An Oral History of Seybrew’s All-Seychellois Leadership Team  |04 June 2022

In 2009, Diageo placed the leadership of Seychelles Breweries into the hands of a fully Seychellois team of experienced professionals, for the first time in its history. Their story, outlined here in their own words, conveys a powerful message about trust, merit and overcoming adversity, along with insightful perspectives about talent and localisation.

The Team

•          Aubrey Lucas, Managing Director from 2009 to 2014
•          David Vidot, Finance Director from 2009 to 2012
•          Japha Ally, Human Resources Director from 2004 to 2016
•          Andrea Radegonde, Supply Director from 2009 to July 2012
•          Guy Morel, Commercial Director from 2009 to 2013
•          Patrick Larue, Logistics Director from 2006 to 2012

Also forming part of this oral history are Alan Barnes, SBL Managing Director from 2006 to 2009, and Jean Weeling-Lee, who was named to the Board of Directors at SBL in 2008 and continues to serve in that capacity today.

The Start of the Seybrew Journey

PATRICK LARUE: For me it came down to a simple choice: Seybrew or exile. I was unable to get a job in government. My last job application was at Seybrew, and Mr Palmer (Edwin Palmer, SBL managing director from 1984-1993), took me on. I ended up joining as an accounts assistant.

JAPHA ALLY: It was never my dream to work for an alcohol company. I had previously been involved with the Special Olympics and sports, so it was a big challenge in fact.

DAVID VIDOT: I was working in insurance and was looking to do something new. Japha Ally and I had already been together at Cable & Wireless before, so when Japha called I knew I would there was something for me to contribute.

AUBREY LUCAS: I spent 24 years at SBL, mostly involved in packaging and production. I have to thank Edwin Palmer, because he’s the one who recruited me from the Polytechnic.

ANDREA RADEGONDE: I joined in 1990 when I was 23 and stayed for 21 years. I think I had seven different jobs during my time. I also think I was the first woman director in the company.

The Path to Leadership

GUY MOREL: A lot of it came down to the ability of Aubrey and also Japha to identify and nurture and grow the talent.

JAPHA ALLY: The most important thing for me since I started was to try and build a culture of dialogue, trust and unity. The O’Brien Bar at one point was for management staff only, so there was a lot of work to break down the barrier between staff on one side and management on the other.

PATRICK LARUE: I was grateful for the opportunity when I joined but it was difficult at first. It was not what I had studied in school. I was supposed to go into hotel management. But I took on the challenge and studied (on the job) part-time. It shows when you have the right guidance and the right attitude, you can start climbing.

AUBREY LUCAS: Early on I was given the opportunity to lead the PET line project, end to end. I spent six months in the UK seeing suppliers and negotiating prices. We got everything into containers and then I was told in London that a project manager would be coming down to Seychelles (to finalise everything), and I asked, “what for?” So instead I was able to take on this challenge. There were about 20 or 30 guys from Newcastle to do the welding. We had Italians doing the silos, and Frenchmen doing the blow moulder and the line. I took it upon myself, we worked night and day under some tough conditions, but we got the job done.

DAVID VIDOT: It was clear in my mind what I wanted. I came for the interview, and I remember the finance director at the time asked me why I wanted the job. I don’t know why I said it, but it’s something that still stays with me, I told her: “Because I’m coming for your job.”

On Sources of Support & Encouragement

ANDREA RADEGONDE: Mr Palmer was my first MD and I remember being very scared of him, until I discovered that we were both avid readers. I’m still reading Dick Francis today because of him.

AUBREY LUCAS: Alan Barnes at that time was very supportive in developing the Seychellois expertise. He was key. He gave me my chance as Supply Director and I took it, and delivered.

DAVID VIDOT: Alan Barnes is one of the most amazing characters I’ve worked with in my life. He would have been a good Seychellois. He took risks. And it was a risk for him to really push for us locals to run the company. And it happened at one of the most difficult times for the brewery.

ALAN BARNES:  If you want leaders in all areas of life you have to develop those leaders, and that’s the same whether you’re in a developed country or a developing one. Aubrey taking over from myself, and the Seychellois team there at the time, it was just the right thing for the company.

The Big Challenges

DAVID VIDOT: There was no foreign exchange. We were struggling with an ageing plant. In Finance obviously, we always have to stay compliant, which took some innovation. No matter how special and difficult the situation was in Seychelles, it was never an excuse not to deliver.

PATRICK LARUE: Especially as Logistics Director, it was a difficult time, when there was no foreign exchange to get raw materials and spares for the plant.

ANDREA RADEGONDE: It was really tough. Machinery was breaking down. I have been back to the brewery a few times since and I’m very happy to see the investment now.

On Working Together

DAVID VIDOT: Every Monday was a bit like warfare in the boardroom. Japha would tend to be the peacemaker. We respected each other, but we were not scared to challenge each other. All of us had our strengths and weaknesses, but we didn’t hold back anything. We realised we were working toward one common thing, and the mission was always our guiding light.

ALAN BARNES: I only have positive things to say about each of the leadership team individually, but also how they pulled together as a team. They are very different people but all are very proudly Seychellois and they each brought something different to the table.

AUBREY LUCAS: We gelled together, and made it happen. For five years we worked really well. Our production record still stands, I believe.

On the Future of Seychellois Leadership at SBL:

JEAN WEELING-LEE: Once you find a great Seychellois talent, he belongs to Diageo as well. If he or she can be a chief executive officer in Kenya or Zambia or wherever, you have to let them fly. And then you need to nurture new talent, like an incubator. When talent leaves, you don’t always have a Seychellois waiting in the pipeline, so maybe an expatriate comes in, but you must repeat the cycle. Training is paramount. Not just skill, but the leadership needed to bring people together.

ALAN BARNES: There’s constant advancement and growth with Diageo and that’s where at Seybrew you get the best of both worlds. You’ve got a global company with global process, structure, and ways of working, but then you’ve got local knowledge, understanding, history, background and relationships, and that’s so important.

GUY MOREL:  I don’t think we should be focusing on an all-Seychellois team. Instead it should be about continuing to invest in the young talent joining SBL, whether they are Seychellois or not. If the talent happens to be domestic and has a cost-advantage, it will happen naturally. It should not be a political decision. It should be a manifestation of the best talent.

Final Reflections

GUY MOREL: Seybrew is not just a beverage. It’s an extension of our cultural identity. Seybrew is the pride of Seychelles, and perhaps the leading firm amongst all the multi-national and domestic companies here. We may leave the business, but we take so much with us.

DAVID VIDOT: Once you’re a part of Diageo it’s like cattle that’s been branded. Everywhere I go now, I’m doing a safety audit in my head. I suppose it has to do with my background in insurance, maybe it all links up. But I had great moments at Seybrew. It was true to Diageo’s meaning of “celebrating life, every day, everywhere.”

ALAN BARNES: One of my favourite days of the year was the annual shareholder meeting. The questions the shareholders asked amazed me because they were never about financial performance, but rather how much we were looking after our people, valuing our customers, the quality of the brands. It was more about ensuring they could be proud of the company they invested in, and not whether the company they invested in can make more money. It was about whether we were creating a positive footprint in Seychelles, and I loved that.