KINGSTON, Jamaica — EdgeChem (Jamaica) Limited has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Mellissa McHargh as chief executive officer, effective November 1, 2026.

McHargh joined EdgeChem as general manager in 2005 and went on to serve as chief operating officer. Over 20 years she has helped shape the company’s manufacturing and its distribution across Jamaica and the Caribbean, while strengthening its performance and developing the capability of its teams.

“The board looked hard at what EdgeChem needs for the next 10 years, and the answer kept coming back to Mellissa,” said Errol Powell, chairman of EdgeChem. “Our industry is changing. Customers want more, sooner, and to a higher standard. For 20 years, Mellissa has been behind much of EdgeChem’s growth, from how we make our products to how we sell and deliver them. Her instinct is always to start with the customer and work back from there. That is exactly the leadership this company needs now.”

McHargh is a trained scientist. She holds an honours Bachelor of Science degree in Geology, with a minor in Chemistry, from The University of the West Indies, and a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia. She has also completed executive education in leadership and management at Harvard Business School.

Her commitment to service extends to the national stage. She was the first woman to chair the Board of the Scientific Research Council, the agency that drives scientific research and development in Jamaica. She currently serves as deputy chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at United Way of Jamaica, helping more women step into leadership.

As chief executive officer, McHargh will work with the board and management team to make precision manufacturing EdgeChem’s competitive advantage, deepen its international partnerships and grow its share of the regional coatings market.

“EdgeChem has a habit of going further than people expect,” said McHargh. “It started with Doreen Frankson and two employees, and it is still how we work. My job is to give our people the tools, the training and the standards to keep going further. That means better products, on time, made to a quality our customers can count on. The best ideas are already in this building. I want to help us move faster on them.”

The board congratulated McHargh on her appointment and said it looks forward to EdgeChem’s next stage of growth under her leadership.