PHILIPSBURG--The shareholder of utilities company GEBE will make a decision on the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the company during a general shareholders meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 28.
Prime Minister William Marlin told reporters during the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday that a decision will be taken on the appointment of a CEO and possibly also other members of management of GEBE.
The Supervisory board of GEBE in early December appointed former Managing Director William Brooks as a temporary manager of the utilities company. The board also signed a temporary management agreement with Brooks, who will remain in position for the time being until the Shareholder (government) appoints a permanent candidate to the position.
Brooks’ appointment was made in accordance with article 8.11 of GEBE’s Articles of Incorporation, which states that if there is no Managing Director in the company, the board can appoint one. Chairperson of the board Rene Richardson said Brooks’ appointment will remain until the shareholder appoints someone. If the person is not Brooks, then his temporary term will automatically end.
Richardson said the Supervisory Board on June 18, 2015 nominated Brooks to hold the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GEBE. The Board also nominated “another local person” for the post of Chief Operations Officer (COO) of GEBE on September 25, 2015.
GEBE’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gartner was recently suspended. The sitting board has proposed that Gartner’ contract be terminated.
Brooks had served at the helm of GEBE on a five year contract in the past. He severed ties with the company in 2011. The then board did not plan to renew his contract due to what former Supervisory Board Chairman, the late Julius Lambert had said was due to poor performance. Brooks subsequently took up a position at the St. Kitts Electricity Company SKELEC.
Lambert was quoted as saying that Brooks was supposed to have submitted financial statements every quarter and up until he had left, no such statements had been submitted for all of 2010 and that the utilities company had lost millions of dollars due to inefficiencies in electricity and water distribution. He also said there was no control of the billing system.
