Oliver Fredrick Clarke

THE GLEANER, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | C10 OLIVER CLARKE was a sharp mind and a visionary. A shrewd businessman who executed precisely and effortlessly. He was tough, but always fair. In his presence, you had to be touched in some way. His mentorship was a gift. His dry sense of humour could defuse the most tense of situations. He was always in control, and always a step ahead. His impact on people and on the many businesses he touched was profound. I will miss his impatience for things that took too long to conclude, the guidance that sometimes seemed impossible but yielded superior results, the cookies travelling from across the desk, the random story and joke. He will be deeply missed. TERRY PEYREFITTE Acting General Manager 1834 Investments His entorship was a gift for the highest levels of performance cast him among the top tier of the finest of our generation. His outstanding contribution to nation- building in varying capacities should serve as a model for present and future generations of Jamaicans. In short, he was a patriot. On a personal note, it was he who graciously consented when I approached The Gleaner to write a column on management. (I had not as much as written a letter to the editor prior to that). I went on write 140 articles between 1986 and ‘89. He is also fondly remembered by my son Martin, a London School of Economics alumnus like himself, as a wise counsellor on matters relating to career choices. I might have attempted on that day to peddle another of my ‘ideas’. Oliver chuckled, turned to the group and said, “Ken is a visionary, you know.” Today I would have the world to know that Oliver was the visionary! RIP, CHAMP. KENNETH BINGHAM Retired Management Consultant and a Former JNBS employee BINGHAM CONTINUED FROM C7 H ILMA BROWN, who is affectionately called the ‘Mother of The Gleaner,’ worked as an editorial assistant. Coupled with her 43-year tenure, that meant that she was one of the company’s historians. It also meant that she was a resource person to Oliver Clarke. “I always got in the habit of walking with a piece of paper and pencil in case I run into him and he wants me to do something for him,” she disclosed. What Brown finds most memorable about Clarke was how gracious he was. “He was always appreciative of what I did for him. He always said, ‘Thank you, Hilma. That was great work,’ whenever he sees me.” She also related that Clarke would never pass someone without greeting the person. “Every time he sees me he would say, ‘Hello, Hilma, how are you?’” One of her most memorable moments with Clarke was when he invited her to meet the descendants of the deCordova brothers who established The Gleaner in 1834. “I thought that was pretty nice of him,” she said. HILMA BROWN Former Editorial Assistant The Gleaner Clarke remembered as being racious G COLLIN BOURNE, who was formerly a corporate secretary and print, plant and distribution operations manager at The Gleaner, fondly remembers Oliver Clarke as a brilliant and astute businessman who had a tenacity for hard work and a desire to succeed. Bourne related that at the time he joined The Gleaner in 1978, the company was facing a serious financial crisis, and that it was Clarke’s intervention that changed the fortune of the company. “He raised four million dollars in debenture capital, which was a lot of money at that time, and turned around the company into a successful one. That was a masterstroke for him,” he remarked, adding that Clarke was subsequently dubbed the ‘Four Million Dollar Man’ for the mammoth achievement. Bourne further pointed out that Clarke would read The Gleaner before arriving at work so that he would be well prepared to handle any issues arising from the publication when he got into office. It wasn’t only Clarke’s business acumen that impressed him, but also his genuine love for people. “One of the attributes I admired about him was his kindness and concern about the welfare of people. I know of persons who were in need and received help. “He was a special person and wonderful boss that most people would love to have,” he maintains. A brilliant and stute businessman A M Oliver Clarke shares a moment with Hilma Brown at a function honouring her on her retirement, on Monday April 28, 2008. The occasion was held at The Gleaner. GLEANER ARCHIVES