When I came back to work in Saint Lucia in 1977, I wanted to make a contribution to my adopted country, in sports, culture and the private sector. I looked around for Saint Lucia mentors whose lead I could follow, and whose leadership in these areas was sincere, genuine and ethical. I did not have to look very long.
One of the individuals that comfortably met this criteria, was Frederick Nicholas Paul Devaux (Fred), who passed away on February 2nd, and was laid to rest yesterday. We had a lot in common. We were both Chartered Accountants with degrees in Economics, I bought a house in Vigie from Fred’s father, Harold, in which Fred had lived many years before, and we were both active in sports and private sector organizations.
Fred was the great grandson of Charles Chastanet, one the founders of Minvielle & Chastanet Limited (M&C) and returned to Saint Lucia in 1960 to work with the company. Through his unwavering commitment, dedication and expertise he worked his way up to became joint Managing Director with his uncle, Joe Devaux, in 1969. and Executive Chairman of a much expanded M&C Group in 1999.
He was a pillar of the business community but his impact was not limited to the corporate world. With his uncle, he gave birth to the M&C Fine Arts Awards, an initiative that was a cornerstone of the island’s cultural landscape for decades. He had a passion for the arts, and provided a platform which celebrated local artistic talent and created opportunities for future generations.
He served as the President of the St. Lucia Amateur Athletics Association (now SLAA) and was the driving force behind the M&C Games, a key annual event that recognized and nurtured local junior sporting talent for over 20 years. He had a dream that Saint Lucia would one day participate in the Olympics, and win medals, and served on the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) from 1992-1996, after it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1993. His dream of a Saint Lucian winning a medal at the Olympic Games was fulfilled last year, when Julien Alfred won Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medals in athletics.
In business, Fred was a pioneer, a corporate leader, and a philanthropist. He served on many national agencies, including the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, the National Development Corporation, the National Insurance Corporation, the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, and the St. Lucia Employers Federation. He counselled Prime Ministers and private sector leaders, without partisanship or compensation, because of his love for Saint Lucia.
Widely respected for his acumen, when he spoke in his deliberate, and controlled manner, without rushing or getting overly emotional, choosing his words carefully and maintaining a composed tone of voice, everyone else in the room paid close attention. His words carried weight and wisdom, commanding attention, trust and respect. True leaders have a way of influencing us without even trying. They enter a room without saying a word, but people notice. He was the oracle of Coubareil.
Fred’s contributions were widely recognized throughout his lifetime. In 1991 he was awarded the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) by the Queen, for services to business and commerce and in 1992 he was awarded the St. Lucia Medal of Merit (Gold) by the Government of Saint Lucia. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and also from the SLAA.
He had a deep appreciation for his staff at M&C. He initiated a staff pension scheme, the first such scheme in corporate Saint Lucia, even before the National Insurance Scheme materialized (1979), and added insurance and medical schemes to take care of their critical emergencies. He encouraged private sector businesses to treat staff fairly and always have a team outlook, as a business cannot flourish without group support.
The M&C Board and shareholders recognized the challenges that a family-owned company faced with regional integration and an increasingly competitive marketplace. They evaluated the options of going public or aligning with a larger public company in the region. In March 2008, just before the global recession, they sold the majority shareholding of M&C to Goddard Enterprises Ltd. of Barbados. Fred worked tirelessly with his Board and management to make this one of the most successful transactions in the history of business in Saint Lucia, and stayed on with the new Board for many years during the transition, before he eventually retired.
Fred was a devout Catholic, and was very supportive of the Benedictine Nuns at Mount Prayer, Coubareil, who had cared for his sister, Cindy. He attended church regularly, but had a preference for short sermons. He loved his family, and, as we heard from his son-in-law, Paul Guillaume, who gave a touching eulogy at the Cathedral, Fred was a pillar of strength and love, always putting his family first. He worked tirelessly to provide for his wife Carol, his three children and numerous grandchildren, ensuring their needs were met and their dreams nurtured.
He taught his children the values of kindness, hard work, and integrity, leading by example in every aspect of his life. He had a great sense of humor, and we had many long conversations discussing issues and problems in Saint Lucia. I spoke to him a few weeks ago, after he had spent three weeks at hospital in Tapion, and he told me that he was ready to go home, which he was able to do before he passed away quietly, at the age of 91. He lived a long and fruitful life, and had few regrets.
He was the most ethical person that I knew, always doing what was right and just, regardless of the circumstances. His unwavering commitment to his principles earned him the respect and admiration of everyone who knew him. He was an old friend, but always had new ideas. He will be missed.
By Richard Peterkin