Changes at Salada: Tamii Brown appointed acting head

Salada Foods Jamaica Limited (SALF) has advised that Tamii Brown, who presently holds the position of commercial and corporate affairs manager at the company, has been appointed by the board of directors to act as general manager as at November 1, 2021.

Present General Manager Dianna Blake-bennett last month submitted her resignation and will demit office effective October 31, 2021. Blake-bennett told the Jamaica Observer’s Business Report that she is not at liberty, yet, to disclose her company of future employment.

Blake-bennett was the first female general manager for SALF, one of the oldest manufacturing companies in Jamaica. She was appointed to the role on January 4, 2017 after acting as general manager from September 2016.

Her profile on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) website indicates that under her leadership, profit has moved by over 100 per cent from $68 million to $141 million within three years. Revenue was bolstered to over $1 billion.

Salada, in its company notice, said, “SALF uses this opportunity to thank Mrs Blakebennett for her contribution to the growth of the company during her tenure and wish her every success in her future endeavours. SALF will advise the JSE in due course when the position of general manager is filled.”

As head of Salada Blakebennett has spent the last two years embroiled in a tug of war with the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) which brought in new regulations for instant coffee formulation which led to an increase in product costs and impacted company sales. During 2020 the Salada took

JACRA to court over the matter.

However, in November 2020, the company lost its Supreme Court bid to overturn the stipulation by JACRA which dictates, “Salada must now include 30 per cent local coffee content in the production of our instant coffee powder with effect on September 1, 2020”.