Richard Pardy resigned as head of Flow Jamaica on July 31. Seen here at a media function two days before (from left) are Jean McPherson, director of marketing, Pardy; and Michele English, who was promoted to president and CEO of Flow Jamaica, at the Hilton Kingston hotel in New Kingston, July 29. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Richard Pardy, who last week gave up his job as head of Flow Jamaica, will likely remain with the Columbus Communications group as an advisor or consultant, the company has said.

Pardy left Flow for personal reasons, which, Wednesday Business understands, include plans to marry and possibly relocate closer to his bride in the United States.

Flow's Marketing Director, Jean McPherson, said Pardy was considered too resourceful to lose.

"Nothing has been decided as yet. We don't see him retiring. There's nothing cast in stone," said McPherson.

Promotion

Pardy has also given up the presidency of Fibre Link Jamaica, the Columbus subsidiary in charge of the technological infrastructure, which lays the fibre optic cable network for Flow.

Michelle English, who succeeded Pardy at Flow Jamaica, will also act as head of Fibre Link Jamaica. The cable laying company is chaired by Brendan Paddick, chief executive officer of Columbus.

English, a Canadian citizen, with over 20 years experience in operations and human resources management in the insurance and telecommunications industries, was general manager of Flow prior to her promotion.

She joined Flow in that, capacity in 2006. Before that she was vice president and general manager of Persona's Atlantic Canadian Division, at Persona Communications Corporation in Canada. There, she led the Atlantic Division management team in the development and introduction of Persona's digital cable and broadband Internet services.

"We went through a similar situation with a series of acquisition but the difference is the cable companies there did not compete with each other," English told Wednesday Business, comparing that company with Flow.

Triple-play service

Pardy, with a business back-ground and known to have owned several companies, headed Flow Jamaica at its 2005 entry in the Jamaican market, marshalling the roll out of the company's triple-play service of digital cable TV, digital landline and Internet service in 2005.

He essentially replicated what he did in the Bahamas 12 years ago with Cable Bahamas Limited, giving that company a 72 per cent market share in the cable market.

Flow's entrant into the Jamaican market has been characterised by a series of acquisitions of local cable companies, but this has not been without resistance from rivals.

Since its advent, Flow has invested over US$180 million (J$13 billion) in Jamaica to build out its fibre-optic cable system, including the recent US$80 million to develop its CFX-1 route, linking Morant Point, St Thomas Jamaica, with Boca Raton in Florida and Colombia.

Under Pardy, Flow has acquired more than 100,000 customers although the former CEO said his aim was to snag 187,000 subscribers or about a quarter of the 750,000 households that comprise the cable market by 2011.

Flow is the retail subsidiary of Columbus Communications, and is owned by John Risley, president and CEO of Clearwater fine foods; Michael Lee Chin, chairman of Canadian mutual fund company, AIC Limited; and Paddick.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com