Don Wehby, former GraceKennedy CEO and gov't minister, dies
Published:Sunday | July 27, 2025 | 1:35 AM
Don Wehby, a towering figure in corporate Jamaica and the former Group Chief Executive Officer of GraceKennedy Limited, has died. He was 62.
Wehby, who passed on Saturday, had been ailing. He retired from the food and finance conglomerate in February, after initially going on leave to focus on his health.
During his tenure as Group CEO from 2011 to 2025, Wehby more than doubled the company’s revenue, from $58 billion in 2011 to J$155 billion in 2023, the company said in February.
It added that Wehby spearheaded aggressive mergers and acquisitions, strengthening the 103-year-old conglomerate’s footprint across the Caribbean, North and Central America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Wehby, who was a chartered accountant, joined GraceKennedy in 1995 and held senior roles across its food and financial divisions before being tapped to lead the group following the retirement of business titan Douglas Orane.
In addition to his corporate leadership, Wehby was appointed a Government Senator and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service from 2007 to 2009.
He returned to the Senate in May 2016 and served until his resignation in November 2024.
The Government of Jamaica awarded him the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2017 and the Order of Jamaica - the country's fourth highest honour in 2024.
In April, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica announced Wehby as the 31st inductee into its Hall of Fame. The induction is slated for October.
Under Wehby's stewardship, GraceKennedy was awarded an RJRGLEANER Honour Award for Business for its positive and exemplary corporate leadership and expansion in 2021, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wehby was born on July 14, 1963. He was married to Hilary, with whom he had three children.
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