Executives prepared to leave B.E.L.

Lynn Young

If the government nationalizes, B.E.L. it would be perhaps among the last times that Lynn Young will speak as C.E.O. of the company. He told the private sector that Fortis developed local management to run the company efficiently.

Lynn Young, Chief Executive Officer, B.E.L.

“How is this thing going to end?  I came to the conclusion that it’s been three and half years and it has to end one way or the other because if we go into the next election with this still hanging over our heads, if the U.D.P. wins we’re going to have five more years of this.  If the P.U.P. wins we’re going to have to start all over with a new government.  So it’s time to bring it to a head and that’s why I said “listen man, resolve this or take it back.” So the government has decided they’re going to take it back and I offered to help.  I even offered to stay on for a year or two.  I don’t want to work with a government ran company again.  No disrespect to the politicians but every time there’s a change of government there’s a witch hunt.  “Oh dis one da P.U.P. fire ahn.  Oh dis one da U.D.P. move him.  Oh hire dis one because…” I’m fifty-three years old and I can’t go through that anymore.  Not to say that a government run utility can’t be a good company, right.  I really believe that over the last ten years we have built a good utility company. We have adapted a lot of good utility management things from Fortis that the company, I think, is a really good company.  So look, it’s been ten years with Fortis [and] they didn’t come in and bring in a bunch of white men to come and run the company.  Instead they focused on trying to develop the local management of the company.  So they are going away.  We have good assets and we have a good management in place.  We have good people from top to bottom in B.E.L.  We have no problem with that.  I’ve spoken to the employees.  I’ve tried to encourage them [by saying] guys listen yeah there are going to be issues with a government run utility but I’ve told the Prime Minister and I’m telling you guys publicly and I met with the Leader of the Opposition, a company is not poles and wires and transformers etc… It’s the people. It’s the people.”

We’ll keep you posted of developments in the energy sector in the days to come.