Taken from SAINTS NEWS & VIEWS : Volume 30, Issue 4 – 16 December, 2024
Recently, Mr. Chris Fernandes, Chairman of the Board of Governors (BOG) of the College, received awards from several groups. This would come as no surprise to anyone who knows of his wide experience in business and in social, cultural, humanitarian, and sporting activities in Guyana, all on top of his long tenure as the first and, since 2005 to date, only Chairman of the BOG, and being on the Board of St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, Georgetown.
Chris pursued his tertiary education at the Irish Management Institute and Pennsylvania State University, and then joined the family business where he is currently the Chairman of John Fernandes Group of Companies. After displaying his skills in the management of the family business, he was elected as the first President of the Shipping Association of Guyana Inc. over the period 1995–2002. He also held the position of the Chairman of the Caribbean Shipping Association. From 2003 to 2010, Chris also served as the Hon. Consul for Germany to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
In 2002, the Government of Guyana recognised his long and dedicated service in the field of Commerce and Shipping by awarding him The Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA). Additionally, in 2007, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) for his outstanding accomplishments and significant contributions to the business community and the wider society.
This year, the Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG) informed him that the Special Conferral Committee of the University considered him to be of the highest calibre of humanity and an exemplar in the field of international business and innovation, and that they unanimously agreed to confer on him the singular distinction of an honorary doctoral degree. Chris received this award at a ceremony on Thursday, 7th November 2024, at UG. In addition, the Shipping Association of Guyana honoured Chris with a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognise his high level of guidance and achievement in the industry.
Throughout his life as a student at the College and later as an alumnus, Chris has been very active in the sport of field hockey, and he has trained many top players in the country. These “Hockey Boys” have thanked and presented an award to their “Skipper” who has “helped to mould them into the men they have become.”
In a recent letter to the Ministry of Education, Dr. Chris announced that he will be stepping back from the role of Chairman of the BOG of the College, effective as of the last day of this year, but stated that he will continue to sit as a member of the BOG and continue to give advice to both his successor and the Board as a whole.
On behalf of all the alumni of the College, the Toronto Alumni Society wishes to offer Dr. Chris our most sincerest thanks for the hard work he has done in leading the College to its superior education and extracurricular status in the country, and wishes him all the best in his “semi-retirement.” We still look forward to seeing him around during our visits to the College.
