Ltd advise you of the resignation of Ms. Nicole Foga as Company Secretary of the Board, effective August 31, 2024. Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Mrs. Donnisha Brooks has been appointed as the new Company Secretary effective August 31, 2024.

TransJamaican Highway Limited announces the appointment of Directors John Bell and Steven Gooden to the Corporate Governance Committee, effective November 7, 2024.

Carreras Limited (CAR) wishes to advise of the resignation of Mr. Raoul Glynn from the Board of Carreras Limited effective Friday, November 1, 2024.

We wish to formally notify you of the resignation of Mr. Chadwick Bennett as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of iCreate Limited, effective September 30, 2024. During his time with us, Mr. Bennett played a pivotal role in helping the business navigate through some of its toughest times. His dedication and expertise were invaluable, and we are beyond grateful for his support. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Andrew Wildish as the new CFO of iCreate Limited, soon to be Kintyre Holdings (JA) Limited, effective October 2, 2024. Mr. Wildish brings a wealth of experience in corporate finance, accounting, commercial banking, and investment management, having worked across the United States, Panama, and Jamaica.

The Caribbean media landscape is facing a critical financial crisis, intensified by a sluggish response to digital innovation and global media trends. Reports from sources like Jamaica Gleaner and BusinessuiteOnline highlight how companies such as Guardian Media Limited in Trinidad and RJRGLEANER in Jamaica are reporting substantial losses, driven largely by outdated revenue models and limited engagement with digital audiences. This lack of innovation has left them vulnerable in a competitive media market, prompting urgent calls for strategic shifts to prevent further declines​

 “The Caribbean media landscape is facing significant financial challenges, exacerbated by a lack of innovation and adaptation to digital trends. Reports indicate that companies like Guardian Media are experiencing substantial losses, with management criticized for not addressing revenue declines effectively.”

Key Issues Affecting Caribbean Media

 Mounting Financial Struggles and Cost-Cutting Pressures: Advertising revenue, once a primary income source, has drastically decreased as advertisers increasingly allocate budgets to digital platforms like Google and Facebook. Many media organizations are also cutting costs without sustainable strategies for recovery, leading to operational downsizing.

“Nothing in the report suggests that top management has any plans to address the persistent decline in revenue. The only solution seems to be cutting fat. They are down to the bones now, looking to cut or shorten limbs, with no plans for long-term sustainability. Covering their incompetence with lots of fancy words and adjectives, that don’t mean anything.”

Guardian Media Limited in Trinidad reported a $10.2 million loss, emphasizing the extent to which the drop in traditional ad revenue has impacted its operations. Guardian Media has attempted aggressive cost-cutting but, as analysts note, cuts have reached a critical point where further reductions would threaten the company’s operational capabilities and quality of journalism​

Meanwhile, RJRGLEANER Communications Group in Jamaica has also experienced the challenges of this shift, as they acknowledge the need for a more agile digital transformation but are constrained by legacy models that are difficult to abandon.

“Caribbean media has failed to invest in content that resonates internationally, limiting expansion opportunities”

Limited Global Appeal: Caribbean media companies have been slow to produce content that resonates with international audiences, particularly the Caribbean diaspora, which remains an untapped market. A narrow focus on local stories, while essential, has limited these companies’ ability to expand globally. This has resulted in missed opportunities for international partnerships and distribution deals, which could have diversified revenue streams.

Unlike international counterparts that have expanded into the Caribbean through acquisitions, local companies have yet to establish a footprint outside the region

Content and Engagement Limitations: A significant barrier to Caribbean media growth lies in content strategies that focus narrowly on local audiences. Critics argue that Caribbean media companies have largely neglected the potential to produce content with global or diaspora appeal, missing opportunities to enter international distribution channels.

Trinidad Express points out that global media companies have thrived by creating content that appeals beyond their national borders, allowing them to secure international distribution and build larger audiences. Caribbean media has yet to capitalize on this, partly due to a lack of investment in global storytelling and digital analytics​

Slow Pace of Digital Transformation: The Caribbean media industry’s hesitancy to adopt a digital-first approach has hampered its competitiveness. While international media have embraced digital transformation, incorporating digital subscriptions and paywalls, most Caribbean media companies have been slow to shift.

BusinessuiteOnline observes that many regional media companies are still bound by traditional operational models, limiting their ability to tap into new markets and digital revenue opportunities. These challenges were intensified by the pandemic, which accelerated the global shift to digital media consumption, but many Caribbean media companies were unprepared to pivot quickly​.

Potential Pathways to Recovery and Growth

Despite these challenges, several strategic avenues could foster a resurgence in Caribbean media if adopted with urgency:

“Embracing digital-first strategies is crucial, as highlighted by industry leaders advocating for agility in adopting new technologies”

Digital Transformation: Embracing a digital-first strategy is crucial. Industry leaders and media analysts suggest that Caribbean media must adopt new technologies, such as digital subscriptions, paywalls, and mobile apps, to attract and retain audiences. The pandemic accelerated the global shift to digital, but Caribbean media has struggled to keep pace. RJRGLEANER’s leadership has recognized the need for agility in this area, yet implementation has been slow and hampered by existing legacy structures​.

Digital Subscription Models and Paywalls: Many global media groups have succeeded with subscription-based revenue models, a strategy Caribbean media could emulate. Implementing paywalls for premium content or creating tiered access could tap into both local and diaspora markets, providing a consistent income stream from audiences willing to pay for quality, exclusive content.

Content Innovation and Global Appeal: Developing unique, globally appealing content is essential for Caribbean media to stay competitive. By tapping into Caribbean culture, history, and current affairs that resonate on a universal level, these companies could attract international interest and potential partnerships. Content that appeals to both local and international audiences—particularly the Caribbean diaspora—would not only expand reach but also create new revenue streams through licensing and distribution deals.

“Content Innovation: Developing unique, globally appealing content could attract international partnerships and revenue streams.”

Developing Caribbean content with universal themes that resonate internationally can attract both audiences and distributors. Unique Caribbean stories and cultural narratives have substantial potential in the global content market, and with the right marketing and distribution efforts, these stories could appeal to Caribbean diasporas and beyond.

Technology and Distribution Partnerships: Caribbean media can explore partnerships with tech giants like Google and Facebook, which could help increase content reach and tap into ad-sharing revenue. Such partnerships could also help overcome local infrastructure challenges, providing regional content with a larger, global platform.

Investing in Data Analytics: The use of audience data and analytics could transform content strategy, allowing Caribbean media to produce more targeted, relevant, and engaging content. Data-driven decisions not only improve audience retention but also increase ad revenues by offering advertisers better-targeted placements.

“Failed media in the Caribbean is now a crisis. Most major corporate companies over the last few months have announced international deals either on distribution or acquisition. Caribbean media have failed follow expansion in new markets. The management of these companies have displayed bankrupt ideas.”

Learning from International Media Successes and Local Implications

International media companies have responded to similar challenges by investing in multimedia content, restructuring for digital efficiency, and focusing on audience analytics. Caribbean media can adapt these strategies by training staff in digital media, creating multimedia content, and exploring additional revenue streams such as events, merchandise, and branded content.

“That’s because they have something to distribute. Caribbean media have failed to invest in content with global appeal, hence the absence of international deals. Leadership still stuck in traditional models, while the rest of the world is moving ahead.”

The response of international media companies has starkly contrasted with the approach of local Caribbean firms. Companies such as One Caribbean Media and Trinidad Express have witnessed international media players entering their markets through acquisitions and distribution partnerships, leveraging global capital to establish a strong presence in the Caribbean. This expansion underscores the potential for digital-first approaches in the region and highlights the urgency for local media to rethink their business models if they want to remain relevant. With global media’s entry into the region, Caribbean firms are now under pressure to innovate or risk being overshadowed by larger entities with stronger digital and financial foundations. ​

The challenges facing Caribbean media are complex but not insurmountable.

By embracing digital transformation and investing in globally resonant content, Caribbean media companies can position themselves to engage a broader audience, stabilize their revenue streams, and retain relevance in an increasingly digital world. This transition requires a commitment to both innovation and global engagement—an investment that could transform Caribbean media from struggling local institutions into influential platforms that capture and convey the region’s unique stories on the global stage.

“This shift emphasizes the need for Caribbean media to rethink their business models and strategies to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market,”  

Is The Jamaica Gleaner Too Big And Important To fail?