Gervase Warner retires as Massy Group CEO

GERVASE Warner will retire as Massy Group CEO and president on his 59th birthday on April 6.

The group made this announcement in a paid newspaper advertisement on February 8.

Warner assumed his post in 2009 after the death of his predecessor, Bernard Dulal-Whiteway.

Massy said throughout his 14-year tenure, Warner has shown "exceptional care for the group and its employees making decisions that prioritise their well-being and long term success of the company."

Warner, Massy continued, has demonstrated exemplary leadership, steering the group through significant challenges and transformation initiatives.

"This forward-thinking approach has been instrumental in driving the group's profitability, which has seen a compound annual growth rate of 15 per cent over the last five years."

Massy said Warner's legacy will continue to shape the group's trajectory for years to come.

Warner will be succeeded by the group's executive vice-president, David Alfonso.

Over the next two months, Warner will work closely with Alfonso during this transition period. Massy said this reflects Warner's commitment to ensuring a smooth handover of leadership responsibilities and maintaining continuity within the organisation.

Alfonso has been with Massy for 30 years and held different leadership positions in the group.

Massy said as executive chairman of the group's integrated retail portfolio (IRP), Alfonso has made the IRP the cornerstone of the group's operations, accounting for 65 per cent of its revenue and 50 per cent of its profit before tax in the last financial year.

"With operations spanning seven countries and employing over 7,500 people, the IRP operates 66 supermarket doors and seven food and non-food distribution businesses across the Caribbean, extending from Southeast Florida to Guyana."

Massy was confident that as new group CEO and president, Alfonso's leadership will usher in a new era of continued success and prosperity for the group.

Warner's resignation comes two months after queries were raised about questionable spending of foreign exchange for an executive-management training programme the group was holding in Florida.

The questions were raised by the group's then general counsel Angelique Parisot-Potter.

At Massy's annual general meeting at the Hilton Trinidad, Port of Spain, last December, Parisot-Potter expressed concern about money being spent through the training programme for people to "train people to communicate with the dead, or heal with 'white light.'"

Parisot-Potter had submitted a 13-page report outlining her concerns to Warner.

Massy has denied her claims and sent her on administrative leave pending a disciplinary investigation of her conduct, including disclosing confidential matters.

It said it had been looking into the report she submitted.

Parisot-Potter subsequently resigned.