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PM Browne: Banks and Hotels Must Promote More Antiguans to Senior Roles
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has criticised the lack of Antiguans in senior management positions within the banking and hospitality sectors, arguing that businesses must do more to develop local talent.
Speaking on Pointe FM, he pointed to his own career in banking as an example of what could be achieved when financial institutions invest in local professionals.
“When I was about, what, in my 20s, I became a senior bank manager in this country. Probably the youngest—not probably, I was the youngest senior bank manager in the country at the time.”
“Swiss American Banking Group gave me a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom. In fact, I’m the only person they gave a scholarship to. And they actually fast-tracked me through management.”
Browne said he was concerned that Antiguans were still not being promoted to key positions, despite the government offering assistance to train professionals.
“You’re telling me today, the kind of monies that these banks are making… ACB bragged that last year they made the highest profit in their history and issued one of the most significant dividends… And you’re telling me that they can’t find a few local Antiguans who they can promote within the bank to manage a bank?”
He said banks should take advantage of the government’s offer to co-fund scholarships for promising young Antiguans.
“If you were to identify individuals who wish to make banking a career, and you want to give them scholarships, we will provide part funding. The Prime Minister’s Fund will give part of the funding.”
Browne also took issue with the dominance of foreign managers in the hotel sector, saying that Antiguans deserve better opportunities for advancement.
“For decades, we have had this discussion, yet we are still not seeing sufficient local management. I’m talking about senior management, not middle management.”
He acknowledged that some hotels have made promotions, but said this was not enough.
“I noticed that Sandals recently promoted about three young ladies into middle management. They’re not senior managers. And whereas we welcome those promotions, we expect Sandals and all the other hotels… to provide opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans to grow and develop and to literally manage these organizations.”
Browne urged local professionals to take responsibility for their own growth, while calling on businesses to play their part in developing local leadership.
“A degree, especially in such a competitive space today, doesn’t guarantee a senior management position. You have to work your way up.”
His remarks come as the government continues to push for greater self-sufficiency in key industries and to reduce reliance on imported labour.
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Gaston, I partially support you on this but banks in particular are like an old boys club so they tend to hire and import older people who have been in the industry and plan to die in the industry.
What I’ve observed is whether these people are locals or not, they all tend to suck. Look at financial institutions headed by locals and the ones that aren’t, they are both equally full of crap.
What they need to do is pedal out most of management and get young, ambitious, results- oriented minds into these senior positions.
Oops! It may sound patriotic, but if he can gain these would be bankers confidence that he is advocating on their behalf, smart move Gaston will become the repository of all private citizens banking information as he already is now getting from some bank managers and kernel croft at ONDCP , where at times he take to his private radio station and curse his opponents about how much money they have on the bank in comparison to his millions and also their health records.
I am a little confused..The PM has just returned from the Caricom Heads Conference where one of the discussions, led by Dominica and Barbados, was about the completely free movement to travel and work among Caricom people. Decisions were made. So what is he saying? Is he doing a Trump and pulling out of Caricom? The Manager of ACB now ACB Caribbean is St. Lucian. So no Caribbean people must hold positions? All of the Directors are born Antiguans. Ask them about their employment policy. ACB is not Sandals. Why didn’t the Antiguan born board employ an Antiguan? And what about Caricom people and others who have become citizens and have lived here for 20, 30, 40 years? What about Antiguan citizens who hold management positions in other countries? Will there be different levels of citizenship here is Antigua? Look at APUA water and Public Works. Not one Antiguan has a clue how to fix these problems. A US company with a Trinidadian engineer has set up and is managing the only proper RO plant and if we do not bring in foreign road engineers and workers, the 100 million dollars road works will be an expected disaster.What we should be concerned about are opportunities, education and fairness. More and more Gaston is becoming more and more like Trump. Who will have the guts to keep him in his lane as he becomes a full Dictator and Tyrant?
Gaston when you talk to your Irish hotelier wit di tiyad rotten dung resort in Ole Road ask he why they bringing these expatriates….give them various opportunities with a high salary while the locals in the same positions only getting the bare minimum and crappy pay. They don’t like to see black people earn 😒 is it racist pay?
Why do we have an Indian at our port? No Antiguan can do the job? Why we have all all these foreign white managers at our hotels? Talent in Antigua we don’t need them they come from big continents with more opportunities leave these positions in little Antigua for our locals. Why when white people holding curtains positions they get more money and benefits than local black people?
Stop giving racist pricks job opportunities in our country 😤
I am not certain the PM thinks before he just rattled thinks from his mouth. When he speaks of putting more Antiguans in top position, he needs to look within himself. Who heads most of the Public franchise of which he governs. The Port n Customs just came to mind. Rmbr their contracts keep renewing all the time too.
Royalton chic Antigua only have 6 Antiguans in management if so much all the others are St Lucians and other foreign, Antiguans are more than ambitious and capable for these positions, but they keep hiring from outside and don’t give any opportunities to Antiguans not even to send out an add for these management positions available preference area giving to the St. LUCIANS AND THE FOREIGN TO COME HERE AND WORK AND MAKE MORE THAN THE ANTIGUANS, GASTON NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS…
I support the Prime Minister’s call and I also expect government to take the lead. Whilst I can understand the need to bring in foreigners to manage certain positions because the local talent might not be readily available at that time, there must be a provision in place for an Antiguan and Barbudan to understudy that foreign manager for a period of time so that they can eventually take over that position. Take for example the head of customs who has been serving in that position for well over 10 to 12 years. Time has come for us to see a local in that position. An expatriate CEO for the Airport Authority was recently hired. Let’s see how long it would be before an Antiguan and Barbudan can he trained for that position. And there’s many more I could talk about. The Prime Minister was able to excel in banking because the Management of Swiss American saw his potential and invested in him. Our business leaders need to invest in our people.
I worked at ACB back in the late 1970’s when the Manager, Mr. Dickson, was the only non-Antiguan, a white expatriate holding management position. The Assistant Manager was Mr. John Benjamin who was sometime later elevated to the position of General Manager, all, ALL the other sub-heads under him were local Antiguans who mostly started as telephone operators, tellers, secretaries etc., who worked their way to top management positions. The names are numerous, Miss Irma Lloyd, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Francis, etc.
The Secretary to the Board was Mr. Clarence Edwards. There was the formation of ACB Mortgage and Trust, headed by Mr. Waldron, and other competent Antiguans like Mr. Ashe and others.
What happened next….an ex-Bank of Nova Scotia bank manager – also Antiguan, took over the reins at ACB and began a slash and burn of competent senior staff. He gutted the senior personnel without giving sufficient time for the younger personnel to rise within the ranks nor was there to the best of my knowledge any further higher education offers to the younger ones.
No ….. It was you have reached the age of retirement and you have to go. Now ACB Caribbean is a shell of what ACB was meant to be. The People’s Bank. That was the aim and objective of the original Penny Bank Investor’s. The Bank outgrew its original Mission Statement.
If we do not know from whence we came, we are destined to chase re-inventing the wheel over and over again.
Dear Prime Minister Gaston Browne –
Love the enthusiasm but it’s quite laughable that you are choosing to target banks and hotels when in fact a number of government offices, institutions and bodies are headed by foreigners who won’t even train and develop locals with the same qualifications or higher to assume these positions. Many of whom have the capacity to do the work if given the push and opportunity too. How out of touch are you with reality? Start by setting an example in the government sector and then maybe then you can talk about banks and hotels. If you actually compare – the hotels and banks may actually have more Antiguans in leadership positions than the government itself.
But who is signing the work permits? And when the work permits are signed what are the conditions? Do they ask for a development plan and an identified candidate for development to succeed the person who is issued the work permit? Gaston needs to examine the real issue, Antiguans are not 100% at fault. The kickbacks and the free lunches and favors at hotels and banks and other favors forms part of the problem. Go to the root gaston not the branches