The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) came under intense public scrutiny yesterday after it unveiled an all-male Corporate Management team.
In a Facebook post yesterday morning, GWI invited the public to ‘Meet our Corporate Management Team,’ prompting many to ask: ‘Where are the women?’
The team is headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh. Other members are Nigel Niles, Executive Director, Cor-porate Services; Elvis Jordan, Executive Director, Human Resources and Development; Mark David, Executive Director, Finance; Aubrey Roberts, Executive Director, Project Implementation; Jawaharlall Ramjug, Executive Director, Operations; Jaigopaul Ram, Executive Director, Business Development; Oslton Thorman, Executive Director, Information and Communication Technology; Christopher Vandeyar, Executive Director, Procurement; Marlon Daniels, Executive Director of Commercial Services and Customer Relations; and Ramchand Jailal, Executive Director, Hinterland Services.
Contacted by Stabroek News yesterday about the process used to put together the current management team, GWI Public Relations Officer Leanna Bradshaw said that she has since raised the issue with management.
Bradshaw, who said GWI was engaging its Human Resources (HR) department on the necessary information, was not in a position to provide a response until Monday.
Efforts made by Stabroek News to contact both Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues for a comment of the issue proved futile as calls to their to phones went unanswered.
Members of the public were not, however, shy about weighing in on what some saw as a “boys club.”
“Give the capable and competent Guyanese women whose skills and brilliance are no less (potentially greater) than those in your frat-club set-up their deserved space. This is unacceptable. Do better,” Arti Cameron commented under the post.
“Shame! Shame! Not a single female in leadership position at GWI. Oh my goodness. Such a shame. Nonsense. Are you people implying that the Female population of Guyana aren’t educated and qualified enough to be in leadership position at GWI as well?” Berysha Saskia Solomon added.
“I always wondered why GWI can’t get reliable water supply and meaningful communication with the public right, well now I see the problem. Limited diversity means limited knowledge, skills and ideas, Someone took that word management too literal and now the whole country is suffering for it. This is 2021 please take a good look at what you constitute the skills necessary to become Corporate management,” Elsie A Harry commented.
