Yesu Persaud hands over reins of DDL to Komal Samaroo; remains advisor to Company

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Following the recent announcement of the retirement of long standing Chairman, Dr. Yesu Persaud by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Dr. Persaud during a symbolic media ceremony on Thursday (January 2) handed over the reins of the company to his successor Komal Samaroo.

Samaroo, who has been a Managing Director in the Company for the last 30 years, said his focus will be to develop of team of Guyanese to manage the Company over the coming years.

He told reporters that for the past eight years he has been building international markets and helping the company to understand those markets. His appointment as the new Chairman took effect from January 1, 2014, while Dr. Persaud will remain an advisor to the company.

Meanwhile, Samaroo’s 85 – year – old predecessor, Dr. Persaud who has served the company for 48 years recounted the route of DDL’s success.

The former Chairman recalled that in 1976/76 the company was in a state of bankruptcy and was faced with several other problems. Today he said the company is 100 times better off.

Dr. Persaud said DDL is now highly diversified, with four warehouses full of stock, coming from an era when the company had to ‘start from scratch to build stock’ and now produces several global and recommended brands.

He boasted that DDL now has the most modern distillery in the Caribbean. The former Chairman is confident that his replacement is a man who knows the business having come from creating markets in North America and Europe.

DDL on announcing the retirement of Persaud had said that under the leadership of Yesu Persaud, DDL grew from being only a manufacturer and exporter of bulk rum to building a global brand, El Dorado Rums, and achieving and maintaining the status of the World’s Best Rum.