The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has announced Damian Blackburn as the new Chief Executive Offi-cer (CEO) as of May 3rd while the current holder, Justin Nedd is slated to take up a position at GTT’s parent company, Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) as its new Vice President of Strategic Programmes.
Blackburn is said to have over two decades of experience leading major mobile, internet and TV operations and technology start-ups in competitive Caribbean, Americas and European markets.
According to GTT, which made the announcement at a virtual press conference yesterday, Nedd, who has been its CEO for the past six years, will focus on cultivating additional ATN investments, including in Guyana.
One of those investments, according to the Nedd, is the Tuschen Call Centre on the East Bank of Essequibo, for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was recently signed. While Nedd signed the MOU with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, a release had stated that he signed on behalf of Arrowhead Communications.
Asked about this, Nedd said that was one of the new investments in Guyana which is expected to see some 150 persons being employed. He pointed out that GTT had a call centre in Guyana in the 1990s at Beterverwagting which closed its doors due to the 2005 floods. He said that he is quite excited to oversee the initiative as part of his new role and it should be seen as a recommitment by the company to invest in Guyana.
Apart from being the CEO for the past six years Nedd was also the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for some two years.
“As Guyana’s economy transitions and presents expanded opportunities for investment, growth and job creation, ATN decided to create a new initiative under the leadership of current GTT CEO Justin Nedd. As ATN’s new Vice President of Strategic Programmes, Nedd will focus on cultivating additional ATN investments, including in Guyana,” GTT said in a subsequent release.
Meantime, Blackburn told the media that he is pleased to lead a company that has long served the people of Guyana as he promises to deliver on the company’s vision and to the country’s current and future needs. He is particularly interested in excellent customer experience and in Guyana this would be no different as he embraces the agenda that the team started in improving customer experience and serving customers to the maximum
He was asked about how he plans to address the issue of Guyana opening up its telecommunication market and therefore attracting more players in the sector and he said his outlook has always been to champion competition and he looks forward to bringing some of his experience in competing as competition makes everyone better.
Blackburn also said he started his career in the gas industry and he is looking forward to working with the oil and gas sector in Guyana very early to understand their needs fully.
“Damian is a highly experienced telecoms leader who has the vision to grow GTT and deliver on the changing needs of our customers and the country,” Brad Martin, Chairman of GTT’s Board of Directors, said in a subsequent release.
“His impressive career has included running companies, building and managing mobile networks, leading growth initiatives, and more. One of the most consistent themes of his work is that he’s been a customer service champion at every level. With a track record of operating highly-reliable networks and improving customer experience, Damian will accelerate GTT’s customer-focused mission,” he continued.
According to the release, Blackburn most recently served as CEO of Aliv, a successful startup LTE network mobile operator in The Bahamas. Throughout his telecoms-focused career, he has also held key leadership positions at Digicel, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone/Orange and BT Group – roles in which he led successful strategic business and operational development activities across multiple jurisdictions.
“It’s an honour to lead a company that has long served the people of Guyana and is such an integral part of the country’s economy and culture,” said Blackburn in the release. “My goal is to listen to our customers and work with our incredible team to make sure that we deliver the country’s vision of exceptional technology and service to meet current and future needs. The company has built a strong foundation – and with a sharpened focus on the needs of our customers, we will rise together with Guyana,” he added.
