Growth & Jobs|From St Lucia to Jamaica: Jeffaust William finds success in safety

When St Lucian native Jeffaust William left his island home to spearhead a workplace safety-improvement programme at Red Stripe, he did not know that in just three years the company would become his extended family, and Jamaica his second home.

Now the safety, health and environment manager at the beer company, William is convinced that his ability to swiftly integrate into and impact this initially foreign space has been largely because of his deep appreciation for people.

“I am all about workplace safety, first and foremost, because I value people,” William noted. “I’ve experienced one too many times in the past where I had to accompany workers to the hospital because they fell victim to accidents that could have been easily avoided. Watching someone in pain, seeing the impact something like that has on his or her colleagues and their families, that’s not a position I want anyone to ever have to be in. For me, my work is all about getting employees to value their safety by seeing themselves as a vital and irreplaceable part of a larger organisation.”

In 2017, the HEINEKEN Company charged William with devising a novel strategy for bolstering Red Stripe’s culture around workplace safety. After delivering a thorough and insightful proposal at the end of what was to be a six-week initiative, he was promptly invited to also lead the strategy’s implementation phase – an offer he accepted with much confidence.

“I didn’t hesitate when the company asked me to stay on as part of the family. I am a people person, so as we were implementing the new safety culture, I liked that I got to work across multiple departments and really deepen relationships with my colleagues. I especially liked bringing out the innate competitiveness in most Jamaicans. Working closely with the total productivity management manager, our team created interdepartmental competitions to really get people accustomed to the new workplace culture. It was amazing to watch how that sent occupational health and safety compliance soaring,” noted William.

SUCCESS

A successful campaign meant that his team’s strategy had, within just two years, improved the brewery’s compliance by approximately 30 per cent, earning for themselves top rankings among HEINEKEN’s regional manufacturing plants. Looking back, he noted that his career journey had been preparing him for this level of success, and for his transition to Jamaica.

William said, “Sometimes I feel as if everything in my life has been there to help me grow into where I am today. I started out as a high-school mathematics teacher, so right off the bat, I learnt the patience needed to transform minds. I earned a degree in mechanical engineering from The University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, so while I was getting formal technical training, I was also being exposed to different flavours of the Caribbean culture and learning how to integrate into a new environment. I have also worked across a few levels of the manufacturing process in St Lucia, so I can relate to what comes easily, and what’s not so easy for the people whose lives have been placed in my hands. To me, it seems obvious that any success I have had is because of these experiences and my genuine love for people. To see their well-being improve because of something I have done is its own reward, and makes my ongoing journey that more worthwhile.”