Running Up a Down Escalator: How Grace Kennedy Built a 25-Year Vision in 40% Inflation
How does a Caribbean company execute a 25-year strategy in a high-inflation, low-productivity environment—and triple revenue while quintupling profits? This is Douglas Orane's masterclass on turning vision into reality at Grace Kennedy. In 1996, Jamaica had 40% inflation and Grace Kennedy felt like they were "running up a down escalator"—giving 20% salary increases that became worthless by year-end. Most would accept mediocrity. Douglas launched an audacious 2020 Vision: become a global consumer group, double productivity in five years, and transform every person from the chairman to the messenger. The execution framework: (1) Two-way communication—not informing, but listening. When a trade unionist told him "you're not communicating, you're just talking," it changed everything. (2) Servant leadership before it had a name—riding trucks with drivers, working factory floors, visiting customers with salespeople. (3) Structure follows strategy—cut the board from 24 to 12, flatten the organization, build trust in a low-trust society. Five external obstacles overcome: Low productivity home country (doubled productivity in 4 years by measuring profit per employee). Incomplete intellectual property (secured global brand rights). Protected market mentality (realized they had 6,000 ketchup competitors globally, not 6). Black swan events (scenario planning for "world in the pits" vs. "digital world"—same strategy for both). Extinction risk (8-10 bigger companies from the 1930s no longer exist—adapt or die). The results after 25 years: Revenue $303M → $862M. Profit $10.5M → $55M. Built Western Union partnership serving 12 Caribbean countries. Know your distinctive competence (Caribbean diaspora food needs) and competitive advantage. His three-word execution philosophy: Listen. Think. Act. "What gets measured gets done—and we're not good at that in the Caribbean. But you can do it in your own organization. Don't wait." TIMESTAMPS: 05:11 - The 2020 Vision: Why 25-Year Planning in High-Inflation Chaos 08:17 - "From Raph to Rupert": Communication That Everyone Understands 25:53 - Five External Obstacles (And How to Overcome Each One) 30:25 - Listen, Think, Act: The Three-Word Execution Framework 41:46 - The Results: $303M to $862M Revenue in 25 Years
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