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Loxley Tulloch - a natural leader

Published:Tuesday | July 29, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Loxley Tulloch

Growing up, Loxley Tulloch, general manager of Gateway Shipping, said he dreamt of becoming someone who was in charge. He wanted to be able to make a difference in the world, and most importantly, he wanted to control his destiny.

When asked about his entry into the shipping industry, he claims he "landed" in the industry by default. While a career in the industry may have been by chance, his success in shipping was attained through hard work and dedication.

It was the year 1990 when the young executive accepted an offer to be the line manager for Air Cargo at International Shipping Ltd. He was well equipped and experienced to take on the role, having worked with Air Jamaica for a few years prior.

"It was eye-opening to be on the port," Tulloch said of his introduction to the shipping industry. "I felt like I was in the land of the giants because of the sheer size of the ships and cranes, and it was a bit overwhelming, but it led me to wonder how the port could have been such a well-kept secret up to that time," Tulloch recalled.

Early days

The early days, he said, were exciting as there were many developments on the port at the time, including the expansion of the Container Terminal, then known as KTO Ltd.

When Intership discontinued its air cargo operations, Tulloch was asked to take over as operations manager for marine cargo instead. In this capacity, he worked closely with Port Services Ltd, which were the stevedores for his vessels, and which offered road-haulage services as well. By 1995, he was appointed by Port Services as the operations manager for road haulage, further expanding his knowledge and experience.

The beauty about working with a company such as GraceKennedy, he shared, was the opportunity to "do different things while still working with the same company". Having learned the shipping industry through experience, Tulloch decided to pursue the theoretical aspect of his job. He enrolled at the Jamaica Maritime Institute (JMI), now Caribbean Maritime Institute, in 1996 and was a member of the first batch of students pursuing studies in logistics.

"It was great!" Tulloch said of the JMI. "The student body was rich with experience," he said. Not only did he gain academic qualifications in the industry he had grown to love, but he also found love at the institute. He met his now wife Kerry while pursuing his diploma at JMI. The couple has four children: Kelsey, Haley, Zachary and Sydney.

Thirst for knowledge

After completing his diploma at the JMI, his thirst for knowledge grew, and he decided he wanted to pursue further studies. "My mentor and role model, Alva Wood, guided and encouraged me," Tulloch said. In 1998, he applied to the World Maritime University in Sweden to study port management and was accepted.

Describing GraceKennedy as a forward-thinking company that invested in the education of its staff, Tulloch said he was elated when the company decided to further invest in his education.

Sweden proved to be a culture shock for the Jamaican, who said it was quite different from home. "They were highly organised, very disciplined, and had an honour system in their stores where you made your own change from the cash register," Tulloch said of the Swedes. "They held Jamaica in high esteem, and this lent itself to patriotism and a sense of pride."

He returned to Jamaica in 1999 and was appointed general manager of GraceKennedy Shipping. Having been exposed to other ports, he was now able to relate to the changes occurring at the time and make the necessary adjustments.

It wasn't long after settling into his new job that he got the itch to study again. This time, he pursued an executive master of business at the Mona School of Business in 2004.

New lessons

A year later, GraceKennedy decided to pull out of the shipping industry and sell its interests. This led to new lessons for the experienced businessman - lessons in entrepreneurship.

He partnered with two colleagues, Robert Kinlocke and Alva Wood, and purchased GraceKennedy Shipping, now known as Gateway Shipping. "It was a different level of commitment but it has been very rewarding," Tulloch said.

Reflecting on his childhood dream and his journey to date, Tulloch believes that he has achieved much of what he set out to do. During his career, he has always been placed in positions of leadership that provided him with a platform to make a difference in the lives of others, especially the less fortunate.

"I have achieved a lot of what I wanted for myself and my family, but fortunately, there's still more left to look forward to that makes me want to get out of my bed in the mornings," Tulloch said.

The St George's College graduate still finds time in his busy schedule to play football, serve as president of the Park Rovers Masters League football club, serve on the advisory board at the Caribbean Maritime Institute, and guest lecture occasionally.

The first of four boys, this St Mary man, who was born to a sugar farmer and a teacher, says life on the sugar estates prepared him well for life beyond its borders.