| Dr Yesu Persaud is a ‘Special Person’“I love what I do. I like to see people develop themselves and help themselves. This is what life is all about. I am a student of philosophy. Money is an object that can disappear overnight. One of those things that you can acquire, but it can also go overnight.” Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;} p.NoSpacing, li.NoSpacing, div.NoSpacing {mso-style-name:”No Spacing”; mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> By Leonard Gildarie“Broadly speaking, Yesu, with his pioneering role in reshaping the economic destiny of Guyana,Air Max 97 Undefeated Black, proved himself to be the economic messiah of his country. The direction that he provided to the economy of his country has, in fact,Womens Nike Free Run, paved the way for the multi-dimensional development of the whole Caribbean region. This is what makes Yesu a distinct personality among the diasporic community.”Dr Yesu PersaudThe description, which was included in an in-depth feature of one of Guyana’s top executive, Dr. Yesu Persaud, in the September 2007 edition of People of Indian Origin, possibly sums it all up for this week’s choice of our Special Person. He has left a lasting handprint on the landscape of Guyana.At 81 years, there seems no stopping to Yesu, as he is affectionately known, especially in light of the fact that many persons around that age prefer to take it a little light.However, Yesu’s seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm has served to not only motivate those around him, but led to achievements that few people can only dream of. He has continued on a daily basis, to lead the Demerara Distillers Limited and the numerous other agencies he helped to form.Many from Guyana would know of Yesu from the rums at Demerara Distillers Limited, but not many are aware of his numerous accomplishments and contributions to the business and historical world of Guyana.BusinessmanYesu was born in 1928 at Diamond Sugar Plantation. He celebrated his 81st birthday last Sunday.At the age of 16, he set out to find a job as his parents were unable to find the money to finance his studies.In 1955, with a little money from his wife, Premkowarie Singh, he left for England, where he became an associate member of the ACCA and where he also elevated himself as a senior auditor in a large professional accounting firm.He also spent some time in Canada, where he did well in investments as a consultant.However, yearnings to return to his homeland caused him to return to Guyana in 1966, when he joined the public service as an Inspector of Taxes. Dr Yesu Persaud (left) welcoming Former President Dr Cheddi Jagan to the launching of Demerara Bank LimitedA few months later, he joined the staff of Sandbach Parker and Company, the oldest British company in Guyana, where he was appointed Group Finance Director only after four years, a position which had so far been opened only to qualified expatriates.When the Guyanese Government decided to nationalise the Demerara Sandbach Group in 1975, Yesu was one of the three negotiators.At that time, he refused a tempting offer in the UK of two years’ tax free salary.The Guyana Government offered Yesu the position of Executive Chairman of the Diamond Liquors Limited (DLL) as well as Managing Director of the Demerara Sugar Company, together with other companies in the former Sandbach Group.DevelopmentYesu led DLL and developed it into the household name of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), churning out the El Dorado rums and diversifying it into production of some of the world’s choicest soft drinks, like Pepsi, 7UP, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, fruit juices and water.Other companies he spearheaded were the Demerara Shipping Company; CO2 Gas Company; Tropical Orchards; Demerara Contractors and Engineers Ltd; BEV Processors Inc, a shrimp procession plant; and Distribution Services Ltd, which represents Nestle, and Johnson and Johnson.The company also has its subsidiaries in Holland,Cheap Huarache Shoes For Women, UK, USA, and St Kitts, and operates a joint venture in India, as well as distribution arrangement in Asia. Dr Yesu Persaud (left) meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro in Havana in 1997Yesu was also the brain behind the formation of the first indigenous private sector bank, Demerara Bank Limited, which started in 1994.Yesu also holds numerous positions in other organizations. He is the Chairman of Trust Company (Guyana) Limited, and Guyana Unit Trust — a mutual fund — and was the man behind Diamond Fire and General Insurance Company.But perhaps one of the more notable was the formation of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) which at a critical juncture of Guyana’s history in 1985, provided an opening for small enterprises to gain access to finance. IPED has been hailed as a major success story in Guyana and by 2005, had funded over 35,000 businesses with over 50,000 loans.ContributionsIn 1988, Yesu gained further recognition as he lobbied to the then President, Desmond Hoyte, for approval to celebrate 150 years of East Indian Arrival in Guyana. It was not an easy task, but he won over Hoyte.He is also one of the founding members of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), which was established in New York in 1989. In addition to being Vice President of GOPIO International, he is also Vice President of GOPIO’s Caribbean Chapter.He has been serving as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Chile for many years.Against his list of achievements and the numerous positions he holds among the many companies and organizations, there can be no doubt that Yesu is a representative of the Caribbean people, the magazine said in its extensive article on the life and works of the businessman.In 1981, he was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement, a national honour, for the expansion of the distilling industry in Guyana. In 1983 he received the Cacique Crown of Honour for developing many new industries.He also bagged the Gandhi Organisation Plaque and other awards for his contribution to the Hindu Dharma, and the list goes on.Of special mention, though, was the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas award presented by India’s President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to Yesu on January 9, 2006.However on the political scene, Yesu has also made his mark. His involvement with a group called GUARD in 1990 helped to oversee what was described as Guyana’s first free and fair elections in 1992. He was highly instrumental in ensuring former US President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Guyana to lobby for electoral changes.Last year, the University of Warwick, bestowed Yesu with an Honorary Doctorate for his stellar contributions to his country.In a few days time,Nike Men Air Max 97 For Sale, on October 31, the University of the West Indies will issue a similar honor to him.At 81-years-old, Yesu thinks it is loaded question when asked what motivates him to do what he does.“I am still going and that is it. When the time comes I will have to give up… I will have to leave. But in the meantime, I am still doing what I can as long as I can.”Yesu feels that there is a lot to be done in many areas. “The job is not at DDL or Dem Bank or IPED or Trust Company. It is all to ensure continuity, young man. Without continuity, there is nothing and to run a business these days is not easy. It calls for a lot of sacrifices and doing all you can to try to make it succeed- in the most difficult of circumstances.”But it’s not all about the money. Yesu has made achievements in leaps and bounds.“I love what I do. I like to see people develop themselves and help themselves. This is what life is all about. I am a student of philosophy. Money is an object that can disappear overnight. One of those things that you can acquire, but it can also go overnight. When we leave, we leave with nothing. What we take is our karma. While you are here,Nike Air Vapor Max Flyknit 2017, it is your duty and responsibility to help as much as you can as well as you can. That has been my philosophy. You can say I am a Hindu, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Muslim, a Bahai, all rolled into one.”It would be impossible in these few lines to chronicle the life and work of Yesu Persaud as one magazine alone took 19 pages to do it.The question was asked sometime back about what is life. A wise man said it is all about one’s work. After all, when one is dead and gone, it may be only the legacy that is left standing.Yesu’s work,Air Max 97 NZ, whether on a business, social and political level, will continue to leave an indelible mark on the history of Guyana. |
