GraceKennedy Limited (GK) has announced a series of subsidiary board appointments and governance enhancements aimed at strengthening oversight, improving efficiency, and supporting the Group’s long-term strategic objectives.

 The announcements were made at GK’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, May 27, which was held in a hybrid format from The Don Wehby Building, the Company’s recently renamed headquarters at 42-56 Harbour Street in downtown Kingston.

Addressing shareholders in the room and online, GK Group CEO Frank James said, “These changes are intended to better position our Company for the future by strengthening governance, broadening expertise across subsidiary boards, and creating opportunities for leadership development across the Group.”

He explained that the initiative is intended to ensure boards across the Group are comprised of the right mix of skills and competencies required to deliver on GraceKennedy’s vision. As part of the process, GraceKennedy developed a comprehensive framework identifying the core competencies required for each subsidiary board, including sector-specific expertise where appropriate. Power BI, a business analytics and reporting tool supported the governance review process, enabling GK to better align board composition with strategic priorities while maintaining effective oversight. In addition, the Group engaged several of its international partners to help identify prospective directors with specialised expertise aligned to the Group’s strategy.

The new appointments announced were:

·       Jackie Sharp as Chair of GK Foods Jamaica, which oversees GraceKennedy’s Jamaican food operations. Sharp is currently a Director of Coffee Traders Limited and former CEO of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited.

·       Rodrigo Luis Garcia Estebarena as Chair of GK Remittance Services, GK Currency Trading Services and GK Payment Services. Garcia Estebarena is a global financial services executive with more than 25 years of experience in remittances, payments, and digital ecosystems, including several senior leadership roles at Western Union.

·       Steven Gooden as Chair of GK Capital Management and GK Investments. Gooden is the Founder and Principal of White River Capital Inc. and former CEO of NCB Capital Markets Ltd.

·       Eric Hosin as Chair of GK Life Insurance. Hosin has more than 30 years of insurance industry experience, including senior leadership roles at Guardian Life, where he retired in 2025 as Group President of Life, Health and Pensions.

·       Brendan King as Chair of First Global Bank. King brings more than 30 years of international banking and financial services experience, including senior leadership roles with Scotiabank across several markets.

·       Jeffrey Moss-Solomon as Chair of the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation. Moss-Solomon, Roaming CEO at Musson Group Limited, has held several leadership roles within the organisation since 2013. Moss-Solomon brings to the Foundation a deep passion for community development, inspired by his father, Jimmy Moss-Solomon, who co-founded Grace & Staff in 1979.

Regulatory approvals for some of these appointments are pending.

James said he looked forward to working alongside the newly appointed chairs and directors, noting that their collective experience, leadership, and diverse perspectives would help shape the future of GraceKennedy Limited as the Group continues advancing towards its vision of becoming the number one Caribbean brand in the world.

During the meeting, James also paid tribute to longtime GraceKennedy shareholder Orette Staple, who recently passed away. Describing Staple as “one of our most engaged and steadfast shareholders,” James reflected on his years of active participation in GraceKennedy’s Annual General Meetings and his unwavering advocacy for strong corporate governance and accountability in Jamaica.