Robert Levy steps down as Jamaica Broilers chairman

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Robert Levy has stepped down as chairman of Jamaica Broilers Group Limited (JBG) after 17 years in the position and more than 67 years with the company. His resignation took effect on Wednesday, July 22, according to a notice sent to the Jamaica Stock Exchange. JBG did not disclose a reason for his departure from the position.

Independent director Gregory Shirley has been appointed chairman with immediate effect. The board has conferred the honorary title of director emeritus on Levy and said it expects to continue benefiting from his counsel. “The board expresses its profound gratitude for his dedication and steadfast commitment, and looks forward to the benefit of his continued counsel in his capacity as director emeritus,” JBG said.

Levy joined Jamaica Broilers in 1959, one year after the company was established. He served in several positions before becoming joint chief executive officer in 1994, president and CEO in 2001 and chairman in 2009. He is the son of Jamaica Broilers co-founder Sydney Levy and the father of the company’s current group president and CEO, Christopher Levy.

Levy has also held several positions in Jamaica’s agricultural sector, including chairman of the Sugar Company of Jamaica. He was inducted into the Caribbean Poultry Association Hall of Fame and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Hall of Fame. Shirley has served as an independent director of Jamaica Broilers since October 2006.

He has more than 30 years’ experience in corporate and strategic planning, business advisory services, process improvement and performance management. His career included more than three decades at professional-services firm KPMG. Shirley holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in business administration from Michigan State University.

He has also served on several public- and private-sector boards, including JMMB Merchant Bank Limited, UWI Consulting Services Limited and Phoenix Printery Limited. The chairmanship changes hands as Jamaica Broilers continues work to strengthen its governance and restore stability to its United States operations following previously disclosed accounting, expense-management and operational-control problems. The company did not link Levy’s resignation to those matters.