KINGSTON, Jamaica — Howard Mitchell, director of CARI MED was today elected the 19th president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) at a council meeting at the PSOJ’s offices on Hope Road.

Mitchell succeeds Paul B Scott, who served for 15 months and opted not to seek re-election in order to focus on his newly appointed role as chairman of Development Bank of Jamaica. Returning to join Mitchell are vice-presidents are Dennis Cohen, deputy group managing director of NCB; Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson, managing director of Continental Baking Company Ltd; and Frank James, group chief financial officer at GraceKennedy Ltd.

Vikram Dhiman, chief operating officer of the ICD Group will hold the position of honorary treasurer. The honorary secretary is to be appointed at the first meeting of the executive committee – comprising the president, three vice-presidents, CEO, honorary secretary, honorary treasurer and seven association members.

The seven associations elected to the executive committee were: Jamaica Bankers Association, Jamaica Exporters’ Association, Jamaica Employers’ Federation, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Jamaica Securities Dealers Association , MSME Alliance, and the Insurance Association of Jamaica).

In accepting his election to the PSOJ’s top post, Mitchell thanked the council members for choosing him to serve in this capacity. He expressed confidence in his executive team and with it plans to lobby for the interests of the private sector and Jamaica, especially since “we are at a critical point, where good things are happening, and we need to build on our achievements”.

Mitchell said that he plans “to continue with the plans established by PB to cement ties with regional private sector organisations as a matter of importance”.

He also expressed concern for the current crime situation and said, “the urgent and immediate task will be to motivate the society and develop a nationally, acceptable policy on crime prevention and control and economic growth, with targeted, measurable objectives”.

He plans to meet with Commissioner Quallo before year end to identify ways in which the PSOJ can offer its assistance to the JCF.

The PSOJ is governed by a 50-member council which is elected by the general membership to serve for a two-year period. As the governing body, the council sets the organisation’s policies and elects each year from amongst its members the executive committee.