Massy and the meme storm

Paolo Kernahan

"MASSY MUSS learn to communicate wit de dead, fuss dey killin' we wit price!" There are few things Trinis love more than a good kyar kyar kyar.

Beyond the meme storm and brief fillip Massy's domestic affairs gave to social media influencers, there are some interesting factors worth a closer look.

At the eye of that storm was Angelique Parisot-Potter, executive VP of business integrity and group general counsel at Massy Holdings. Obviously sitting on her concerns like a hot egg, the VP cut loose at the company's annual general meeting.

Among the dirty bloomers Parisot-Potter hung in the wind were misgivings about "peculiar" executive management training – modules centred on communing with the deceased and healing with white light energy (a source of power wielded almost effortlessly by most higher-order celestials and even some eternals). The Massy executive's discomfort, as she explained it, stemmed from the considerable expenditure of scarce forex on training of dubious merit.

In a release issued after the story "broke," the Massy Group took a hard line with Parisot-Potter. The company, in the decidedly intemperate rebuttal, took issue with Parisot-Potter releasing sensitive, confidential information into the atmosphere.

Interestingly, though, Massy used a very public forum to air their dirty laundry. The company threw into question the credibility of a right worshipful master of the inner sanctum, exposing a nasty schism within a major conglomerate. The whistleblower was forcibly idled for her outspokenness. Massy would benefit from allocating some of that forex towards communications training.

It gets even murkier. Massy says Parisot-Potter's claims at the AGM were false. When approached for comment on the matter, CEO Gervais Warner didn't say that. He passionately defended the training and the allocation of resources for it. He said this training in particular was the secret behind Massy's success. Warner had the opportunity right there and then to correct the general counsel's description of the training, but he didn't. The denial and talk of disciplinary action came after the company was embarrassed by the ensuing meme storm.

Many have come forward to defend Massy, saying ongoing training is a crucial part of human resource development. Parisot-Potter didn't object to spending on training, which is necessary for continued growth. What she has a problem with is the use of forex (which the rest of us can't get because we aren't Massy) for seances.

Others suggested the VP lacked understanding about the nature of the programme/ritual. A word on that: years ago when Gayelle the television station was in its infancy, I was invited to participate in a sort of induction affair. In brief, this involved sitting cross-legged on a carpeted floor, rolling around on the ground holding hands, and saying some dumb stuff. Naturally, my immediate thought was this is stupidness. And who knows when last that carpet was cleaned.

Later on, I learned that the exercise was meant to gauge how potential team members would relate in an environment where they're expected to show vulnerabilities and lean on each other. I can now see the merit in it...even if I still think it's stupidness. We could have all just gone out for drinks or something.

As general counsel and VP for business integrity, Parisot-Potter is no dummy. She can surely determine whether the training programme in question is woo-woo foolishness.

If the Massy Group generated more US through exports than it consumes this would be a non-issue. Given the disclosure by a former Central Bank governor that Massy is among the 18 largest consumers of forex, it's highly unlikely these consumption patterns have changed.

While Massy is a private company with protocols that buttress corporate governance, the allocation of scarce forex is a public matter. From my reading of the minor scandal, Parisot-Potter followed her remit – she moved to protect the company and even the interests of the wider public. As for how Massy handled the matter publicly, I've seen puncheon-pickled people fall down stairs with greater finesse.

The soon-to-be exiled VP knowingly violated the omerta that governs both the private sector and political life in this country. She will discover that getting further work at that level in this country will be tough because she can't keep her ar-- kwart.

Massy, of course, will move on without breaking stride. Integrity and accountability mean less than who you know and the confidence you keep; no matter the cost. You don't need to summon the dead to learn such truths. I'm telling you here for free.