SEVEN persons on Friday evening received awards for their contribution to the shipping industry in Guyana, during the Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony of the Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG), held at the Le Meridien Pegasus. Among those awardees are Clinton Williams, Malcolm Bascom, Christopher John Fernandes, Lucia Desir and Desmond Sears.
Among the awards were the Lifetime Achievement Award, Long Service Award, the Shipping Association of Guyana Award, Outstanding Business Executive Award, 2010-2011; and Award for Innovativeness.
Desmond Sears copped the Innovativeness Award for his response to the needs of the shipping industry. Desmond is into the scrap metal business and is currently Director of the Guyana Recyclers Association of Guyana, and a member of the Management Committee of the SAG.
Ms Lucia Desir, the lone female recipient of an award, received the Outstanding Business Executive Award for 2010-2011 in recognition of the versatility, vision and outstanding achievements of a female entrepreneur. Ms Desir’s career in shipping began way back in 1979. She now owns the freight forwarding company D and J Shipping Service.
Christopher John Fernandes was bestowed the Shipping Association of Guyana Award for his continued active interest in the association and in the shipping industry. He is also credited with ensuring significant success towards the shipping industry. Fernandes joined the shipping fraternity in 1982 as the Secretary/Director of the John Fernandes Limited. Chris is also regarded as the founder and first president of the Shipping Association of Guyana.
The Award for Long Service was won by Malcolm Bascom, former Managing Director of the Guyana National Shipping Corporation, who was not present to receive his award. Nevertheless he was awarded for his dedication, service and commitment to the association and the shipping industry as a whole. Bascom has given over 50 years of service to the shipping industry, and continues to actively serve the association to pursue its own development and that of the shipping industry as well.
The coveted Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Clinton Williams for his high level of commitment to the improvement and strategic development of the association and the shipping industry. Williams is presently CEO and Director of the Guyana National Industrial Company Incorporated (GNICI), and is a trustee of the SAG. An engineer by profession, Williams also served the Shipping Association in the capacity of president, and now trustee. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded and served on many decision-making and influential bodies that address the shipping concerns of the local industry.