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Some 33 years ago, Audrey Hinchcliffe at the age of 50 started her company, Manpower and Maintenance Services (MMS), practically with just some mops and buckets and went on to establish one of the great companies in the Caribbean, starting with contracts from the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Spanish Town Hospital.

Today, MMS employs more than 3,000 people and Hinchcliffe, affectionately called ‘Mrs H’ by her team, takes an especial interest in their welfare.

MMS is a story of entrepreneurial success in Jamaica and of a woman who set out to become her own boss because no one would hire her.

Last Thursday, during a ceremony held at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St Andrew, she handed the reins of the company she built over to Don Gittens, who carved out a reputation as a high quality executive at Cable & Wireless.

Family, friends, staff and well-wishes all came out for the historic occasion.

Speaking at the event, Hinchcliffe said: “When you run a part of the relay and pass on the baton, there is no sense of unfinished business in your mind. There is just the sense of having done your part to the best of your ability.

“That is it. The hope is to pass the baton to somebody who will run faster and run a better marathon” (N.R.Narayana Murthy – Indian Businessman-founder of Infosys, IT Company) and to borrow a famous phrase – ‘Time come’.

“I have run the race for close to 33 years (May 4, 1990 – March 2023.

“It is now time for Don Gittens to continue the noble journey of taking MMS Ltd Group to the next level, as he sees fit, as the economy allows, and the Almighty directs.

“The fulfilment for me comes from the realization that MMS was never a company to be used, and not owned by me and my family, but to be passed into posterity for the benefit  of clients, workers, communities and the country – Jamaica- which I have come to love dearly after having lived, studied and worked across other countries of the world for close to 26 years before returning home and re-rooted at the ripe old age of 50 years.

“This is a momentous and very precious moment as we gather in hope and celebration of the passing of the leadership baton. And I say to the shareholders, the Board, clients, segments of the business community and the precious staff, I leave MMS with great love, respect, memories to be cherished … but MMS will continue to live in my heart even as I pass the baton, grounded in the mission, vision and values which underpin the seamless passing of the baton from a FOB to be managed by an external high powered manager, as I was coached and directed by Dr Lawrence Nicholson over a period of time. Thank you, Dr Nicholson.

“Like athletes prepared for a relay race, it is important for family business owners to prepare for the transfer of management of their business externally. You are witnessing a successful transition here today. Yes, there are bruised egos aplenty, but MMS has grown beyond me and those with bruised egos, so I gladly pass the baton as I have no fear of irrelevance. I have things to do, places to go and books to write. And regarding my writing skills, there are more books on sale here. By purchasing them, you are supporting the MMS Foundation and M’Power Women’s Group.

“It feels liberating to ‘unemploy’ myself as I know how it feels to be ‘unemployed’ by someone else. But this is different. I therefore urge all well wishers of MMS to throw your support behind Don. That will be required to protect and move the MMS Group forward.”

Audrey Hinchcliffe

“Again, I say I gladly give up the executive responsibilities to Don, knowing that since your appointment you have established an incredible relationship with the executive leadership and management team, shareholders, members of the Board, and members of the MMS family.

“It feels liberating to ‘unemploy’ myself as I know how it feels to be ‘unemployed’ by someone else. But this is different. I therefore urge all well wishers of MMS to throw your support behind Don. That will be required to protect and move the MMS Group forward.

“MMS is a place for employment, education, a variety of superior services, and the company must continue to fly its flag high. I have been preparing myself to leave for the past five years and now ‘time come’.

“Those who are witnessing this ceremony are urged to keep Don in your prayers and just as you gave me your support over the years, I ask you now to transfer that support to him. Don, you can count on my support, and I am certain that of the board, shareholders, family members and staff.”

It was a poignant moment, not least because, if you know Audrey Hinchcliffe, then one is aware there’s still a lot left in the tank. Warren Buffett is now in his 90s and still heading his company. So too is Rupert Murdoch. Both are going strong and have curious minds, willing to learn more.

Some say she will be missed but one wouldn’t wager that she will now quietly go into the night. Her counsel will be sought and valued. Her experience will always be a prime asset to MMS and Gittens is astute enough to call on it.

She will not be a backseat driver a la Margaret Thatcher, but will allow Gittens to impose his leadership style and methods on the company. Make no mistake, he is the new captain.

The special guest speaker was former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson. He noted that Hinchcliffe’s sojourn to Guyana and the United States was a period that allowed her to gather all the knowledge necessary in this field of healthcare. She also gained valuable working experience which she put to good use in Jamaica.

“She told me, ‘I am not here to work for anybody any longer. I am here to set up a business of my own’. In 1989, particularly where we decided to divest from government control to private enterprise where competence didn’t fall the bureaucracy. We received a policy outline from Mrs Audrey Hinchcliffe saying what could be done in terms of janitorial health services in our hospitals. She proposed a new approach to portering, laundering  and catering activities. The document was considered and won the approval of the Cabinet. We then invited proposals first with the hospitals in Spanish Town and Linstead. They went out to public tender and one was from a firm established by Audrey Hinchcliffe. It won because it was easily the most competitive and for no other reason.

“The consequence of that was she started in Spanish Town Hospital where she operated there for 30 consecutive years. She then went on to take MMS to new heights, employing 3,000 people today. Those who are acquainted with Mrs Hinchcliffe know she is a powerhouse and that energy and imagination she brought to bear in the building off this empire helped set its mark. She chose her team well. She invested very heavily in training and established a template for leadership which means setting the bar very high and being prepared to leap over it by example. She made it clear that if she could do it, then you were expected to do it.”