Campbell
MOST turfites are now aware of the latest happening which has entered the saber-rattling between the board of directors of Caymanas Park Limited (CTL) and the hierarchy of the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association (JRTA).
It concerns the appointment of directors Rosalyn Campbell to the position of president and CEO of the Company as of July 1, 2000. It is a promotion from her former position of Chief Operations Officer, and an objection to the appointment has been lodged by the JRTA.
One would have thought that the first appointment of a woman to head the company's day-to-day affairs would have been acclaimed without exception. But, presumably, male chauvinism has intervened, as one of the reasons for the imbroglio which we are now seeing.
Be that as it may, my opinion is that the lady should have been given the opportunity to prove her competence in the new position over a reasonable period. Then, if her performance was found wanting, questions could be put forward with a view to remedial action, after irrefutable evidence on the basis of a just investigation is established. This would have been in keeping with accepted custom, and procedure.
In any event, all that has happened is that Miss Campbell's authority has been extended to cover other areas of the company's day-to-day operations in order to address the matter of the unity of command as a function of co-ordination.
She is eminently qualified to take on duties and responsibilities of the new position, by virtue of her academic qualifications and of her professional competence, as well , which has been demonstrated over the seven years of her association with the company as a director.
My understanding is that the hierarchy of the JRTA is saying that Miss Campbell would not be "competent to run a company generating $3 billion a year." But is that reason valid?
Even as a working director as well as the company's chief operations officer, she must have become conversant with the generation and disposal of funds, and must have contributed significant input over the years to deliberations involving the movement of massive sums with property, transparency and integrity. And in any event, the functionary in charge of finance is always on hand and available to give his advice on money matters, and how transactions should be dealt with.
The foregoing point is simple to say, succinctly, that chief executive officers don't spend their companies money themselves. That is why there are accountants and rank-and-file staffing, coupled with financial controllers and internal auditors to look after the paper work. Chief executive officers only give instructions regarding the intake of venue and the incurring of recurrent expenses and capital expenditure, after decisions in co-ordination meetings are made. The vice-president in charge of finances and others down the line of authority do the rest.
What the hierarchy of the JRTA is apparently forgetting is that the CTL Board's decision to make the appointment and release the information to the media for public knowledge must have come about only after discussion with the Minister of Finance and the obtaining of his prior approval. And to therefore involve him again in the process, whether by means of a telegram or otherwise, seeking this intervention to abort the appointment only indicates confused thinking and lack of ingenuity.
The foregoing is all that I would wish to say about the whole unseemly business, other than to add the point that in my opinion the JRTA appears to be acting well outside the scope of its representational function. They should stick to the already arduous and taxing duty of training horses.
The administrative function belongs entirely to the CTL board, subject to monitoring by the relevant authority. Trainers don't have the time to be involved in it, nor do most wish to be drawn into it. The day-to-day welfare and survival of the horses under their charge, is demanding enough.
By V. Lloyd Simpson, Contributor
