Boy I tell you. What a disappointing selection to replace Julian Francis at the Grand Bahama Port Authrority...

Hannes Babak named chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Limited
Saturday, 3rd June 2006 – The principals of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited, Sir Jack Hayward and Lady Henrietta St. George, are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Hannes Babak, as the Chairman of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited, effective 1st June 2006.

Mr. Babak brings with him a wealth of knowledge in international business with a Masters degree in Economics and Business Studies from Vienna University, Austria. At 45 years of age, Mr. Babak has an impressive background in business development and management and is passionate about ensuring Freeport’s continued growth and development.

Since arriving on Grand Bahama Island in 1974, Mr. Babak has been committed to seeing Freeport prosper, and has made significant investments, including Freeport Concrete, The Home Centre, and First Commercial Centre.

“As Hannes has recognized from his personal experience, Freeport is such a wonderful place to invest, work and live,” stated Sir Jack Hayward. “We believe that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that, with our competitive advantages, Freeport’s full potential is realized.”

With his belief in the vision for Freeport as a dynamic place for investment opportunities and a superb quality of life, Mr. Babak will embark on an aggressive campaign to revitalize the economy, with business prospects that will have a positive impact on Freeport, and the island of Grand Bahama.

I really hope some petty bs didnt cause Francis' resignation!

It probably isnt that dissapointing though. Yes hes not Bahamian born but he has been in Freeport for a while and probaly knows what Freeport needs to prosper as much as any resident of Freeport.

I really hope some petty bs didnt cause Francis' resignation!

It probably isnt that dissapointing though. Yes hes not Bahamian born but he has been in Freeport for a while and probaly knows what Freeport needs to prosper as much as any resident of Freeport.


Just like those American idiots living in Abaco that are always posting divisive and slanderous crap know what Abaco needs. I'm sorry but I will have to disagree with you here. Any foreigner unless he or she has lived here since before adulthood will have a small circle of friends and acquaintances who will be their only reflection on who our people are and what they need. It doesn't matter who those friends are or how nice or well meaning they are either, that is just the way it is.

I wish him well and he will probably see some success as there are likely very good people at The Port who know their jobs and do them, but I think that a Bahamian would have been a better choice as far as the Bahamian in Grand Bahama benefitting is concerned.

I really hope some petty bs didnt cause Francis' resignation!

It probably isnt that dissapointing though. Yes hes not Bahamian born but he has been in Freeport for a while and probaly knows what Freeport needs to prosper as much as any resident of Freeport.

Well it was VERY petty things that caused Francis to resign. And Hanees (like Jack Hayward) is racist for one, and aint exactly an upstanding businessman for two. I think Hanees knows what HE needs to prosper. As for Freeport and by extension the rest of the island - I'm not so certain of that.

Notwithstanding the fact that Edward St. George ran the Port like his little baby, as opposed to a business with a defined structure that would out-live him, there has never been a person of color at the helm of the Port who wasnt put there for political reasons.

If you knew Edward, you knew he was a political animal. He played the political parties and pandered to them, always for his advantage. Making Sir Albert a co-chair was ceratinly by deisgn decades ago, since Sir Albert is a PLP. When the FNM won, he gave Willie Moss more prominence. When the FNM lost, Willie got kicked into the GBPA oblivion with no real portfoilio, and no real purpose there anymore.

Now as far as politics goes, Sir Jack hates the PLP for one. He doesnt like black people for two, and he was NEVER the visionary behind Freeport - he was simply the money man. Sir Jack doesnt have the passion and love for Freeport that Edward had, and he has said that openly on many occassions.

So it doesnt surprise me that he would make this choice, a choice that further alienates the Port from government.

I really hope some petty bs didnt cause Francis' resignation!

It probably isnt that dissapointing though. Yes hes not Bahamian born but he has been in Freeport for a while and probaly knows what Freeport needs to prosper as much as any resident of Freeport.


Francis caused that on himself.
He was damaged good before he went to FPO and certainly tainted when he was forced to get out of the Central bank.

Maybe this time, he was probably found out to be a know nothing appointee and people got fed up.
Not everyone in this town goes for the crony.
:hammer:

Francis caused that on himself.
He was damaged good before he went to FPO and certainly tainted when he was forced to get out of the Central bank.
Maybe this time, he was probably found out to be a know nothing appointee and people got fed up.
Not everyone in this town goes for the crony.
:hammer:

stop it...this is the same thing with the Johnnie Cochran affair...character assasinating when you have no idea what the hell your talking about!

Just like those American idiots living in Abaco that are always posting divisive and slanderous crap know what Abaco needs. I'm sorry but I will have to disagree with you here. Any foreigner unless he or she has lived here since before adulthood will have a small circle of friends and acquaintances who will be their only reflection on who our people are and what they need. It doesn't matter who those friends are or how nice or well meaning they are either, that is just the way it is.

this I believe...most Bahamians just dont know what we have in our country...the more I know the less I want to find out...

Well it was VERY petty things that caused Francis to resign. And Hanees (like Jack Hayward) is racist for one, and aint exactly an upstanding businessman for two. I think Hanees knows what HE needs to prosper. As for Freeport and by extension the rest of the island - I'm not so certain of that.
Notwithstanding the fact that Edward St. George ran the Port like his little baby, as opposed to a business with a defined structure that would out-live him, there has never been a person of color at the helm of the Port who wasnt put there for political reasons.
If you knew Edward, you knew he was a political animal. He played the political parties and pandered to them, always for his advantage. Making Sir Albert a co-chair was ceratinly by deisgn decades ago, since Sir Albert is a PLP. When the FNM won, he gave Willie Moss more prominence. When the FNM lost, Willie got kicked into the GBPA oblivion with no real portfoilio, and no real purpose there anymore.
Now as far as politics goes, Sir Jack hates the PLP for one. He doesnt like black people for two, and he was NEVER the visionary behind Freeport - he was simply the money man. Sir Jack doesnt have the passion and love for Freeport that Edward had, and he has said that openly on many occassions.
So it doesnt surprise me that he would make this choice, a choice that further alienates the Port from government.

You now God works in mysterious ways...nothing is ever in vain...I said Mr. Francis would be the man to save our country a while back...maybe this is the the perfect segue to my prophecy/revelation...this is far from the last time The Bahamas hear from him...his fate isnt that of the disgraced central bank governor (standup James Smith)...

I have to call my Freeport "source" ;)

What is Lady Henrietta saying?

To the petty GBPA crew I hope they keep in mind that "2054" and "2015" een far away...we will not forget...even if "your" dead and gone...

What is Lady Henrietta saying?

She is part of the problem surrounding the whole Julian Francis thing too chile.

You now God works in mysterious ways...nothing is ever in vain...I said Mr. Francis would be the man to save our country a while back...maybe this is the the perfect segue to my prophecy/revelation...this is far from the last time The Bahamas hear from him...his fate isnt that of another disgraced central bank governor (standup James Smith)...
I have to call my Freeport "source" ;)
What is Lady Henrietta saying?
To the petty GBPA crew I hope they keep in mind that "2054" and "2015" een far away...we will not forget...even if "your" dead and gone...


How is James Smith a disgraced former Central Bank Governor and what does it have to do with this thread?

How is James Smith a disgraced former Central Bank Governor and what does it have to do with this thread?

sadly you will see in time...

She is part of the problem surrounding the whole Julian Francis thing too chile.

you know I could see this in her...after all the Bahamas has done for these people and yet and still...

The thing ofcourse too is that there are others in the GBPA who felt that they would ascend to the CEO post once Edward died, and they were extremely put off that Edward asked Julian to come on board - that didnt help his reception within the company.

As I indicated earlier, since the structure in the Port was a really an Edward-quasi kind of structure, alot of problems sprung up once he died.

Mr. Francis had some really revolutionary ideas on how to grow Freeport and the island, and was very enthusiastic about getting new things done, and learning the "system" so as to see how some of the older things could be improved.

But part of the problem (in addition to those I mentioned before) was that he was brought in there, but really had no power to make the decisions that needed to be made, because at the end of the day, Jack and his son, and Henrietta and her kids wanted to have all the say on how things were done, where money went and wouldnt go, etc.

The thing ofcourse too is that there are others in the GBPA who felt that they would ascend to the CEO post once Edward died, and they were extremely put off that Edward asked Julian to come on board - that didnt help his reception within the company.
As I indicated earlier, since the structure in the Port was a really an Edward-quasi kind of structure, alot of problems sprung up once he died.
Mr. Francis had some really revolutionary ideas on how to grow Freeport and the island, and was very enthusiastic about getting new things done, and learning the "system" so as to see how some of the older things could be improved.
But part of the problem (in addition to those I mentioned before) was that he was brought in there, but really had no power to make the decisions that needed to be made, because at the end of the day, Jack and his son, and Henrietta and her kids wanted to have all the say on how things were done, where money went and wouldnt go, etc.

and we wonder why family businesses dont have a track record of lasting many generations...they need to take a look at how other family enterprised stay hands off and let the company and its Board run the ship...and the icing on the cake was (my reasoning) that Mr. Francis is a black man, let alone a Bahamian... No matter how astute he is or how much gravitas he has or how worldy and accomplished we all know he is...and they are too narrow-minded to see vision when its steering them right in their face...the more things change the more they remain the same...2054/2015...will meet this same GBPA crew out of the hands of these same folks ;)

The feeling here in Freeport amongst many people was that Mr Francis was brought in as more of an employee rather than an equal. The rumours are that he wanted to spend a bit more money to promote GB than the 'families' wanted to do,i.e with 'their' money....
Evidently, he made no reference to it on Thursday last when he spoke at the COB graduation.(Maybe he's got a job there!!!)

Hannes Babak is no-one's employee. His father came to the island long before 1974, at the behest of Edward St George and Sir Jack. Vastly wealthy, he has given a lot of time and money into various organizations on the island and has done well since taking over the business and expanding it. His name was being mentioned on Thursday night in a couple of places I go to....it seems he has the right idea for Freeport- and of course-what's good for Freeport will be good for him...The fact that he isn't Bahamian may seem hard to swallow, but I guess we'll have to wait and see who lasts longer in their positions-him at GBPA or Mizz Hodder at C.O.B.

Interesting times ahead-no doubt!!!!