Chamber mourns KFC pioneer

THE CHAMBER of Industry and Commerce has expressed sadness over the death of former president LAR Hackshaw and thanked him for contributing to building the local business sector.

In a release yesterday, the chamber said Leonard Austin Robert Hackshaw, familiarly known as “Len,” served as a director of the Chamber before being elected as president for two consecutive terms, from 1984-1986.

After retiring as corporate secretary of the Neal & Massy Group, Hackshaw took up an interim position as director of the Chamber’s Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) when it was established in 1996. He became a firm believer in the mediation process and continued to promote it long after he left the DRC in 1997, the Chamber added.

The Chamber said he was a believer in developing young businesspeople, and served as president of the Junior Chamber (Jaycees) – forerunner to Junior Achievement.

“While Len may have been best known for his sterling contributions in the area of finance and management, he was a shrewd businessman in his own right. Not many may recall that he was one of the original group, which included two other partners of Jaycees, that established Kentucky Fried Chicken – now KFC – in 1973.”

The Chamber said Len will be remembered by those who interacted with him as the embodiment of a gentleman – courteous, kindly-spoken, fair and never lacking in humour.

It ended, “The TT of Industry and Commerce extends its condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Leonard Austin Robert Hackshaw. We thank him for his selfless and exemplary service to the T&T Chamber and his contribution to building the business sector in TT.”