GraceKennedy CEO takes temporary leave

GraceKennedy Ltd (GK) – a Jamaican company that trades on the TT Stock Exchange – has announced its CEO, Don Wehby, has taken a temporary leave of absence for health reasons, effective October 9.

In a notice of material change published in Newsday on October 15, GraceKennedy said its chief financial officer, Andrew Massado, will take charge of the company's day-to-day operations.

"Wehby will remain involved at a strategic level," the notice said.

Wehby, a former politician, was appointed group CEO in 2011.

He first joined GraceKennedy in 1995 as group finance manager and was appointed deputy finance director in 1997.

He joined the board of directors in the same year.

His appointment to chief operations officer of financial services in 1999 saw the company's pre-tax profit increase by 406 per cent in his first five years in the position.

In 2023, GraceKennedy surpassed a US$1B revenue mark for the first time in the company's history.

Established in 1922, the company is known for its wide range of packaged food products such as seasonings, hot pepper sauces and canned vegetables used in households throughout the Caribbean.