With what could be regarded as an unending symphony of extraordinary all-round achievements, Christopher “Chris” Zacca, president and CEO of Sagicor, is richly deserving of the most recent honour of being inducted into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Hall of Fame.

Blazing a trail of outstanding service for over 30 years, Zacca has demonstrated the finest tenets of transformational servant leadership during his fascinating journey.

He enjoys the rare distinction of twice being elected president of the esteemed PSOJ, serving as CEO of Air Jamaica, and contributing his acumen on various boards and organisations, including distinguished service to government.

Since 2017 he has been at the helm of the Sagicor group of companies, expanding the company’s services locally and throughout the Caribbean and the Americas, thereby cementing his stellar reputation as one of Jamaica’s greatest movers and shakers.

Through several acquisitions under his stewardship he has solidified Sagicor’s presence in the marketplace while concomitantly guiding the company to new heights of performance in its role as provider of an expansive range of services and contributor to the development of the Jamaican society.

In the Harvard publication, The Founder’s Mentality, by Chris Zook and James Allen, the authors explore the concept that organisations who adhere to the entrenched values of their founders over many decades stand to benefit immensely if the successors embrace the unshakeable philosophy of the founders. Zacca has masterfully followed the path of the late iconic founder of Life of Jamaica/Sagicor, Dr R Danny Williams, in preserving the culture of “inclusiveness and a company with heart and soul”.

I AM BECAUSE WE ARE

His servant leadership is eloquently demonstrated by his capacity to inspire, build, and sustain a company culture of teamwork, support, and inclusiveness, thereby creating a work environment that people enjoy being a part of and in which they have opportunities to prosper and succeed.

Those who work with and alongside him attest to his positive attitude, ability to listen, and an ever present and demonstrable willingness to help others, distinguishing him as a leader of courage and compassion, symptomatic of the adage “The needs of the many often outweigh the wants of the few.”

Indeed, Zacca is a model of the powerful African philosophy of Ubuntu – I am because we are – that enlightening understanding of the universal sharing and connectedness which binds all humanity.

This is reminiscent of Aristotle’s virtues, which are habits we develop by practice, resulting in behaviour that is fine and noble. We acquire these moral virtues through training and emulating “moral exemplars” who influence us.

This is a component of nation-building and indicative of the moral force and value of Zacca’s servant leadership and Ubuntu.

He speaks movingly of the importance of the moral grounding he received from his parents and the value of the strong foundation of secondary and tertiary education which instilled in him a powerful work ethic. This affords him, in his words, the penchant “to roll up the sleeves and study things and understand how they work”.

Another aspect of his transformational leadership is manifested in his emphasis on in-house training to foster personal growth and leadership skills in team members.

Values

His values, community building, and humility are dominant features of his management style. Always acknowledging that he does not have all the answers, his transparency and willingness to listen and learn from everyone on the team have resulted in a cadre of team members who possess the tools to perform all tasks efficiently and are equipped to continue to grow and contribute. This leads to higher engagement, enhanced trust, and stronger relationships with team members and other stakeholders.

A skilled communicator and powerful motivator, he has challenged his team with big, inspiring goals by creating a “positive possibility” work ethos by which one can believe, work diligently, achieve, develop self-worth, and enjoy the benefits of a culture conducive to positivity and collaboration.

COURAGE and COMPASSION

A compelling aspect of his servant leadership is expressed in always striving to make decisions that benefit as many as possible and doing things because “it’s the right thing to do”. His handling of the COVID-19 challenge is a case in point. He responded by appointing a carefully selected team and working closely with them to achieve success in handling the difficulties in a spirit of understanding, empathy, and diligence.

Indeed, he is regarded as the high-performance architect of the modern Sagicor, who, with a great team in tow, has guided the group in overcoming challenges and adversity to achieve significant milestones in the quest to expand its global presence.

His engaging and inclusive management style, pragmatic policies informed by continuous consultation and collaboration, and reinforced by excellent communication and motivation distinguish him as a leader par excellence.

Adam Grant’s words on great leaders are appropriate and timely: “Great leaders have values. Great leaders build cultures. Great leaders develop people. Great leaders are role models in life.”

We are immensely proud of Zacca; he has lived a highly productive life and along the journey has enriched the lives of many.

His induction into the PSOJ Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute. Congratulations!

Cedric_McDonald@sagicor.com