He has dedicated his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is the group president and chief executive officer of the iconic Jamaican company, Jamaica Broilers.

He is the featured individual in this week’s Q-10 offering, but few know that Christopher Earle Levy is called the calabash man, especially by those close to him at his workplace.

Q10: How has COVID-19 impacted you professionally and your family?

LEVY: I think COVID-19 has had a significant impact on my family because we have to consider how to interact with each other from my parents to my wife and children. The challenge that we face is that we are a very close family, so we spend a lot of time together, and all of a sudden, this new experience has challenged our channels of communication. Professionally, it has been difficult. We have had to re-gear the company significantly. We have had to make some severe decisions regarding our team members because of the drop-off in business, which is never pleasant. It has happened so fast and so aggressively that the realignment of such a large enterprise takes a lot of effort. But we at Jamaica Broilers are pulling through because of our obligations to our team members and the country.

Q10: Tell us about your family life.

LEVY: I especially enjoy time with my children; it’s a special time, it’s a fleeting time, because they are here today and gone tomorrow and tomorrow keeps getting closer and closer…so I cherish that time with my children. I do a lot of activities with my children, and this is always the highlight of my day … weekend.

Q10: What are your goals outside of work?

LEVY: My life revolves around the Lord Jesus Christ, my family, and then the business. Therefore, my goals are driven by the furtherance of his kingdom, walking in the direction of the Lord. You have dreams and hopes for your children, your marriage, and then on a broader setting, the success of the company, and the people who make Jamaica Broilers what it is at this time.

Q10: How do you define success, and what drives you to succeed?

LEVY: Financial gains do not define success. I have found that my real success and satisfaction come from seeing people grow, develop, and taking full responsibility for their lives and others. For me, success is built firmly on the rock that is Jesus Christ.

Q10: What quote or mantra do you live by?

LEVY: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Q10: If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island, but your needs such as food and water were taken care of, what two items would you have with you?

LEVY: If I don’t have to worry about food and water, the answer is straightforward, I would have my Bible and my wife.

Q10: What do you feel proudest of thus far in your life, and who has been your greatest influence?

LEVY: Apart from my family’s growth and development, I have been blessed with a wonderful and hard-working team at Jamaica Broilers. It has been a real honour and privilege to lead such a group; it is a humbling experience to lead this team of people. Leading so many people here in Jamaica, the United States, and Haiti is a huge responsibility. The decisions that I make impact thousands of people, and I can say quite truthfully that the team I have around me have guided me well. To have the honour of leading these people is a humbling experience, and I give thanks for their guidance, their commitment, and the tremendous work that they do across all of the Jamaica Broilers entities. The most considerable influence on my life has been my father, Robert Levy, both professionally and privately. He has had an enormous influence and has impacted my life significantly. Then there is the Lord Jesus Christ; he is the only refuge we have in both good and bad times like now during COVID-19.

Q10: If you were not the head of Jamaica Broilers, what would you be doing?

LEVY: Honestly, I do not know, I have never really thought about it like that. I have not known anything but Jamaica Broilers. I started working at Jamaica Broilers from I was 13 years old. I started at the chicken house, and since then, I can say that I was indoctrinated from early, and Jamaica Broilers has become a significant thread in my life…part of my DNA, as many would say.

Q10: What lesson in your life has been the hardest to learn?

LEVY: One of the greatest lessons that took me a while to learn and accept is that by being vulnerable, you are actually being strong. Opening up and letting people peek into your life is a great strength; it is not a weakness, it is not a cop-out, and it is not a fall-back position.

Q10: Everyone knows that you are the head of Jamaica Boilers and that you are a firm believer in Jesus Christ. Is there one thing about Chris Levy which the public should know?

LEVY: They tease me around here (Jamaica Broilers) by calling me calabash – hard on the outside but soft on the inside – and that is true.