GraceKennedy celebrated a double victory at the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce’s (JCC) 39th annual awards ceremony held last Thursday (June 13) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

The 100-year-old Jamaican conglomerate secured the 2023 ‘Best of Chamber’ award in the extra-large category. This award acknowledges companies that excel across various dimensions, including product and service quality, business performance, innovation, human resource development, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, and support for JCC initiatives.

Adding to the night’s triumphs, GraceKennedy also won the inaugural JCC Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) award for 2023. The award recognises a member company’s exhibition of awareness and adoption of environmental, social and governance frameworks, and the programme’s impact on stakeholders. GraceKennedy’s win underscores the company’s dedication to environmental sustainability, social well-being, and robust corporate governance.

CEO proud of the achievement

GraceKennedy CEO Don Wehby expressed pride at the company’s achievements saying, “This double win underscores GraceKennedy’s commitment to delivering excellence through our business, as well as our longstanding dedication to making a positive impact on our society and environment. We are truly honoured to be recognised for our contributions to Jamaica’s economic growth and development and advancing Caribbean excellence.  The GraceKennedy Group is a regional powerhouse with a global footprint, and our vision is to be the number one Caribbean brand in the world by 2030.”

Gail Moss-Solomon, GK’s chief corporate secretary, who also chairs its ESG committee commented, “We are honoured to receive the inaugural JCC ESG Award. This recognition is a tremendous validation of our commitment to integrating ESG principles into everything we do at GraceKennedy. We believe that a strong ESG framework creates the perfect springboard for sustainable business success and positive societal impact.”

In 2023, GraceKennedy took a significant step forward with the publication of its inaugural ESG report, outlining several ambitious ESG goals and associated targets.

The JCC annual awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of its members and other local businesses that significantly contribute to Jamaica’s economic growth and development.