Ministry expresses condolences at passing of `Pat’ Thompson
The Ministry of Natural Resources today expressed condolences at the news of the passing of Paterson `Pat’ Thompson, the first Chairman of the Guyana Bauxite Company (GUYBAU). Thompson was 88 and had been living in Barbados for many years.
The Ministry said that Thompson enjoyed a very successful career serving on several Commissions and Boards nationally and also represented Guyana internationally as Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations under Secretary-General U Thant in 1969.
“His stellar contributions to the bauxite industry in Guyana helped to shape the industry in transformational ways most notably during his Chairmanship of GUYBAU in 1971, and also as Chairman of the state-owned bauxite company, Bauxite Industrial Development Corporation (BIDCO) in 1979. These were the days and times of self-determination and reliance that called for strong and patriotic leadership and “Pat” Thompson stood among those who guided an expectant nation forward.
“Mr. Thompson’s leadership, commitment to service and humility has left an indelible mark on those who he mentored and served alongside him, and remains an example we can all be proud of today”, the statement added .Thompson was also a leading and respected member of the local private sector.
The following description of his life and achievements is taken from http://www.torontosaints.com
Born ”…on 22 October 1931 in Georgetown, Guyana, he was educated at St. Stanislaus College in Georgetown and later graduated in business management from Bristol College of Commerce in the United Kingdom. He was subsequently elected a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute in the U.K., with the designation FCMI. In 1962, he was a member of the Guyana delegation to the Duke of Edinburgh’s study conference on problems of industrial development in developing countries of the British Commonwealth, held in Canada. He was also well-known as a businessman and radio and newspaper commentator on Guyanese and Caribbean public affairs.
He served as an executive member of the Board of Directors of many companies in Guyana, including Guyana Stockfeeds Ltd., Bookers Rum Company Ltd., Guyana Industrial Holdings Ltd., Albion Distilleries Ltd. and Guyana Distilleries Ltd. Throughout his business career, Pat was a member of the Guyana Manufacturers’ Association and a member of its Executive Committee. He was also a member of the Association’s delegation to the Government of Guyana on the establishment of the Caribbean Free Trade Association.
He presented his credentials presented his credentials as Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations to the Secretary-General U Thant on August 19, 1969 and served in that capacity for two years.
In 1971, as Chairman of the newly nationalised Guyana Bauxite Company (GUYBAU) he was able to announce a profit of $3.5 million, one million more than had been projected.By 1979 he was Chairman of the state-owned bauxite company, Bauxite Industrial Development Corporation (BIDCO). He subsequently left Guyana for Barbados after being pressured by the Burnham government to withdraw from the newly-formed Compass Group which felt it had “the constitutional right to meet, debate or publish views on the national concerns”, calling for the formation of a broad-based Government of National Reconstruction, “neither left nor right” and with “no ideology”.
In the mid-nineties he returned to Guyana briefly as a consultant in the US-funded Building Equity and Enhancement Project (BEEP).
He has also headed the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC) which is the regional entity that officially collaborates with CARICOM on behalf of the region’s business community.
He also served on the Board of Management of St. Stanislaus College from 1972-1980. In 2004 he served as President of the Saints Alumni Barbados Association and is currently a Committee member. He was the first President of the Guyana Association of Barbados Inc. (GABI) and is one of its current Directors.