Two weeks after the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited (GBPA) confirmed the resignation of one of its executives, the company has announced that the position of another has been made redundant.
Willie A. M. Moss, a veteran employee, held the post of deputy chairman for eight years, but the GBPA revealed late yesterday that effective July 1, that position has been made redundant.
It is the third time in exactly one month that the company has announced the exodus of a high-ranking Bahamian from the GBPA. On June 21, Barry J. Malcolm, who had been with the company since February 2001, had reportedly resigned his executive vice president post effective immediately.
His portfolio included business development and licensing and, the GBPA announced that he had agreed to work with the company to complete a number of projects in the pipeline.
Malcolm had confirmed then that his departure was amicable and in the best interest of all parties, but he did not disclose terms or detail his reasons for his disengagement from the company.
Three weeks before word of Malcolm’s resignation, the GBPA announced that Julian Francis, the former governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, had tendered his resignation.
He retired from the bank on May 31, 2005 to take up the executive position at the GBPA and had been with the company for exactly one year οΎ— from June 1, 2005 to June 1, 2006.
The seasoned banker served for eight and a half years as Governor of The Central Bank of The Bahamas before retiring on May 31, 2005 to take up the post as co-chairman and CEO at the GBPA.
The 30-year banking veteran had signed on with a four-year contract with the GBPA and his appointment came after the passing of Mr. Edward St. George in December 2004. Austrian businessman Hannes Babak is the new GBPA chairman, effective June 1. Sir Albert Miller, the former co-chairman and president of the GBPA was encouraged out of retirement to become the new CEO. A week and a half ago, when questioned about reports that more Bahamians would be let go from the company, Sir Albert revealed that there could be areas where there will be changes.
“There could very well be one or two areas where we might have to streamline,” Sir Albert told the media. “But we have not come to put a bunch of Bahamians out of work. That is not so.
“We’re going to look at what’s there. There might be some people not in the right place, we might have to change some people around.”
Moss joined the company as Legal Counsel in 1980 and was promoted to
General Counsel in August 1982. She was then appointed Deputy Chairman in 1998 and in March 2003, Moss became the first female President of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited. She held the position until 2005.
In a release yesterday, the GBPA referred to its announcement last month that the Group of Companies was in the process of making a number of changes in its organizational structure.
The GBPA thanked Moss for the invaluable contribution she has made to GBPA and Group of Companies for almost 26 years.
“We are confident that her deep commitment to the growth and development of Freeport and Grand Bahama Island shall remain, and we wish her every success in her future undertakings,” the release stated.
By: LEDEDRA MARCHE, The Nassau Guardian
