Dennis Chung

People who know me well know that I have a very small circle of friends who I talk with, and an even smaller set of people that I truly respect. That is because, for me, the greatest attribute a person has is not what he/she has accomplished, but rather his/her character.

Dennis Lalor was someone who, for me, topped both categories, and is, in fact, someone for whom I had a lot of respect and time. He is one of four business people who falls in that category, the others being Don Wehby, William Mahfood, and Butch Hendrickson. These men have all illustrated that not only are they patriots, but they will always stand on the side of truth and justice, irrespective of what others say. Lalor, or Chairman, as I called him, was the epitome of that quality.

I met Chairman through Wehby. I had always known of him, but it wasn’t until one day in 2007 that I was sitting in Wehby’s office, when he was a government minister, that I first came in contact with Chairman. Wehby was charged by then Prime Minister Bruce Golding with the divestment of Air Jamaica, and he called me and said this was going to be a very important part of his legacy; therefore, he wanted me to manage it and he wanted a chairperson who was well respected because he knew it would have been a contentious issue.

After sitting with Wehby for most of the day and considering who that person could be, he said to me, “What about Dennis Lalor?” I said that he would be the perfect person, if he will accept.

When we finally spoke to Lalor about chairing the divestment, he said to Wehby, “What are you getting me into?” But, as he always does, he said he would do it because of the national importance. At the time Air Jamaica was costing the country approximately US$150 million per annum.

For the next two years I spent a lot of time with Chairman, travelling to find a buyer and going through the whole divestment process with International Finance Corporation, which was charged with completing the documentation.

In the end, after much work, we were able to successfully divest the airline, saving the country a significant amount of money annually — without losing any of the 1,500 jobs — while earning millions of US dollars on the divestment. In fact, air traffic increased, and the truth is it would never have happened without Chairman, as the recession at the time had provided many obstacles only he could navigate (That is another story).

The Air Jamaica (Legacy) Limited Board recently honoured Chairman for the work he did, and noted that he and I are the only two people who have intimate details of how the divestment unfolded.

His passing Wednesday night has left that knowledge to just me now, and someday I should pen the details for all to see how much Chairman put into it, and also understand what really went on behind the scenes of the divestment of one of our most iconic brands.

Chairman was also instrumental in me going to the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) as CEO, as he felt that I could have made a positive impact. There I met and worked closely with Mahfood and Hendrickson, but Chairman was always someone with whom I continued to have many conversations.

In fact, during the divestment, and while at PSOJ (not as much though), I used to spend long hours sitting and talking with him around a small table by the window in his office. He always shared his lunch with me, and we spent many hours speaking about various things, but it always came back to what we could do to make Jamaica a better place, because he was a true patriot. He never asked what Jamaica could do for him, but what more he could do for the country, even though he always said he is getting older and can’t manage as much, but he didn’t want to just sit by and see things decline.

He usually called me “Mi Boy”, and would say to me, “Mi Boy, I am very concerned about the direction Jamaica is taking as it relates to its values and the crassness of the society.” His desire to see changes led him to sit for hours on the Privy Council and as chairman of the Casino Gaming Commission in its formative years. He always complained to me that he was tired of the long hours, but he knew it had to be done.

Chairman always had some story for me about when he was the chairman of the combined Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission and Jamaica Racing Commission. He fought against illegal gambling and always told me stories about it, all the time giving me advice about how I was to approach anything I did. Whatever I did, he would always call me and say, “Mi Boy, I’m watching you. Just do the right thing and you will be okay.”

He was very influential (even beyond the shores of Jamaica), but many would not know the type of influence he had, because he was content with wielding that influence behind the scenes, as his concern was never about his own recognition but always about what he could do to make the people’s lives and the country better. I have many stories about that influence.

He preferred to drive himself, and always lamented the time he had to get security because of threats he faced.

He told me a lot, which I wouldn’t divulge, but one thing I can say is that he always told me how pleased he was with his staff at The Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI) and how proud he was of his son, Paul, and even confided in me when he was ready to hand over control to him.

Just over a year ago I visited him at his home, and we spent a few hours just chatting and reminiscing on our time together during the Air Jamaica divestment, and after. I told him that on the eve of the divestment — when I was left with a team of lawyers to finalise the negotiation of the divestment — if it weren’t for his guidance, although he wasn’t physically there with us that late Friday night, I may have ended up not divesting the airline and losing 1,500 jobs. I was alone (with our lawyer) when we hit a stumbling block, but when I considered what Chairman would have done when faced with the situation it resulted in us saving the deal at the last hour.

After all the jobs were terminated at Air Jamaica we were able to have new contracts for all the next morning. In fact, we completed the deal about 3:00 am Saturday and went back to the Ministry of Finance where the then Minister Audley Shaw was waiting on us to celebrate one of the most important divestments with KFC and Pepsi.

Chairman always said to me, “You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Any true leader will understand this. It is never about winning the battle but about winning the war. And how you talk to people is more important than what you say.

Chairman was truly a remarkable person — a true patriot — defined by his character more than his accomplishments. He was the very meaning of humility and a true leader. He had a passion for Jamaica and compassion for the people. He was a man who always sought to do what was right rather than what was in his interest.

Many will focus on what he has done building the ICWI Group and his other business accomplishments, but, for me, his true success was his character and wider impact on the country and people.

I will miss him, and I can say confidently that Jamaica has lost a true son, but his impact and teachings will remain and continue to influence us.

They truly don’t make them like they used to.

Walk good, Chairman, and rest well, until we meet again.

drachung@gmail.com