Dear Editor,
It is with great difficulty that I write this letter. His Excellency and his Administration have gained my trust and respect, but I cannot continue to remain silent about what is happening at GuySuCo. The current state of affairs is worrisome, and it is now clear that the company would not be successful if it stays upon its current trajectory. The board has been weakened by the attitude and approach being taken by the company’s leadership, which has leveraged political support to bully those who should be listened to. The Union and the workers have lost confidence in the guidance being given, and the decision-making is not business-oriented.
Inexperience in business management is becoming evident, and professional relationships have been ruined to the point of being irreparable. It is important to listen to engineers and technical experts, but business goes beyond this aspect. Total life cycle cost is also important, as well as the financial stability of the supplier. When considering the information that has been shared, one can see why the choice being made is considered short-sighted.
Our neighbours in Brazil have found a solution that has provided them with the highest yields per acre. We need not reinvent the wheel, and should be bench-marking their sugar industry to implement the necessary improvements. Someone with strong business management experience, who knows how to motivate the workforce while implementing the necessary change management strategy to turn the business around, needs to lead the company.
The Board needs to be strengthened as well with someone who has the full support of the Administration, so as to ensure that political connections are not assumed to be used to bully those we have entrusted to do the job. Those responsible for breaching the confidentiality of the board meeting also need to be replaced. Their actions, although informative, have undermined the confidence in the leadership of the company, and has caused the reputation of hardworking people to be ruined. There should be zero-tolerance for this.
I wish those who have left and those who will leave all the best in their future ventures, and thank them for the tremendous sacrifices they have made to help GuySuCo.
Unfortunately, the time has come to clean house at GuySuCo, and restart the turnaround process with the correct leaders in place. The livelihoods of the thousands of sugar workers impacted by the performance of GuySuCo are too important for this situation to continue as is. Strong leadership is also marked by the ability to make difficult decisions. His Excellency and his Administration must see the situation for what it is, and take swift action to change the current trajectory of the sugar industry. This change starts with the Board and the current leadership of GuySuCo.
With concern,
Jamil Changlee
