Business leaders share insights with students of the GHS and SVGS

A raft of leaders of business entities in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) exposed some students of the Girls’ High School and the St Vincent Grammar School to insights on how they have navigating since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coreas Distribution Ltd Jimmie Forde; CEO of Randy’s Supermarket & Co Randy Kennedy; Manager of Vee Jay’s Restaurant Julia Richardson; and Executive Director of Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anthony Regisford gave business students of the GHS and the St Vincent Boys’ Grammar School (SVGS) shared with the students at a forum on Tuesday, May 9.

On that date, 69 students of GHS and 40 students of SVGS congregated at the National Insurance Services (NIS) Conference Room where they were given a “finger on the pulse” experience on working in the food industry at the Laura Anthony-Browne Business Forum entitled, “Food is Everybody’s Business.”

The presenters spoke on how COVID-19 and other factors have impacted their businesses, and their customers, and how they have put measures in place to help navigate through this difficult period.

Kennedy told the students that in order to be successful in business, they have to focus on people more than money, and to keep their eyes on their goals.

He said that learning to work diligently is a tactic that he used in order to transform his small shop into a large business.

He also said that it was his “love for my mother” which gave him the desire and motivation to pursue this field.

The forum also saw one student of the GHS who was inspired by Kennedy’s story share about her father who, like Kennedy, had humble beginnings and went through similar challenges worked his way to the top. She said he is now the Chief Security Officer in Mustique, a testament to the principles that Kennedy was advocating for during his presentation- hard work and perseverance.

Richardson spoke of the importance of making good decisions in business as she shared that the pandemic had forced her to make tough calls, such as lowering her employees salaries, re-arrange the seating of the restaurant, and deciding whether or not to deliver food to customers.

The students who found particular interest in Richardson’s presentation enquired on her state of mind when she had to inform her employees of the decision to slash their pay.

“I couldn’t afford to lose them,” she responded, as she expressed gratitude to her employees for their service and co-operation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forde said that he hopes to see the students venture into the business field in the future.

“It is a pleasure to be here … in the presence of the brightest minds in St Vincent and the Grenadines. I’m happy to be here because I’m in the presence of my replacements. I’ll be happy to see many of you a few years from now, and I could probably relax and sleep a little longer to see how you can take St. Vincent and the Grenadines to higher heights,” Forde said, adding that he particularly liked the topic because food is indeed everybody’s business.

“… And of course it is your business to eat. It is every one of your business inside here to make sure you have food, it is your parents’ responsibility to provide food, but it is your business to eat … now with that being the case, and with everyone else in the nation and in the world, food is of course everybody’s business.”

Deputy Headmistress of GHS Athalie Caine-Soleyn, said the idea of hosting a business forum was put forward by head of the GHS Business Department Latoya Deroché-John. It was immediately welcomed and encouraged after she took part in the CARICOM Teachers Exchange Programme earlier this year.

“Mrs Deroché John returned with an amendment to the Business Forum concept. She declared, ‘Let’s invite the boys.’ Now if you know our history, you know that any mention of the boys is a reference to the students at the St Vincent Grammar School so here we are this morning, if only it were that easy, from idea to actualization.

Caine-Solelyn said that ventures like these need financial sponsorship and past student, Laura Anthony Browne, who after more than two decades, retired in 2018 as the Director of Planning in the Ministry of Economic Planning was providing support.

“Miss Anthony Brown also held the post of director of the Zero Hunger trust fund, and so it is truly fitting that she is the type of sponsor of a business forum themed, ‘Food is Everybody’s Business. This forum is a rare opportunity for all the business students at the GHS to engage in an activity together and even more, an infrequent occasion for the boys and the girls to collaborate.”