PAC finds UWI CEO recruitment records far more detailed than first summary showed

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has established that the process used several years ago to recruit a new chief executive for the University of the West Indies (UWI) was considerably more thorough than an initial briefing to the committee suggested.

PAC Chairman Julian Robinson told the committee that concerns surfaced earlier this month after members received only a two-paragraph summary drawn from the board’s minutes. Former board chairman Wayne Chai Chong had maintained that the selection exercise was intensive. Robinson said the PAC has since obtained a multi-page document with detailed minutes of the recruitment process, which he said supports Chai Chong’s account.

Committee member Peter Bunting took issue with Eric Hosin, who was acting CEO at the time and submitted the abbreviated summary. Bunting argued that the short document failed to reflect the full scope of the work that had been done.

“I am a little surprised that the former acting CEO could not find anything more than the two paragraphs in those minutes when we have here minutes, meeting after meeting after meeting, around board decisions, which clearly support the submissions from the former chairman Chai Chong at the meeting,” Bunting said.

He added that a closer reading of the records shows Chai Chong had stressed that the process needed to withstand scrutiny and rigour. According to Bunting, the files outline a detailed exercise that included engaging an external human resources professional to conduct initial screening for the CEO post.

Robinson noted that the board minutes contain extensive discussions related to the CEO appointment. He said some of the material is sensitive and potentially private, but overall the documentation depicts a structured and in-depth selection process.